According to Buddha a man should first direct himself in a way he should go, and only then should he instruct others. This means that we first have to put our deeds in place and fix ourselves before preaching to others. As in planes they say, help yourself first before helping others. That also suggests that a person must first stand strong before deciding to lead others out of a problem. Unfortunately, in our country every person worth a name without knowing or giving roadmap pretends himself to the be savior of the declining economy. Wish our leaders could learn from Goethe’s saying that a man who believes he can do without world deceives himself, but the one who believe world can’t do without him is still more mistaken. Our ruling class from all sectors and the elite services failed to setup a system which could meet demands of every segment of society. Things only move when people resort to sit-ins and violence, direct or implied. It is imperative for us as a nation to realize that without a robust economy, neither democracy nor any kind of theocracy can bring prosperity. In the end in the modern world, bombs, jingoism, and rhetoric doesn’t take a nation far. We all must work together toward developing a strong economy. The government must sit with opposition to develop policies that encourage investment. Enough of beating the drum of corruption by past governments and assigning blames. It is now time for action. They must work to show what they can do to change things around. Similarly, all sectors of society must put in their best effort to make the economy strong. Only then will we be able to stand strong and be heard in the global scene.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad
