Hasina on Death Row
Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Bangladesh’s former prime minister who ruled the country with a tight rein, has now been sentenced to death. Running the country along fascist lines with full support of New Delhi, the Hasina-led administration committed heinous crimes against humanity one after another. Literally, she went on a witch hunt, ruthlessly targeting her political opponents with false accusations. The watershed moment came when, during last year’s blood-stained revolt, led by young college and university students, she was not only dethroned and forced to leave the prime minister’s office but also compelled to leave the country, lock, stock, and barrel. Every day has its day. Hasina is no exception.
Democracy is Dead….Officially!
In a democratic setup, no other state institution has the right to interfere in the powers of another institution. And when it happens, it undermines democracy itself. Contrary to the basic principles of democracy, the 27th Amendment is now the order of the day. People come and go, but institutions keep running based on a clear set of principles. The recent amendment appears to have violated these basic principles, which will not bode well for the future of democracy in a country that has oscillated between democracy and dictatorship from its inception. Thanks to the PML-N-PPP government, democracy is officially dead, as the alliance has put the basic governance structure at risk by approving the recent constitutional amendments. In the future, the results of this process may manifest in the form of absolute authoritarianism, but who will take the blame: PPP or PML-N?
Widening Debt Trap
Pakistan is caught in a widening debt trap with no sign of stopping. The primary reason for this is the improper utilization of its available resources. Due to foreign loans, there was a time when every Pakistani was indebted to a few hundred rupees. However, the latest report by the Economic Policy and Business Development states that every Pakistani citizen is now indebted to the tune of approximately Rs. 318,252 per person. In contrast, 10 years ago, every citizen was indebted to the tune of Rs. 90,047. According to the report, Pakistan’s debt burden has increased at an average annual rate of 13 percent, and the debt per person has tripled over the past decade. Who brought the situation to this point? The Pakistani rupee, which was once more than twice as strong as the Indian rupee, is no longer even equal to the Indian rupee. Now, the question is, how long will we be trapped in a never-ending debt trap?
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