Karachi April-2024: Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President of Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW), said on Sunday that economic reforms are only practical with political reforms.
He said that economic reforms will only achieve goals other than wasting time and resources if political reforms are introduced.
He added that economic reforms are being carried out under the pressure of the IMF, but the elite are spared, and all the burden is being placed on the poor.
Murtaza Mughal said in a statement issued today that more attention should be paid to political reforms, otherwise process of economic reforms will remain incomplete and ineffective.
He said that a person who used to work at a roadside tea stall has become prime minister of India and has been changing the destiny of his country.
The son of an African migrant has served as president of the US, and the son of an Indian migrant is presently the prime minister of the UK.
However, politics has transformed into a money game in Pakistan. Our politicians are often considered disgustingly rich, self-serving, and uncaring of the people they govern.
Our politicians are known for scheming and cutting ruthless deals to secure a big stack of cash.
Poor and mediocre are getting top slots in other countries, but in Pakistan, such people cannot reach the district council because here politics has been turned into a game of wealth and greed.
He said that certain families dominate all major political parties and that intra-party elections are a joke and deception. Politics has become a business for the families dominating the country’s politics, so they do not want democracy in their parties.
It is difficult to force top politicians to introduce reforms in their parties, but it is not impossible and is vital for the country’s survival.
Mughal noted that economic models of different countries, including the Chinese, Bangladesh, and Singapore models, often make noise in Pakistan.
However, without political reforms, no model has worked here and will not work because political parties prefer party and personal interests instead of national interests.
He questioned who among the noted politicians for whom the country’s interest is important.
He said that Pakistan’s economy was not destroyed by chance or accident, but it was plundered and destroyed under a well-thought-out plan.
Expecting those who destroyed the country for personal gains to bring a change is a self-delusion.
