PTI’s slogan of ‘change’ has proven farce: Asim Sajjad
‘Neither the begging bowl has been broken nor 5 million jobs and 100m houses provided’
Farman Ali
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s government has miserably failed to fulfill its electoral promises. The dream of a “change” has shattered within a year.
Unless structural and drastic changes are made in state policies, power structure and fair distribution of wealth and resources are ensured, any slogan of change will be merely a slogan.
These views were expressed by prominent Marxist intellectual, academic, columnist and author Dr Asim Sajjad Akhtar in an interview with the US-based online newspaper ‘Naya Daur’ (New Age).
Responding to a question, he said, “When we talk about the failures of the PTI government or the biggest failure, we have to keep in mind their slogans.
Sadly, PTI government is not empowered to make decisions or change the state policies and misplaced priorities, Dr Akhtar noted.
He said the slogan of change has turned out to be a mere slogan. This is a big question for those who were inspired by the slogan of “change” and have pinned high expectations on this government.
“I think we can only assess PTI’s successes and failures in the light of its slogans. It was promised that 5 million houses will be built and 100 million jobs will be provided but after one year no one talks about these promises,” he said.
About anti-corruption mantra, Dr Akhtar, who is president of Awami Workers Party (AWP) Punjab chapter, said: “The second major slogan of the PTI was to end corruption. But the slogan itself is strange as if there are a few corrupt people in the current system. The opposition is being targeted in the name of the anti-corruption drive.
“PTI’s anti-corruption rhetoric is bound to fail as the whole system is based on corruption, nepotism, and kickbacks,” he said.
“Before elections, the PTI used to say, ‘We will not do what the PML-N did’.
Sadly, the PTI government is continuing the same policies of its predecessor. Loans of big industrialists and businesses are being written off. That means all the slogans were a farce,” the AWP leader said.
Another big failure is continuing the neoliberal economic policies. PTI had made promises to break the begging bowl and the country will become independent and self-reliant but it hasn’t been broken.
We have seen the government has been approaching every country whether Saudi Arabia, Emirates, China, US or for that matter IMF for the loan.
It was PTI’s biggest promise that we will not seek a loan from the IMF. We would prefer to commit suicide rather seeking loan from the IMF was the Imran Khan’s rhetoric.
What happened to the promise of never going to IMF, he questioned.
Skyrocketing inflation and unemployment have badly affected the lives of the working class.
PTI government’s failures are countless. It’s not just one or two sectors. The whole economy is in a shambles and on the verge of collapse. And those who have brought PTI into power are virtually running the show which will prove disastrous for the country, he concluded.
The High Asia Herald is a member of High Asia Media Group — a window to High Asia and Central Asia