US ambassador Anne Patterson’s recent comments on how the Pakistan economy is being managed are not entirely without merit.
As a major donor, America perhaps feels it has a right to expect that the funds it provides are used not just to plug existing fiscal holes but to build a foundation for future sustainability.
And yes, it must be acknowledged that whatever Washington has pledged needs to be seen against the backdrop of a recession in the US. It is also understandable that taxpayers in the US and other donor countries “will not forever pay for Pakistan’s economic and social development”.
Still, the ambassador’s timing and the forum she chose for airing her views leave much to be desired. Let’s start with the timing of the comments made on Monday. Ms Patterson’s strong criticism came at a critical juncture when political tensions are at fever pitch and the credibility of the executive branch is being tested by what seems to be a clash of institutions.
Two, the venue and the ambassador’s audience must be noted: she was addressing senior officers of the armed forces at the National Defence University.
Given Pakistan’s history of military rule, it was not seemly of Ms Patterson to request army officers to “look closely at economic development programmes and activities around the country”. In a democracy that is not the business of the army.
That said, it cannot be denied that Islamabad’s priorities are hopelessly out of sync with the needs of a nation where cyclical poverty is ruining lives and breeding extremism.
Those at the helm seem to be interested primarily in their own political survival, at the expense of the people and the real socio-economic issues facing the country. Ours is a profligate and bloated government that spends more than it earns and yet, with begging bowl in hand, takes offence (at least publicly) when donors demand greater accountability.
Corruption is rife, and many among the wealthiest in the land evade taxes and collectively manage to get loan write-offs to the tune of billions. Without long-term policies and honesty of purpose, we will forever be reaching for the begging bowl.
Mohammed Abbasi 