Page 4 - Pakistan Link - October 19, 2018

P4 – PAKISTAN LINK – OCTOBER 19, 2018 OPINION
Pakistan Link Imran is Catching up with the Reality Check

Advisory Board n By Karamatullah K. Ghori
Dr Sohail Masood Toronto, Canada
President overning a country as
Arif Zaff ar Mansuri checkered and star-crossed
ArifMansuri@PLpublications.org Gas Pakistan was never go-
ing to be a piece of cake for Imran
Editor Khan. And since
Akhtar Mahmud Faruqui Imran had strug-
afaruqui@pakistanlink.com gled hard over
m o r e t h a n
Editor Urdu Link & Bureau Chief (Pakistan) two de- c ades
Shabbir Ghori to get w h e r e
urdulink@yahoo.com h e ’ s now he
Resident Editor Urdu Link must’ve known
& Director Video Operations this harsh reality long before don-
Anwar Khawaja ning the leadership mantle of his
akhawaja@pakistanlink.com ‘Naya Pakistan.’
It will be an understatement to
Manager Sales & Advertising say that the government Imran in-
sales@pakistanlink.com herited was a poisoned chalice.
A succession of corrupt civil-
Regional Offi ces
ian governments—one led by that
notorious Zardari and the other by
YKKB a fi lching Nawaz Sharif—have left Pakistan with a refi nery at Gwadar, dollar. the architect of a ‘New Pakistan’ to
ykkb03@gmail.com a mountain of daunting problems which many a critic of Imran see as As these lines are being written, the hilt. Th e bailout will, for sure,
for Imran. Th e most daunting in the a way to circumvent overwhelming the Pakistani rupee has plunged to infl ict hardship and more suff ering
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento@plpublications.com pile of problems is, no doubt, a se- dependence on China, in the con- its lowest value against the dollar, at on the people of Pakistan to whom
verely damaged and hemorrhaging text of the much-ballyhooed CPEC. something more than Rupees 133 to he promised deliverance from the
San Fransisco/Bay Area, CA economy, topped with a crushing Since the demise of the jugglers’ one US dollar. All bets are off how banalities of corrupt rulers.
Sanfrancisco@plpublications.com burden of foreign debt. rule that Nawaz’ claptrap was, the far the slide would go. One close Imran’s Finance Minister, Asad
Th e two profl igate predecessors chickens are coming home to roost confi dant of Imran’s has gone on re- Umar, is right and astute in fore-
New York, NY
Newyork@plpublications.com of Imran borrowed twice as much on CPEC. Th e country is now awak- cord casually predicting that it may warning the people of more hard-
money from foreign lenders in their ening to the disturbing reality that plunge as low as Rs 140 to a dollar ship as a necessary evil of getting
Houston, TX ‘decade of decadence’ than in all the CPEC is much ado about little gains before the slide halts. One would rid of a rotten and festering system
Houston@Plpublications.org sixty years before them. for Pakistan, compared to the eco- hope this dire prediction doesn’t of corruption. But for a people who
A foreign debt of $ 95 billion nomic bonanza that China intends come true. may have pinned high hopes on
Phoenix, AZ should be a nightmare for any in- to reap from its promised invest- Compounding Imran’s dilem- Imran’s promises to them, swallow-
Phoenix@Plpublications.org
coming government. More so for ments under CPEC. ma and his economic woes is the ing these warnings and forebodings
Ontario, Canada a government that had never had Th e most worrying aspect of prevailing unfriendly climate at and may not be easy, to say the least.
Ontario@Plpublications.org a crack at governing a problem- this reality-check on CPEC is that around IMF. Th e Trump adminis- Keeping his core constituency
plagued country like Pakistan. Th e it will add to the crushing burden of tration—unpredictable and fl ippant of mass popularity on his side is go-
Letters to the Editor only thing Imran’s PTI had to show foreign debt that Imran was sworn on most things—seems fi rmly an- ing to be Imran’s most immediate
by way of experience of governance to get rid of when he was on the chored in its hostility to Pakistan. challenge. It will not be smooth sail-
Readers are welcome to express their opinion
in these columns. Please keep your letters was in only one province of Paki- America’s preponderant infl uence ing for him by any stretch of imagi-
brief and to the point. Letters without full stan, Khyber-Pakhtoon Khwa, or on IMF may work against Pakistan nation. Add to it the naked and
name, complete address, and a daytime Th e country is now
phone number will not be published. KPK. in more ways than one and render unabashed hostility of the former
Also, copies of letters sent to other news- Imran entered the hall of gov- awakening to the the outcome bleak. ruling elite that now fi nds itself on
papers are not encouraged. Letters can be
mailed, faxed or e-mailed to the Editor at erning Pakistan with the slogan of If nothing else, the much- the ropes and has sworn to hit back.
the Pakistan Link Headquarters address turning a new leaf in the way the disturbing reality that dreaded ‘conditionalities’ invariably Th e recent arrest of Shahbaz Sharif
listed below.
Pakistan Link (ISSN 1074-0406) is pub- country had been governed—or CPEC is much ado attached to most, if not all, IMF on corruption charges must send
lished weekly for $85 a year by JAZ LLC, mismanaged, rather—by his plun- bailouts could spell more trouble alarm bells ringing throughout the
DBA PL Publications, LLC. dering predecessors in power. His about little gains for for Imran in his mission to heal the cabal of cronies of the likes of Shar-
Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA new Pakistan was going to not only Pakistan, compared to economy with as little suff ering for ifs and Zardari. Th eir day of reckon-
and additional mailing offi ces.
