FROM the alleyways of Karachi to the remote districts of Balochistan, people are grappling with relentless inflation. The gap between data-driven narratives pushed by those in power and the lived experiences ofordinary people hasnever been wider. The real tragedy lies in the repeated abdication of responsibility by the ruling elite. Even when moments of globalsupportarise, such as debtrescheduling or bailouts, these are squandered on stabilising the superficial, while ignoringthe structural.

Itisnotthe lack ofresources thathas brought us to the brink; it is the lack of rational, empathetic governance. While common people stand in queues for subsidised flour, or brave the heat in powerlesshomes, those who claim to lead us speak in borrowed jargon, govern from airconditioned offices, and operate from a place far removed from reality.

Economic development is not a press release; it is a process. It demands reforming tax structures so the rich pay their due share. How many more cycles of deception must we endure before real leadership emerges in the country? Majid Burfat Karachi