National Government Around the Corner?
The word is getting around the corridors of power about the possibility of a 3-year national government, in which all the major parties of the country, including the PTI, will be stakeholders. As rumours are circulating, the national government will be an alternative to the caretaker government. However, it will not be an interim one but rather a long-term set-up that will last for three years at least and will implement far-reaching reforms aimed at putting the country on the path of rapid development and progress. The idea of a national government is not new, as such out-of-the-box ideas have surfaced many times before. However, on this occasion, based on credible information, one thing is set in stone: a national government will be formed before the next general elections. We will just have to wait and see!
‘Force’ for a Political Cause
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi, while addressing a press conference outside the Supreme Court, announced the launch of ‘Imran Khan Rihai Force.’ According to CM KPK, the continued disregard for court orders has made an organised and peaceful public movement inevitable. Running parallel to the PTI Youth Wing, the ‘Rihai Force’ will register youth across the country as its active members. Though the CM has not spelled out the political means of getting the incarcerated PTI chairman out of prison, such non-political, military terms as ‘Force’ spell a disaster. These words are not foreign to our political history, but can only be assimilated by a jingoistic mind that believes in violence in making things happen in one way or the other. Other than the misplaced timing of such Rihai Force initiatives, the term better describes the inherent fault that fails the encumbered party time and again.
Air Punjab vs. PIA
In a country like Pakistan, where ordinary citizens struggle to afford basic necessities, the Punjab government’s purchase of a luxury jet worth Rs 11 billion is not only shocking but also appears to be a blatant misuse of public funds. The 2019 model Gulfstream GVII-G500 jet, estimated to cost between $38 and $42 million, has reportedly been acquired as the first aircraft for the proposed provincial airline, “Air Punjab.” Many economists have described the move as commercially unsound. With a seating capacity of only 19 passengers, the aircraft is designed for luxury travel rather than regular commercial operations. Given that the federal government has recently privatized the national carrier, PIA, it is worth asking whether establishing a luxury airline at the provincial level truly serves the public interest.
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