No sovereignty sans economic prosperity

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said that there cannot be any sovereignty in the absence of economic sovereignty.

Addressing a seminar on “Pakistan’s Economy: Challenges and Way forward” at National Defence University on Friday, he endorsed undeniable linkage between security and economy as both directly complement each other.

The COAS said the nation was going through a difficult economic situation due to fiscal mismanagement. He believed that the authorities had been shying of taking difficult decisions. He said that the armed forces played their part by voluntarily foregoing the annual increase in defense budget and this is not the only step they were taking for improvement of the economy.

The COAS said that the present government has gone for difficult but essential decisions for long term benefits and that we all need to fulfill our responsibilities in this regard so that these difficult initiatives succeed. He hoped that the nation would wade through these challenges. He was of the view that in difficult times no individual alone can succeed unless the nation comes together. He said it’s time to be a nation.

The role of the armed forces in defense of the country has had been undeniable. But the way the armed forces have come up to the economic challenges the country is facing at the moment is also appreciable. Freezing of the defense budget at the level of the previous fiscal year was not an easy decision in the wake of border situation but keeping in mind the appalling economic indicators, the armed forces voluntarily agreed to the decision.

The gesture shown by the armed forces asks other institutions and individuals sitting at government positions to also exhibit the same kind of gesture to pull the country out of the economic crisis. According to the officials, the PM House has so far saved around 320 million rupees by cutting their expenses. So must be the spirit at the other state institutions.

The non-development budget can be curtailed to benefit the inflation-hit masses. Keeping in view the words of the COAS that there is no sovereignty sans economic sovereignty, the nation must help the government stop wastage of national resources so that the funds could be used for the uplift of the masses and much-important national security.

For both countries and individuals, economic prosperity is the key to the quality of life and is also necessary for the nation to be strong in defence. Together we must strive to make our country progress. It is our responsibility to make Pakistan what it was really destined to be – great.