Pakistan today faces horrendous economic crisis, where State is forced to seek foreign and domestic debts, not for investment in socio-economic development projects, but paying fabulous salaries, pension and perks to its paid employees, both civil and uniformed. We need to revisit burden of salary allocation, instead of salary raise, and learn to live within our means. It is the economy which sustains national security and sovereignty and not vice versa.
We have witnessed collapse of Soviet Union, which militarily matched in terms of ammunition and nuclear capability, combined strength of US and NATO, but failed to achieve pace of economic progress vital to cater for welfare and aspirations of masses. For sake of posterity and protecting lives and honor of citizens of Pakistan, from known threats and nefarious designs of our arch enemy India, which has never accepted our existence, Pakistan and its stake holders, must rise up to need of hour.
It is an established fact that impact of salaries, expenses and extravagance incurred by Government of Pakistan and various state organs far exceed our total revenues, driving this country towards technical insolvency. Salaries and perks initiated by Musharraf and his PM Shaukat Aziz and others, who have been at helm thereafter, have become a burden on this nation. There is no rationale in wide gap in pay structure and remuneration of our highly qualified professionals and specialists in science, health, technology, education, economics etc. and paid civil and uniformed employees, which hastens brain drain.
For a country like Pakistan foreign loans should only be procured for investment in vital infrastructure such as dams, health, education and research with absolutely not even a penny for salary raise. Sanity must prevail before it is too late and we become so bankrupt that our vital nuclear deterrence may be compromised.
Malik Tariq Ali
Lahore
