If pre-election pledges were not to become post-elections shocks, national priorities need to be pursued by the new Government in letter and spirit. What reposes public trust and confidence-building is when leaders deliver what they promise to the nation amid election fever and campaigning with commitments.
Though NAB’s endeavor to inculcate character building at schools may seem and sound too idealistic and ritualistic for our leaders’ higher priorities for the nation, yet it is in the instilling at the grassroots level through education and media the spirit of fellow feeling and self-accountability lies the secret of a welfare society.
National priorities for new Government include quality education at affordable cost, vocational training enabling masses to acquire practical skills towards self-reliance, freely or nominally available medical consultancy, treatment and medication, cheap transport, low-priced housing, healthy environ and legal aid for less privileged.
When institutions like IoBM innovatively devise and commonly provide quality and affordable education to the less-privileged, such model of managerial and educational acumen and innovation needs to be taken on board as one of the priorities for the new government towards an enlightened Pakistan.
Deviating from the status quo in Pakistan’s foreign policy is a question of statesmanship extending an olive branch with grace, dignity and honor to the ill-designed and menacing antagonists of international power politics with tactical gains through ambassadorial art, skill and acumen. Tough ask indeed!
Complacency, ego or vanity and procrastination have no room in the life of an envoy or emissary so noble, humble and gentle in projecting and winning a national point. It is this test of astute statesmanship and ambassadorial acumen that has to be devised and passed by those at the helm of foreign affairs in the Foreign Service of Pakistan.
Praying for our leaders in being trend-setters for the masses as a harmonious blend of mutual cheers, trust and cooperation, rising over and above self, practicing all the good that they have been preaching, being able to skillfully join hands with our media to project our positive image abroad towards a better and brighter Pakistan.
By: Parvez Jamil is HoD and Senior Faculty Public Affairs, CBM, Institute of Business Management, Karachi. parvez@iobm,edu,pk
