OUR autocratic setup recently launched with much glee an economic vision evocatively named Uraan. Its name invokes the ‘take-off’ stage in the now-discredited 1950s modernisation theory that says that all states go through the same development stages.

Key figures on both sides of the coin of this hybrid setup said, after the notification for chief of defence forces post finally came out, that we are now poised for uraan. It is fair to ask how the changed circumstances will cause economic uraan.

Many reputed minds rightly say that Uraan lays out grandiose targets without a credible pathway. Even more basically, this set-up isn’t even following it at all while its actual policies may lead us to a false and short uraan that ends in a big crash. Progress depends on the combined effects of economic, political, social, security and external policies. Our policies in these areas are risky and short-sighted and their combined, mutually reinforcing effect will hugely undercut broader national security.

This isn’t odd when those with no expertise in these areas dominate while the docile other side is inept and unfairly elected. With both pilots unsuited, the uraan can only end in a........

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