Nazeer Ahmed  Arijo

There is too much social injustice in this state of Pakistan. The unequal distribution of wealth and concentration of power in the hands of the rich minority representing the deprived majority and deciding the destiny of the nation ;  and policymakers making economic policies without taking into account the fast-shrinking purchasing power as well as every day battles of the vast majority in the face of  skyrocketing prices of basic food items and  utilities , have brought in its wake unimaginable train of troubles faced by the population . And to top it all,  "the budget bomb 2019-20 ” coupled with heavy taxes levied, is unleashing ” tsunami of inflation” that poses  "an existential threat” to poor people’s survival.

PTI’s  "Naya Pakistan ” has increased the domestic gas prices up to 190 percent and the price of CNG up to Rs 22  per kg ,which would ultimately negatively impact the household budget of the majority living in poverty -the man- made.

In a staggering survey recently released by the ministry of health, which was conducted by the National Nutrition Survey  2018, revealed that more than 50percent of Pakistani families can not afford even tow meals a day out of poverty, causing several dietary deficiencies.

Favouring the rich and the business community, the price of gas for the industrial sector has been increased up to 30percent only thus the PTI led government giving a clear message of being indifferent to the ordinary. With this rise in domestic gas charges, it would become commodity that only the privileged class can afford it.

It is pertinent to mention here that the incumbent government had increased the domestic gas charges up to 143 percent in the month it came to power. Besides, oil and diesel prices are being increased not to mention electricity. The hike in fuel prices does have an impact on all sectors and the prices of basic food items, without a doubt, will be affected, thus putting an extra burden on the already economically squeezed household budgets of the majority. The economically disadvantaged majority is expressing outrage over storm of inflation, but the government is deaf to their   concerns conveyed through public demonstrations across the country as well as to their needs.  It continues with its policy of "economic murder” of the citizenry.  The Rising poverty the working class is facing in this country can be imagined from the fact that one poor labourer in a certain city was seen announcing to sell his children as he could no longer feed them. This gut -wrenching sale story shines light on the murky world of those trapped in man- made -economic deprivation. If storm of inflation and indifference to ordinary, while making economic policies prioritized by economic masters and implemented by the ruling elites, was not stopped then we would be witnessing such stories of a child -sale  frequently.

Very recently, while unveiling the monetary policy for the next two months, state bank governor Reza Baqir after having increased interest rate from 21.25to 13.25, made it clear that the inflation would increase given   the exchange reserves deficit. The governor adding further said “ The hike in prices of electricity, gas and fuel and various taxes levied in Budget 2019-20 has resulted in inflation ,  according to him ,the further rising prices is expected in the months to come as well as in first six months of 2020 respectively”. He has said that an  inflation rate in 12019-20 will remain between 11to 13 percent. It remained at 7.3percent last year "he addded.  It means hard days are ahead.

"Criticizing the government’s poorly -planned policies, PPP’s parliamentary leader in the upper house Sherry Rahman  said that economy is in dire straits and the government is directionless. Prices of petrol ,disel and electricity have skyrocketed while a meteroic rise in gas bills has crippled thousands of households.The gas is becoming an unaffordable luxury in this country. The bills are going through the

roof .” She added.

 Having questioned  PTI government ‘s strategy of hiking prices to maximize revenue ,Sherry Rehman said ” The government was absolutely desensitized to the common man ‘s issues ".

 Being disillusioned with PPP and PML N for their inability to boost economic conditions of the vast majority,    people of Pakistan voted the   PTI  to power  for the change  "Naya Pakistan”  which has not happened ; what they  got is ” tsunami of inflation ".

