Lisbon, May 23 (IANS) Pakistan’s government and media have attempted to project the country as a link between the Muslim world and the West, alongside renewed aspirations to position itself as a leading voice of the global Muslim community. Yet serious doubts remain about how far a state marked by economic underdevelopment, governance challenges, and strained public welfare systems can effectively claim such leadership.
“Pakistan is at one of its toughest economic crisis in recent years. The country has been relying on IMF bailout loans time and again to keep its economy afloat. Foreign currency reserves have dipped to alarmingly low levels at various points, the price of essential commodities is skyrocketing, and energy supply is still an issue in daily life. The high cost of electricity, joblessness and the drop in buying power have led to a lot of frustration among millions,” a report in the Lisbon Post detailed.
“Life is in itself a struggle for many in Pakistan. Middle-class families are cutting spending, small businesses are closing down, and young graduates are looking for work overseas. However, the politics in Islamabad seem to be more preoccupied with their own grandiose geopolitical agenda and symbolic aura in the Muslim world rather than with their internal problems,” it added.
According to the report, Pakistan seeks recognition as a peacemaker and a contributing force within the Muslim world in the international arena. However, it continues to face serious criticism over democratic backsliding, restrictions on press freedom, political polarisation, and human rights concerns, with enforced disappearances and state repression remaining persistent issues, particularly in Balochistan province.
“How can a nation be called a leader of others when it doesn’t lead itself well? How can a nation be called a leader of other nations if it can’t be a leader of itself in the areas of stability, economic security, and equal rights? While symbolic diplomacy can serve as an aid to support strong institutions, economic resilience and public trust, it cannot substitute for it,” the report noted.
“Here, too, there’s a bit of domestic political showmanship involved in the quest for Muslim-world leadership. International relevance can help governments to shift their focus from domestic controversies. If the inflation rate climbs, employment is lost, and discontent among the people increases, and foreign policy successes and nationalist stories become political tools,” it further said.
Emphasising Pakistan’s economic and governance failures at home, the report said real leadership cannot be reduced to “speeches, televised diplomacy, or symbolic rhetoric” but must be built on “stability, economic strength, public confidence and a state’s right to prioritise dignity and opportunity for its own citizens first.”
–IANS
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