Welfare Society
The fundamental principles of Islam requires that the State looks after the welfare of its citizens, all of whom are equal before the law, there being supposedly no elite. Those fortunate are forbidden from ostentatious display of wealth. They are admonished to bend over backwards to remain identified with those less fortunate and to share their good fortune. All that is theory, in practice there is no system of welfare in Pakistan, mostly it is lip-service in the public sector, in the private sector there is evidence of it but it is sporadic. As much as democracy as practiced in Pakistan was a sham, so are welfare schemes. State-sponsored welfare schemes were present in the communist system but these fell prey to inefficiency and corruption. Our meagre forays in this field have faced the same misfortune.
Welfare Schemes have to cater for (1) those who have no means of earning a living and (2) the senior citizens of the State. The minimum common agenda (MCA) should be to provide them with the bare necessities of shelter, medical cover and enough money for food, payment of utility bills, etc. For those employed by the State there is a system of sorts. The Defence Services are closest to an optimum caring for those retired, the civil bureaucracy has a system in place but it is not adequate enough. For the private sector, schemes were instituted during late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s regime but they have been overtaken by rampant corruption and gross inefficiency, the Employees Social Security Institution (ESSI), managed separately by the Federal and respective Provincial Governments, and the Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI) managed by the Federal Government.
The Package
When Moeenuddin Qureshi was selected by consensus as a neutral person who would be a credible Caretaker PM entrusted with the responsibility of holding free and fair elections in the country, the internationally renowned economist factor was taken as an additional plus point to deal with an economy in dire financial straits. In less than a month he has put in motion for implementation such politically tough decisions that we used to write and dream about. For many years the vast majority of the people of Pakistan have suffered while their leaders have dithered and played politics about doing the right thing, suddenly out of the blue comes a person who not only promises to do the correct thing, he proceeds to act upon them. Unfortunately the financial cupboard is so bare, his parallel economic decision to increase prices across the board will effect the masses who will have to bear further privation due to commensurate rise in prices of essentials. This burden may become politically unbearable despite the obvious necessity in the adverse economic circumstances.