Islamabad: A recent assessment by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PEDE) revealed that less than 20% of the country’s key issues were addressed by the three major political parties Resolved in the manifesto; News reported on Tuesday.
PEDE compares Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Manifesto, And the Pakistan Movement e-Insaf (PTI) < TAG 1> the three major parties that have historically been at the forefront of forming governments in the last three terms.
The purpose is to know whether the Manifesto has concrete and well-thought-out plans or if it is merely full of empty promises and broad declarations that lay the groundwork for the future do not have.
The PED, which is affiliated with the Planning Commission, has long advocated reforms in various aspects. These reform proposals are the result of extensive research and evidence-based strategies, linked to global best practices.
The Institute has identified 18 key issues / sectors including basic government, parliament, elections, cabinet, police, bureaucracy, budgeting, debt management ، PSDP, real estate, agriculture, energy, taxes, revenues, trade, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and the Internet. Each area has been scored with a maximum of 100 points.
PPP scored zero in 17 indicators, PTI in 13, and PMLN in 12. Overall, the analysis shows that the three major political parties have resolved less than 20% of Pakistan’s important economic and policy issues in their manifesto.
A further examination of 20 of shows that out of the important issues of the country, 7% in the PPP Manifesto, and only 1.5٪ ، The PML-N Manifesto focuses on only 12%; in PTI.
‘Lack of enough material’
These findings highlight the lack of significant material in the Manifesto on key issues facing the nation. He suggests that political parties lack a clear blueprint for action if they take power.
The absence of prominent material in the Manifesto results in a brief approach to governance ، Whose characteristics serve ad hocism and personal interests, which are inevitably overlooked for long-term national development.
For example, the promise to strengthen local government has been marked as zero. However, the proposal of the property tax government as the primary tax collector for the local government is recognized as a solid point ، Which gets a score of 25.
PEDE summarizes its suggestions for each theme in four points and reaches these scores, giving each point (25%) the same weight ، And accumulates up to 100% for all four points. The Institute then compared these points with each political party suggesting the same topic. If the manifesto includes one of the points suggested by PIDE, the score will be 25/100. If all the proposed points are aligned, the manifesto will get the full number (100/100).
It is important to note that the Manifesto has been reviewed on the basis of actual reform interventions rather than mere promises, slogans, or clear statements.
Pre-poll promises after the election, the difference between online conversations
Furthermore, in another research piece ، The PED is examined if there is a coherence between what is mentioned in the manifesto and digital statements by party leaders. The striking difference between pre-election promises and post-election online conversations, as PEDE has revealed ، Indicates a significant disconnection.
The analysis identifies critical issues such as economic disparities, infrastructure, unemployment, education, healthcare, governance, corruption, security, and critical environmental neglect, And human rights — on digital platforms by party leaders, which are essential for the development of the country.
X, the first Twitter, known as a powerful influence in the formation of political discourse ، Dealing with Pakistan’s socio-economic challenges is significantly reduced. Using the Latent Derklet Allocation (LDA) to analyze the tweets of the said party leaders from 2018 to 2022 ، PED finds no alignment between the manifesto and the vision expressed in the conversation.
Comprehensive analysis highlights the disturbing trend in online conversations between opposition leaders: The leadership of the PPP and the PMLN focuses primarily on family heritage and political conflicts.
The talks between the PTI leaders are mainly based in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir centers ، Which is a shadow of other important national concerns. This emphasizes the lack of attention and commitment of the country’s top political leadership.
Request to align political dialogue with the promises of the PEDE Charter for leaders to prioritize significant policy issues for Pakistan’s development and prosperity Indicates the urgency of. The manifesto should not be just paper promises۔ They should guide the pace of the nation, present a clear roadmap for the ruling parties and offer possible policy alternatives for the opposition.
The Institute emphasizes the need to discuss personal grievances, family inheritance, and concrete policy issues with political turmoil. It called on the leaders to be more focused, relevant, in addressing the ever-present challenges facing Pakistan ، And re-discuss and take advantage of social media tools for policy-based communication
