By IRNA,
Islamabad : Middle class majority in Pakistan are hopeless about the country’s situation and also about their own future as the growing acts of terrorism, price hike, lack of education and unemployment have cast negative impact on their future ambitions.
It is said that the middle class is the backbone of country’s economy but in Pakistan middle class has no share in the country’s progress rather they are kept out of the development process by the ruling elite class.
The “middle class” is described as a social and economic class usually composed of merchants, artisans, and business people.
The middle class is generally more moderate in their economic, social, and political habits.
Successful democracies are born out of cooperation of politicians with vote banks and middle class professionals with ideas about good governance but in Pakistan such cooperation is scant.
The middle class constitutes a base for civil society and is a crucial element in the context of change and institutional reform.
Pakistan has seen a significant level of economic growth and urbanization over the past decades.
Billions of dollars have been remitted to Pakistan by workers overseas through official channels.
The amount was widely dispersed among the workers families in different parts of the country allowing a large number to raise the living standards, acquire education, set up small businesses, etc.
There are no precise figures available but Pakistani political scientists say the upper and middle classes may now include 10 to 20 percent of the population.
The size of Pakistan’s expanded middle class is in fact debated as they are not numerous enough to swing elections or spearhead a major social movement.
In Pakistan people from middle class now have started losing interest in the country’s politics due to the policies of their governments.
They had vigorously supported a successful campaign by the country’s lawyers to reverse an attempt by former President Musharraf to dismiss the country’s chief justice, but now they are loosing hope.
They want a planned and structured solution of all problems, backed by governance literature and economic theory.
The fundamental problem in Pakistan is overbearing military, which often receives support from the urban elite, and argues that the poor peasants simply do not elect the right people.
The middle class in Pakistan dismisses all politicians who have a real chance of being elected.
At a time when the giant of inflation and economic vicious circle have grasped the world economy as most of the countries are hit by this inflation phenomenon, the people of Pakistan specially, the middle class has become the victim of this unprecedented price hike ever before in the country, which in fact has broken the backbone of the people, who do not have the stamina to resist this enormous load, under limited and meager resources of income, they face lot of problems to sustain and survive under the given atmosphere.
The nation which has been passing through a war-like situation, due to ongoing wave of terrorism and extremism has also been facing other crises and challenges like scarcity of flour, long running electricity load shedding, shortage of natural gas and above all, unbearable rise of fuel charges.
Electricity shortages have become so dire that even middle-class families in big cities have to ration supply, with power cuts for 12 of every 24 hours, with one hour on, and one hour off.
Muhammad Abbas, a lecturer in college, said that the middle class in Pakistan does not exist, rather there only two classes rich and poor.
He added that people from middle class are forced to live a miserable life, they cannot pay bills, they cannot provide quality education to their children and cannot even bear the expenses of medical treatment.
Asad, a post-graduate student from middle class said, “I know that after completion of my education I will not be able to find a proper job, I have no reference and nobody gives you job without reference.”
He said that politicians are doing nothing for the country as they are not aware of the problems of a common man.
Zahid a journalist said that middle class cannot participate in the politics as they have no recourses, you have to be very well off if you want to take part in politics.
“I have applied for the visa of Australia because I believe that with this income I will not be able to survive, no body wants to leave his family and country but I have no other option,” he said.
“I have no money to pay school fee of my children as I have to pay the electricity bill,” a shop owner said.
“If this is our condition you can imagine that what would be the condition of a poor man,” he added.
Ahsan, a banker, said that he is well aware of the country’s economic situation but the government should make some concrete efforts to pull out the country from this situation.
“I oppose the government’s decision to take loan from the IMF because in that case we have to accept the hard terms of the monetary agency,” he said.
“Look our politicians are not cutting their budgets and spending the national exchequer in waste but they are asking us to bear the burden of economic crises, this is really unfair,” said Ahsan.
Since the winter is approaching fast, another phase of gas load shedding would take place and even the gas charges would go up and common man would not be in the position to pay the cost of essential utility, the prevailing state of affairs indeed has added salt to injuries of the people and they in fact have lost courage to sustain and cope with the situation.
The problem with the middle class people is that they have to maintain a certain level of living but they have not enough money to do so, said a doctor.
Nasir, an IT professional, said that the middle class in Pakistan is very hardworking and sincere to their work but the circumstances have forced them to speak against the country. “We are not against our country but we want a respectable life,” he said.
Hassan Raza an engineer said that the higher education in Pakistan has become so expensive that a man representing a middle class cannot afford it. It is beyond our reach. He said that inflation has made the life of a common man miserable.”