To bridge this dollar gap and the revenue shortfall the Nawaz Sharif government has stepped up its efforts to seek external and internal support. Instead supply of oil on credit has been promised from at least the rulers of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The Islamic Development bank has also moved with dollar loans. The Manchester trip, entirely master-minded by Shiekh Rashid Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Tourism, was completely unsuccessful. These dollar-seeking efforts including Prime Ministerial trips however hold no promise for the tough and urgently needed reform at home to tackle the economic problems.
Economic problems require handling.
Economic problems therefore require that state affairs be differently run. Unless ofcourse external friends and financiers are willing to endlessly pick the mounting costs of mismanagement, governments must make wise and tough choices. Not simply take to sincere articulation of reform packages and of National Agendas. Wise and tough choices is however a political act. An economic turn-around is in essence a political task requiring high caliber leadership.