The distinguished writer and sub-editor at Dailytimes,Abdul Ghani ,in his recent write-up  titled "Budget bomb and political turmoil ”      joined the chorus of concern having    remarked that "there is absence of schemes for the youth, and human capital has remained an untouched subject in the budget session presented by the PTI. The ‘tsunami of change ‘has transformed into a ‘tsunami of inflation’ in just nine months of new government. "

 The PTI led government had   promised of establishing a medina like -welfare

state flowing  with streams of  milk and honey for general public ,but heavy taxes levied in fiscal budget opened floodgates of   inflation stemming from federal  budget ,but the both  PTI led government and its  "planted economic advisors ” are busy feeding a repetitive narrative to the population  that” an  inflation bombing  ” was necessitated  because of the bad economic policies and policy of feathering their own nests allegedly  pursued by the  previous regimes of PML N and PPP.  The government of the day  being indifferent to the majority can be gauged from the fact that sugar ,edible oil and other items of daily use were taxed  in its  first fiscal budget 2019-20 presented and subsequently passed by the parliament – a rich men’s  club”-   known for its  historical indifference to the  voters -the have nots majority  –

The government increased tax on sugar from 11 percent to 17pc ,saying the move would result in a mere price hike of up to Rs3.5per kilogram.This surprising  price  rise of sugar  surprised many including PTI leader and former finance minister Asad Umar. He ,on the floor of the National Assembly , after having expressed his utter discontent,  asked his government to reconsider the increased tax on sugar and cooking oil in the federal budget.Asad Umar also had  called for an investigation as to why sugar prices are on the rise.Thus,the PTI leader ,in veiled refrence ,had exposed the sugar- business tycoon  who coaxed and  cobbled together coalition partners, close to the chief executive.

The PTI government has hiked price of electricity up to  80percen so far  , and the government has given an under taking to the IMF for the quarterly electricity tarrif adjustments  (as a result ) ,further increase is to be imposed very soon.

 With entry into corridors of power,  a great  many politicians change their  colour and character and IK is no exception. They start compromising the very ideals once they advocated and held them dear. Mutuality with the staus quo with   regard   to economic management by burdening the already burdened by the PTI government who pitched itself as political messiah   speaks volumes about its volte-face.

 Given the recent price hike of essential items of daily use, even the salaried class is struggling to meet both ends, then what about the survival of those under-paid, under- privileged and the unemployed?

Since state has miserably failed to provide a quality education and healthcare to the population. So, people enroll their children in private education system for ensuring a quality education, and so do they for private healthcare system for better nursing care (as a result); a large chunk of one’s income is spent on availing the facility being discussed. Either the families would compromise food intake or the education of their new generation thus a healthy and an  educated Pakistan was and  would be a  distant dream.

According to Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) that is based on data of up to fiscal year 2017-18 , jointly developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)  and the Oxford Poverty  and  Human Development Initiative  (OPHI) at the university of Oxford , the2019  global MPI offers data for 101 counties, covering 76 percent of the global population.

The report shows that one- third of children in Pakistan under the age of 5 years were malnourished and suffering from intra-house- hold inequality – The UNDP has defined the intra-house -hold inequality as deprivation in nutrition where one child is malnourished and other is not.

The report notes that Kenya and Pakistan have a similar incidence of multidimensional poverty but inequality in education in Pakistan is twice that of Kenya.

Around 2.5 million children are out of school, many of those are working as waiters, home maidservants and mechanics who are over-worked, under-paid and sometimes subjected to sexual abuse. Poverty has pushed them into bondage and bestiality of exploiters. Children are "the future -builders of both a family and the country. Majority of our children -"our future ” are malnourished and without school bags. Bread and education is a right enshrined in our constitution denied to them by previous and present governments.

 There are four million youth who have no employment and five lack graduates are without jobs. One can imagine every day battles.

The other day People from all walks of life, including labourers, home -based workers and rights activists observed a ‘black day’ by holding a rally from Regal Chowk to the Karachi Press Club against the terrible price hike. Rally denounced the federal budget saying that basic necessities such as wheat flour, cooking oil,  rice , lentils, milk ,meat, fruit and even vegetables had become so expensive that they were now beyond the reach of the common people.

