“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; it’s the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead.

EVERY issue in Pakistan is linked to political instability and bad governance. These are two sides of the same coin, and they feed off one another. We have come to the point where people are losing hope, especially young men and women and those with small children. Who can blame them when political instability and uncertainty continue to grow, with no light at the end of the tunnel?

The quagmire is evident in our debt-driven economy and shameful human development indicators. Our neonatal mortality rate is second only to that of Lesotho, a sub-Saharan African country. If considered by region, the neonatal mortality rate in Balochistan alone would be the highest in the world. Two indicators put together speak volumes about the mess we have created in Pakistan by ignoring the people: 26 million of our children are out of school, which is the highest number in the world and around 40 per cent of children suffer from stunted mental and physical growth — that is, uneducated, stunted children. But these children are not yours or mine. They are out there somewhere. Sometimes we catch a glimpse of the tip of these icebergs from the windows of our air-conditioned cars, but we never realise the depths of the submerged mountains.

People are cracking under inflation. Bereft farmers and losing ‘winners’ with complaints of stolen mandates are running from pillar to post for respite against the scandalous wheat crisis and manipulated elections, respectively.........

© Dawn