Present day challenges and national unity

Minister for State for Finance and Revenue, Dr. Aisha Ghaus Pasha has said that the country needed a broad-based national consensus to ensure cohesion and unity among the ranks and files of the nation to overcome pressing challenges. While addressing a seminar on National Identity and Cohesion, Dr. Pasha noted that there were 11 key areas of focus that needs a national consensus so the entire nation and its leadership collectively decide to take painful reforms for progress and prosperity of the country.

She underlined the priority areas which include better governance, resource mobilization, accelerating growth, balanced regional development, human resource management, provision of employment opportunities, and few other arenas that demand a unified response of all stakeholders for building a strong nation. According to her, it is high time that everyone in Pakistan including the youth should sit together to create that country that was achieved after many sacrifices in 1947.

Pakistan is passing through a challenging time in its history as it not only faces grave risks and adversity to its economic survival due to weak financial outlook vis-a-vis ongoing global economic crisis, energy price hikes, and geopolitical rivalries in the region and beyond. These woes had been added up by the ongoing disastrous spell of torrential rains across the country which had caused a havoc while depriving over 33 millions of people of shelter, essential livelihood, livestock, and means of living while the cycle of flash floods is recurring every coming day without any pause.

At the same time, the nation is split into political, ethnic and religious groups and leadership across the political spectrum had not sensed the severity of the situation and yet not ready to forget their past differences, getting together at one platform on a one point agenda for nation building and public support. In fact, the sentiments for peaceful co-existence, tolerance and patriotism, national diversity and pluralism are the pillars of a strong and civilized society.

Obstensly, it is the duty of Political and religious leadership along with civil society and media to create awareness, build consensus and promote nationalism between various factions of the society for the sole cause of a strong, United, economically sovereign and prosperous Pakistan.