WIT H the country currently focussed on developments inside Afghanistan, domestic issues seem to be on the proverbial backburner. And when it comes to domestic issues, the Covid pandemic continues to hog the limelight. This leaves very little space for a plethora of socioeconomic issues.

From the sorry state of af fairs prevailing in the energy sector to power breakdowns, soaring inflation, food insecurity, unemployment,intolerance,frustration, and even abuses and murders ...

everything seems to be on the hold as far asofhcialfocusisconcerned.

Due to circular debt, currency devaluation and widespread inef ficiency, loadshedding has increased manifold. As a resident of Islamabad, I have witnessed a surge of panic due to frequent and unscheduled outages in a city that was not accustomed to any such thing till not too long ago.

Recent downpours intensified the predicament as the twin cities remained engulfed in prolonged power blackout. The Islamabad Electricity Supply Company (Iesco) was unable to do anything except opting going for extended and unannouncedloadshedding.

The Covid has taken its toll on the economy, with industrial and agricultural productivity taking a dip alongside the spike in inflation. The recent World Bank report has put the national unemployment rate at five per cent and poverty rate at about 40pc. The numbers only confirm that we have poor living conditions and that our mental and physical wellbeing is at stake.

A major dark side has been the rampant increase in crime rate owing in large part to intolerance and frustration. Despite being the `safest city` of Pakistan, Islamabad this year fell victim to the largest recorded crime rate in its history.

School closures due to lockdown have added to the plight of the struggling education sector. Out-of-school children, inequity and juvenile delinquency are on the rise. Children have fallen prey to social evils, including drugs, and the socialfabricis under serious strainin this regard.

The Single National Curriculum (SNC) has added to the sense of polarisation in the country. Instead of upgrading the public schools, the government seems to be forcing the private schools to lower their standards. Sindh simply refused to implement it, saying that it disregarded cultural diversity.

The lingering socio-economic issues have become a political albatross round our necks.

It is crucial for all stakeholders to settle political dif ferences and unite to undertake these herculean tasks. The need of the hour is for Pakistan to take a paradigm shift in policymaking, and theregulatory framework must be adaptable, nuanced, resilient and sustainable.

Successful outcome demands strict compliance by one and all.

Soha Nisar Islamabad