The scourge of inflation, the promise of relief and the government in question

Tremolo: Mian Nadeem Ahmed

The burden that the common citizen of Pakistan is going through today may not be visible in the official statistics, but the market, street, neighborhood, laborer's hut, employee's rented house and the empty tables of the white-clad class testify to the fact that inflation is no longer just an economic term but the biggest tragedy in the daily life of millions of Pakistanis. Every seven days, the change in the prices of petroleum products proves to be a new attack on the nerves of the public. When the government raises prices, a long list of reasons comes up, but when global conditions are relatively good, the public is right to ask why the promised relief is not forthcoming? Some time ago, it was decided that due to the international war situation and the uncertain situation in the world market, it is inevitable to increase the price of petroleum products. Today, when the same tension has subsided, the question is still unanswered, why was it not possible to return to the pre-war prices? If the increase was a temporary constraint, why could the relief not be temporary but practical? The government may of course maintain that prices are determined by the global market, exchange rate, tax policy and fiscal requirements, but why do the public feel that the burden of every economic decision is placed on their shoulders alone? After all, why should the cost of every crisis be paid only by salarymen, workers, farmers and porters?

The bitter truth is that when petrol is expensive, not only does the tank of the car fill up, but a new flood of inflation runs throughout the country. Rents go up, vegetables become expensive, flour, sugar, milk, medicines, school vans, online delivery, even daily bread become more distant. It seems as if profit-seekers get a free pass after every rise, but markets never come down as quickly as prices fall.

The biggest concern is that inflation has pushed the middle class into the ranks of the poor. A government employee, a private company worker, a pensioner or a small shopkeeper, all are asking the same question, how to make a household budget? The salary is the same, but the expenses are many times. Income is limited, but bills, fees, and taxes continue to rise.

Education is now less right and business more. Fees of quality private educational institutions are becoming beyond the reach of the common man while government educational institutions suffer from lack of resources and inconsistency of policies. If a father cannot give quality education to his children, it is a loss not only for that family but for the future of the entire state.

The health sector has also become a public test. Overcrowding, limited facilities, shortage of medicines and long waiting times are becoming the norm in government hospitals. On the other hand, the expenses of private hospitals and clinics are beyond the affordability of the common man. Complaints are also repeatedly raised in public that some doctors give limited time in government hospitals while private clinics charge thousands of rupees in consultation fees. If such complaints have weight, it becomes the responsibility of the concerned institutions to conduct transparent investigations, establish effective monitoring and dispel the impression that the public health system is left only to test the patience of the poor.

It is also unfortunate that the sacrifices in the country seem to be always made by the same class, while the relief and concessions are often directed towards a limited and influential circle. If this impression is not correct, then it is imperative for the government to prove it wrong by its practical actions, because trust is restored not only by statements but by decisions.

It is also a fact that when a large part of the state's resources are spent on non-productive expenditure, administrative burdens and incentives and more sacrifices are demanded from the people, questions inevitably arise. A welfare state requires first reducing the costs of governance, curbing wasteful spending, making the tax net fairer, cracking down on hoarders and profiteers, and then appealing to the public for cooperation.

Today Pakistan needs not only an economic package but also a confidence package. A trust that stems from the belief that the common man is at the center of every government policy, not just economic indicators or the interests of powerful classes. People want justice, not charity; Want practical relief, not declarations; Not promises, but decisions that will affect their kitchen, children's education and treatment of sick parents.

In the end, the question is the one that is in the heart of every Pakistani: If the common man will be crushed even in the storm of inflation, if the treatment will be beyond his reach, if education will also become the dream of his children, and if the relief will be limited only to announcements, then which door should the real inheritors of the state of Pakistan, i.e. the people, knock for justice?

This question is not for any one government, but for every system that demands sacrifice from the people, but seems unable to reward their sacrifice.

Article of the Constitution of Pakistan 38 Obliges the state to ensure the socio-economic welfare of the people, raise the standard of living, limit the concentration of wealth, reduce income disparity, take measures according to its available resources to provide employment, education and medical facilities to the citizens. These are not mere constitutional words but a moral and constitutional covenant between the state and the people.

What is needed today is that the government should provide real relief to the people instead of just presenting inflation figures. If prices are lower in the global market, the benefit should also reach the common man. If claims are made for improvement in the economy, their fruits should also reach the doorsteps of the people. If the sacrifice is to be made only by the people and the relief will always be limited to the powerful and privileged classes, then it is natural to raise questions.

The strength of the state is not recognized by palaces, offices and tall buildings but by a satisfied citizenry. When a laborer is silenced by asking the price before buying milk for his children, when a white-collar father is forced to take a loan to pay school fees, when a sick patient waits his turn in long queues at government hospitals after hearing the cost of treatment, it is not just an individual tragedy but a sign of collective failure.

Rulers keep changing but people's problems remain the same. This is the reason why the common Pakistani today is forced to ask when the day will finally come when the budget will be made for the people, petrol prices will be determined keeping the public interest in front, education will be the right of every child, treatment will be available to every patient and the citizen will get a chance to breathe under the burden of inflation.

The time has come for the state to bridge the gap between the demands of the constitution and the expectations of the people. Because if the hearth of the people goes cold, their children's dreams of the future are shattered and treatment is beyond their means, then all the claims of economic development lose their meaning.

People do not want charity, they want their constitutional right. People want practical relief, not promises. And this is the test to which every government must one day answer in the people's court.