POST MASTER: Send address changes to turn things around but do so with a the people of Pakistan as possible. ing can’t be far if a heavy-weight like
Pakistan Link, P O Box 1238, Anaheim, CA the economic bonanza
92815 clear break with the past. It’s a given thing that whatever Shahbaz is already in the slammer
The management has the right to refuse So, the message went out from that China intends to bailout package is baptized for Paki- and held accountable for all his an-
to print any advertisement, news, article,
letter or any other material. In case of his spokesmen that fi xing a bleed- reap from its promised stan will come with many a harsh tics and shenanigans.
any errors in advertisement the manage- ing economy and stopping its hem- string. Also foregone is that the Imran is unlikely to lower
ment will not be liable for more than the investments under
amount paid for the advertisement to the orrhaging was going to be priority fallout of IMF strings would make down the heat on the corrupt who
Link. number one for Imran and his team. life not just a tad more diffi cult for looted Pakistan mercilessly and are
Advertisements in Pakistan Link are CPEC. Th e most
placed in good faith. The newspaper is not Coupled with this, the other mes- the ordinary Pakistanis but the cost responsible for its present economic
responsible nor endorses the contents of sage was that the new govt. will not worrying aspect of this of living will become a whole lot misery.
any advertisement. In case of a frivolous
lawsuit, the plaintiff will bear the total cost be taking the easy way out—borrow- reality-check on CPEC daunting for them. With his belief in the righ-
of the suit, including but not limited to the ing more from international lend- Recourse to IMF isn’t the only teousness of his mission intact and
Link’s costs and the attorney’s fees. is that it will add to
ers such as the notorious IMF—to check with reality. As it is, Imran’s unwavering Imran may be counted
tackle the immediate problem of im- the crushing burden of government has already upped the upon to not compromise on his
Information for balance in payment. Instead, it will foreign debt that Imran price of natural gas and a stiff hike commitment to the people of Paki-
in the per unit cost of electricity to
stan to deliver them a New Pakistan,
explore other methods; help from
Subscribers friendly countries, for one. Breaking was sworn to get rid consumers is next on the cards. Th is free of corruption and on the mend,
The printing of Pakistan Link is unfail- the begging bowl was a goal of the was part of the roadmap produced prospering.
ingly completed by Wednesday every of when he was on the
week and its copies are handed over to new rulers. for the survey team from IMF that Taking care of the corrupt and
the mailing house for prompt dispatch However, the magnitude and campaign trail paid a visit to Islamabad recently. dumping them on the dung-heap of
to the subscribers. The Link should severity of the country’s economic Th e team gave passing grades to history, where they certainly
reach its destination on time if there is
no delay at the post offi ce. If a delay is woes have forced Imran to not shun these measures but still held that IMRAN, P21
occasioned it is in no way attributable the IMF route. campaign trail. more was needed to be done.
to the performance of Link’s manage-
ment. In case of delayed receipt of Pak- It must be painful and humili- Going to the maligned IMF IMF’s global panacea for suff er- Views and
istan Link or missing issues, please con- ating for a man as uptight as him to with his own begging bowl may well ing economies, a sort of one remedy
tact your local Post Offi ce and submit a opinions ex-
“Publication Watch” form. eat his words. He did try alternative be a Hobson’s choice for Imran— for all ills, is to chop off all subsidies pressed by
routes. Th e visit to Saudi Arabia— something unavoidable, no matter ingrained in the economic planning authors and
his fi rst foreign visit as PM—was how bitter and hard a pill to swallow. of most developing countries. IMF is contributors
But a positive take on the
PAKISTAN LINK triggered primarily to explore the alarming and critical condition of anti-subsidies. With its upper hand, in articles,
it can force a country like Pakistani
friends’ avenue for succor. But our
Headquarters Saudi friends and trustful ‘brothers’ the economy—the devil’s gift , so begging for a bailout to agree to letters, opin-
P O Box 1238, Anaheim, CA 92815 have their own kettle of fi sh to tend to speak—would say the bitter pill these ‘requirements’ as sine qua non ion pieces,
Tel: 714-400-3400 reports, advertisements, etc
Fax: 714-400-3404 to. Th eir misadventure in Yemen is should have been swallowed much for its aid package. Take it or leave is appearing in Pakistan Link
E-Mail: Editor@PakistanLink.com not only leading them down a blind earlier by Imran. Foot-dragging by the mantra at IMF for those knock- and Urdu Link are their own.
alley—in terms of political strate- him and his economic wizards and ing at its door with a begging bowl Th e paper neither shares
gy—but also proving costly even for czars have only worsened the situ- in hand. And who doesn’t know that nor endorses them and thus
Pakistan Offi ce the largest producer of crude oil in ation. While the economy is, pro- beggars are not choosers. should not be held responsi-
42 Rehman Court the world. verbially, on life-support, the Rupee So, the fallout from the hoped-
Plaza Square, Off M. A. Jinnah Road Th e Saudis did, though, assure has continued to take one hit aft er for IMF bailout is going to test Im- ble for the views/opinions of
Karachi-74400, Pakistan the writers & advertisers.
Imran of their readiness to help another, vis-à-vis its par value to the ran’s reputation and credibility as
www.PakistanLink.com