Hope & Trepidation for 2023

Ishtiaq Ahmed

London: We are about to say goodbye to 2022 and a warm welcome to 2023, in hope and in trepidation. 2022 has been perhaps the most tumultuous year for both countries of my residence – Pakistan my country of birth and Britain my adopted country of residence and birthplace of my children and grandchildren.

For Pakistan, the hope is that the political sense will prevail to pull the country out of the current political, economic and social malaise and prevent it from sliding down the slippery slope of further uncertainty and demise. The trepidation comes from the fear that nothing much will change and our political leaders will continue to stumble on without real purpose and design.

The current political shenanigans playing out in Pakistan do not inspire confidence that things will be much different in 2023 and beyond. Following the coercive manner in which Imran Khan was removed as Prime Minister back in April of 2022, amidst allegations of a foreign plot, nothing has happened to suggest that the political leadership of the country has the will or the capacity to put country’s affairs first. The country’s political leaders have the task of bringing order to the national affairs, however, on all sides, there is too much preoccupation with apportioning blame and ‘tit-for-tat’ vendetta politics. The national interest is being traded for personal agendas.

Pakistan is facing economic ruin with crippling debts. This has not been helped by the devastation caused by the recent flooding that has estimated to have caused ₨ 3.2 trillion of damage and ₨ 3.3 trillion of economic losses. Add to this, the economic global crisis caused by soaring inflation and it is not difficult to understand why the nation is finding it more and more difficulty to pay for its way. Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that the provinces are complaining about their allocated budgets including the flood relief funds being held back by the federal government in Islamabad.

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The political impasse, deep rooted economic malaise and millions made destitute by floods will continue to impact on Pakistan’s restorative efforts throughout 2023 and beyond. In the absence of a focused and deliverable economic, education, health and social plan, the future of the country will remain in doldrums for a long while. The scale of the task in hand demands of politicians to abandon their partisan ambitions in favour of the national interest.

Could it be that 2023 becomes a turning point for Pakistan’s pursuit of equality and justice for all its citizens irrespective of their religion, ethnic, gender, age, disability and social status?

On the world scene, Pakistan’s political and economic integrity has taken a nosedive. The internal political strife is not helping. Pakistan’s confused foreign policy is caught between a rock and a hard place – in other words, between China and America, both vying for world domination and hence at political loggerhead. Pakistan is in a difficult position. It cannot afford to completely align itself to one or the other so is left with a precarious balancing act.

The impromptus decision by then prime minister, Imran Khan, to visit Russia on the first day of its invasion of Ukraine was a gross political folly on his part which many would argue ultimately led to his demise. Pakistan has a long history as an ally of the West with millions of Pakistanis working in Europe and America so it has to be extremely circumspect in its relationship with same.

Britain is of a special interest to the Pakistani nation for a number of reasons: it is home for nearly two million people of Pakistani heritage into their fourth/fifth generation. British Pakistanis continue to maintain links with Pakistan through family and business connections. The economic injection provided by British Pakistanis is crucial to the Pakistani economy. The destiny of both countries is intrinsically intertwined.

In Britain the loss of Queen Elizabeth II marked the closing of one era and start of a new under the reign of HRH King Charles III. Queen was the symbol of unity, experience and wisdom. This will be a difficult act to follow, even for the experienced Charles, groomed as a future monarch over many a decade. The biggest challenge ahead for the new King would be to prevent the disintegration of UK particularly as Scotland, Ireland and Wales are vying for greater autonomy and self-governance.

The quick turnover of British Prime Ministers, three in the space of six months, has left the political integrity of the world’s longest surviving democracy somewhat tarnished. Britain’s revolving door prime ministership has raised eyebrows of global observers. The political detachment from Europe has left Britain somewhat Isolated, however, the Ukraine War has helped to restore some of Britain’s influence on the world stage.

Read More:https://thepenpk.com/stifling-of-democracy-in-pakistan/

The Ukraine war has plunged the world into political and economic crisis. The British economy is in deep recession with a cost of living crisis wreaking havoc particularly on those on the poorer end of the economic spectrum, where majority of British Pakistani find themselves. Despite government help, most families are experiencing financial hardship.

Britain is borrowing heavily to underwrite the impact of the rising costs. Ukraine crisis is impacting on supplies of essentials. Ukraine is the largest country in Europe, by landmass, with the exception of Russia, and responsible for many of the staple essentials. This allied to curtailment of Russian energy supplies guarantees a difficult winter ahead for all, particularly the poor. The fact remains that the there is no obvious or imminent catalyst for a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine which casts a cloud over peace far beyond Ukraine.

The damage to natural environment is perhaps the biggest threat to our collective survival and more particularly to the survival of the world’s poorest countries that are paying the heaviest price as Pakistan has discovered recently. According to the UN CO2 emissions have increased by almost 50% since 1990 thus accelerating the climate change. This threatens the survival of millions of people, plants and animals by causing meteorological events like droughts, fires and floods, which are becoming increasingly frequent and more extreme. The recent flooding in Pakistan is an extreme example of this.

It would require an international level resolve which thus far has been lacking on part of the richest nations who also happen to be the biggest culprits in thwarting any serious progress to halt and reverse the climate change.

Also, on the international scene, the growth of extreme right elements in Europe, Israel, and India is a worrying development that will require concerted efforts to counter and effectively diffuse. Pakistan’s own resolve and track record on equality and fairness across a number of areas remains suspect whilst institutional racism and Islamophobia remains rife in Britain despite commendable efforts over the recent decades. These are critical challenges for the global community but from our point of view more so for Pakistan and Britain.

Could it be that 2023 becomes a turning point for Pakistan’s pursuit of equality and justice for all its citizens irrespective of their religion, ethnic, gender, age, disability and social status? We live in hope and anticipation.

 The author is a British citizen of Pakistani origin with a keen interest in Pakistani and international affairs.

The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy