“We will double the FBR tax from Rs4000 billion to Rs8000 billion in one year.” “Tax amnesty schemes penalise the honest, while reward the dishonest and the crooks holding black and undeclared money”. “We oppose tax amnesty schemes as they have always been used by rulers to benefit their interests….” “Absolutely shameful how the government has dropped the petrol bomb on the poor nation…” “Burdening the masses with gas and power tariff increase is cruel on part of the government.”
If words count haunt, look no further than the opening paragraph. All these strong statements were made by the Prime Minister Imran Khan, while he was a Prime Minister hopeful. Not that Pakistan’s political history is short of more such examples. Criticise when out of power, and buckle under pressure when at the helm, has long been the case, and the current PM is no exception.
What makes matter worse is the fact that in this age of a vibrant electronic media and an unforgiving social media, one cannot simply hide. Economy, these days, is the centre of attention in the national media, and that is heartening to see. That, the quality of debate is often found wanting is far from heartening. Either way, the government should be well prepared for the onslaught, especially when you, in the past have targeted economic actions in the hardest possible tone, and are found practicing the exact opposite.
The current government is fortunate to have the best of political environments, on account of hostility from the opposition. The big players are busy dealing courts and are not out there all guns blazing. This should have made the job easier, but the past statements and the blind defence of the same by government officials, have instead made them look and sound clueless. The corruption story, before coming to power, sold rather well. But it is now time to move on and perform. Or at least look to be doing something and failing, instead of doing nothing and still failing. It is also time people own their part of intellectual dishonesty. It is unfathomable that the current PM, and especially the Finance Minister, genuinely thought that petroleum or energy prices could have been much lower. While in opposition, criticism for the sake of it is the favourite pastime. Those who have been in the thick of things are doing the same today, having known the realities of the game. The same words will come back to haunt them tomorrow.
It is not as if petrol has not been priced or taxed higher, it is not that the previous government had not announced the highest ever increase in energy prices, it is not that the gas prices had not increased the most during the last PPP tenure. And it is certainly not that those forming the discourse on national media as valued guests do not know the truth in the heart of their hearts.
The need for a charter for economy was never greater (see: The Fourteen Points of Charter of Economy, published May 30, 2017). It is time that the public be told some things in reality are not how they are shown by the media, and told by the politicians. Besides agreeing on a minimum economic agenda, they need to lay bare the realities of tax, debt, petroleum, power and gas, as they are – will be a massive service to the nation. The other option is to continue being haunted by the past statements made mostly in an act of intellectual dishonesty.