Most of us, at some point in our lives, dream about cultivating our preferred crops in the vast fertile lands of Southern Punjab, sitting proudly atop tractors that we have fantasised about, traversing Inception-esque fields – a field within a field, within a field – and carrying the mantle of national economy on our very own shoulders. Okay, this might’ve been an ever so slight exaggeration, but this is what all of us have to infuse into our daydreaming schedules if we are to survive in this land of ours. If the words of Miftah Ismail, Punjab Board of Investment and Trade Vice Chairman, to the Faisalabad industrialists are anything to go by, all the industrial magnates in our neck of the woods should forego manufacturing and start harvesting fields to serve the nation. The rationale provided for this ‘groundbreaking’ career counseling, is that industries wouldn’t be getting power supply anytime soon anyway, hence, they might just as well get up and start cropping!
Now, while Mr Miftah Ismail restricted his professional therapy to the realm of industry, if the vindication for the counsel is the energy predicament, then that’s something that affects every single one of us. And therefore, we should all take a leaf out of his intellectual treasury and follow suit. Depending on who stands where in letting their imagination run riot with regards to wheat or cotton cultivation, or indeed visualising themselves as caretakers of cattle and poultry one can earmark their preferred specialisation in the farming domain. Of the plethora of quotable quotes bestowed upon the Faisalabad industrial tycoons by the vice chairman, the one that stood out, especially with regards to the national scheme of things was the line, “You should focus on bringing in foreign investment into Pakistan,” and also “The government of Punjab trying its best to overcome the energy shortages but it will take some time.”
The hint provided for the duration of this “some time” that the government is being touted to take is that it would take longer than potential career shifts of a generation of industrialists. So basically it has come to this, that instead of giving us a timeframe that showcases a line of action with regards to improving the energy quagmire, the government officials are now asking the nation to indulge in activities wherein the energy shortage doesn’t remain that big an issue while the bigger picture of prosperity continues to be served – this is of course in the ‘greater interest of the nation.’ The government seems all set to take us all the way back to Stone Age – and maybe beyond – as the hierarchy is running out of excuses to satisfy the disgruntled industrialists.
After the whole MFN debate, and with the impending influx of Indian goods into the market, I’m sure the aforementioned verbal jottings would create an atmosphere of buoyancy for our industrialists who’d already be having sleepless nights over the cabinet’s decision to remove the Indian negative list even before any guarantees on the Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) from our neighbours. The industrialists are hankering after any inkling of optimism that can trace on the trade front, and if this is what they’re going to be served with, who could blame them from considering the MFN decision a disaster waiting to happen. Maybe, just maybe, the government should think about solving the biggest issue that hampers our economic growth rather than give the industrialists, comical career counseling.
The writer is Sub-Editor, Pakistan Today. He can be reached at khulduneshahid@gmail.com