Light of hope

Regardless of how violently the wick of hope flickers due to changing dynamics and the burden of past misdeeds, it will be a heresy of sorts to lose “hope”. Hope is a divine blessing upon man.

Any rejection of its potential will mean an attitude of ingratitude to Divinity. Mankind (narrow it to Pakistanis) very often indulges in destroying hope.

The coloured lens of negativity that we keep polishing every single day make us look at only the imaginary looming dark clouds; rarely do we put our attention to the brilliance of the silver linings that circumference the dense grey clouds. Our attitude is of outright rejection of any possible goodness to arrive at our doorstep.

The scenario we keep developing on the canvas of time is of only regrets—this is followed up with an equal quantum of the muck of blame thrown at politicians, mostly without corroborative evidence or justification. This is not to suggest that they are all as holy as the Pope.

Hope, Aristotle had said, “is the dream of a waking man. It’s one of the strongest emotions that has kept humans since the dawn of civilisation. It is a strong belief that things will get better, and actually acting on this belief”. We get to see the brilliance of the twinkle of stars only when it is dark. The onset of night never defeats the Hope of Sunshine on the morrow.

While it is undeniably important to reach the corridors of power through the ballot box, it is also a historical fact with us, that there have been several periods of autocratic rule, during which time, surprisingly and interestingly, the country has seen high rates of GDP growth.

Since 1977, when Z.A. Bhutto was ill-advised to go for snap election ahead of the deadline, based on false perception of heightened popularity, the results of that and all subsequent elections have been challenged and rejected.

Consequently, the government in office is not given the much needed licence of time to develop and implement policies with a long-term view of what suits the country’s interests.

The result perennially has been that the government has to spend precious time and energy in seeking to legitimise itself.

The opposition makes life difficult – not through counter and alternate economic programme but only with a single-point agenda of how to topple the administration in Islamabad, by any means, within or even outside the ambit of legal permissibility. Both the government and opposition waste their time and energy at the expense of the poor populace.

Since 2013, the only good done by both the government and the opposition is that they have made each other look as villainous parties whose sole purpose is “power grab”. None between the two seems interested in alleviating the economic plight and misery of the hapless and impoverished population.

Elections were done and dusted in year 2013 and more recently in 2024. The alleged rigging has taken a massive toll on the economy. In the opinion of this scribe the party losing an election, legitimately or ill-legitimately, must be mature enough to wait for the next round of elections (I am not suggesting to embrace rigging of results). The intent is to implore upon politicians on both sides of the fence to not waste precious time in bickering, which otherwise can be profitably utilised for economic and social development activities.

People over a period of time will through the power of the ballot box sift and throw out corrupt elements in the electoral process and someday a party acceptable to the electorate will get into the driving seat. Any temptations to engineer results must be checked and kept under control. The nation should be allowed to speak.

Hope is not an insult nor is it a shame to have it. It has wings that allow us to imagine and soar to heights; a belief in which a residence must be sought.

Hope prevails over anything challenging. It is certainly not about “mitti pao”, it is all about national priorities; for how long will the people of Pakistan watch in utter helplessness the battle lines that are drawn between the government and the opposition. If these lines were drawn with positive intent of doing better than each other, the electorate would also welcome the move, but regrettably these are serving only the inflated egos, which receive boost due to illusions of popularity.

It will be perilous to keep pursuing the beaten path of trying to upstage the government in power during the currency of its tenure. It needs to be emphasised that the proposition is not to legitimise any illegality but to save and restore country’s future.

The world is going through massive transformation. The dynamic factors are changing at lightning speed.

Trade wars of a very bitter nature are on the anvil; protectionism seems to be making a vengeful and ruthless return with slogans of ‘country first’; the attitude to legal and illegal immigration is undergoing a metamorphosis of change; the factory of the world is under threat of new and higher tariffs and there is indication of a return to a multi-polar world, as against the uni-polar world order experienced by societies and economies since the collapse of the Berlin Wall, which was followed quickly by the start and end of the first Persian Gulf war.

The Middle East continues to be a cauldron under fierce blazing fire that has potential to conflagration. There are suggestions for redrawing of latitude and longitude lines of the countries in the region. These are but a few grave challenges that we as a nation have to be prepared to face.

A united nation only can withstand the formidable challenges. The government has to be given the necessary time. The government must put a blinder and work with focus to improve the country’s fate and future. The opposition must know that time lost cannot be regained. There is need to learn to keep moving. There has to be unflinching faith and trust, that in the final analysis only “Truth” will prevail.

In difficult times, hope is one critical thing that can help us get out of the self-created quagmire of past and present misdeeds. The greatest aspect in times of extreme uncertainty and adversity is to remain “hopeful”. Faith and hope are a formidable combination for adoption. “Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering it will be happier.” (Alfred Tennyson).

Unfortunately, in our governance structure the concept of a “shadow cabinet” has never gained momentum. Again, it needs to be appreciated that the best opposition to any government is to offer a better counter view through suggested policymaking of a durable nature.

In any social gathering or even in a televised debate what gains currency of popularity is a point of view that everything around us is wrong. There is no direction. There is no goal in sight and that nothing good can be expected, unless we see change at Islamabad.

This is myopic thinking that has pervaded all the seventy-seven odd years of our existence and all of it to our collective misery and disadvantage. The doomsday scenario spin doctors are aplenty in our ranks. We need to rid ourselves from general despondency to a state of mind that we can turn the downhill slide – and for that we must cultivate and nurture hope.

The light that shines, despite the political noise and clamour, is the significant economic improvements that are being witnessed: inflation is in single digits after reaching a dizzying height of close to forty percent, current account is showing positive trends, remittances are at the highest, and tax collection is relatively better.

This is not to suggest that the government has performed very well, but yes, in the given set of circumstances of a near default like situation, the needle has been moved into the positive zone. The hardest climb gives the best view.

Poetically expressed by Emily Dickson, “Hope is the thing with feathers perches on the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all”. “We must accept finite disappointment but never lose Infinite Hope”. It is time we recognise that, “Hope is the word which God has written on the brow of every man” (Victor Hugo). Let’s not kill hope; it can survive on its own if it is not permitted by expediency to make friends with logic. Hope is a lethal powerhouse that can decimate any logic or doubt. We must bear the trials and travails of today with a definite hope for a better tomorrow.

Our population demographics of being blessed with an extremely youthful component, of say, sixty-five percent being below the age of thirty cannot be governed through falsehood or doomsday scenarios. They have every right to look for a better and brighter future despite the current darkness. They are blessed with “hope” to see light beyond. “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence” (Helen Keller). Veneer over disappointment is not hope, but it is faith for the best to come.

By action the government should assure that tomorrow will be brighter than today; let “hope” shape the future. “Hope is the only Bee that makes honey without flowers” (Robert Green Ingersoll). Let’s keep pressing the seed of hope – the nectar so obtained will allow for a thousand flowers to bloom.

Through these columns it is implored upon the politicians and all actors on the national stage, please do not deprive our youth (at least) of “hope”, for indeed that’s their only possession. Hope will triumph over doubt and despondency.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025