"The country is suffering because of the bad choices and poor policies of the government. “Why should the common people bear the brunt of that? ” Said one protester.

According to this new budget, there will be up to a 200 percent increase in our utility bills. Now we have to make a choice between eating food to stay alive or paying utility bills "said a disillusioned home-based  -working woman waving her gas bill.”

Budget bomb accompanied by two hundred percent increase in utility bills poses "an existential threat ” to poor people’s survival.

Under such circumstance, the vast majority living in beggary, will be left with no option than to taking heavily- interest- based borrowing from private loan lenders in times of financial hardships, which is a vicious circle demanding the loanees to keep pumping money into  predators’ pockets. Such borrowing is on the rise given the economic deprivation in rural Pakistan, where majority is living while facing step-motherly treatment. The government which promised economic prosperity to all and sundry, one crore houses to low-income earning families and employment to the unemployed is so callous.

Imagine the scale  of the sitting government being intoxicated with the idea of leiving taxes that it has imposed 10 percent regulatory duty on import of second-hand cloths being used by poor .

Who will bear the burden of the duty …those deprived sections of the society who can’t afford to buy the new ones hence opt for wearing the worn-out.

The government must have studied crippling economic conditions faced by the public before before giving commitment to IMF terms and conditions of taxing the lMF wish list.

Were our economic policy makers and the chief executive not aware of the manipulative monetary policies recommended by international lending entities such as IMF and the World Bank, which hit the poor rather than the rich.

 In recent months,public demonstrations were held  in Britain, Greece Germany and Spain against exploitative terms and conditions by those international funding entities -IMF ,WB and ECB- to balance budget ,which hit the  down trodden in those states.

Punishing  the poor  with budget  bomb  ordered by the IMF  in order to fix circular debt and managing the repayment of loans which were never utilized for the welfare of the vast majority is nothing but  robbery of hard -earned cash from the population on the brink of bankruptcy.

Economist and political scientist Farrukh Saleem, the PTI government’s former spokesperson on energy and economy having given his expert opinion on the bailout package of a $6 billion by the IMF and the dictation given by the Fund said "They say the budget deficit is extremely high, the solution is to increase the revenue by 45 percent. How exactly? It’s a shrinking economy. Similarly, they say the trade deficit is extremely high, and then devalue the rupee. The IMF isn’t trying to solve Pakistan’s problems at all, the package has zero reforms – be it power, budget deficit, or trade deficit. After all, the IMF is not a purely economic institute, it’s a political institute as well,” Saleem added.

I got the chance to attend  "Eminent Speakers series- Budget 2019-20 and beyond :How to survive an economic downturn” hosted recently by Karachi School of Business and leadership (KSBL) ;  well-known Dawn  columnist Khuraam Hussain, Dr.Naddeem Javaid, former Chief Economist Government  of Pakistan and economist Muzamil Hussain  offered diversified input  on the topic.

Khurram Hussain minced no words that the Chief Executive being directionless in economic policy, has been surrounded by "planted economic specialists” who have given the same short -term and cosmetic prescription for our ailing economy that is imposing heavy taxes in the name of stabilizing national economy; the very policy the former finance minister Asad Umar was unwilling to execute keeping in view the shrinking economy (as a result)  he was sacked. In response to my question , given the terrible price hike, there is likelihood of majority losing purchasing power, then how would  be the economic recovery possible?

Khuraam Hussein agreed to my argument saying that if the majority lost purchasing capacity, there would be socio-politico-economic crises may be spiraling out of control.

The government is more focused on targeting the opposition politicians, crushing dissent and freedom of pen power and controlling media   -many believe it to be agenda of hidden hands advanced by the sitting civilian set-up- than doing its primary duty of delivering to masses.

In the high noon of our 21st century Pakistan, i am thinking this morning of deprived majority.

 The French philosopher  Christophe Guilluy is of the opinion that no system can remain if it does not integrate majority of its poor people.