When Inequality Becomes a Threat to National Stability

History offers important lessons to nations that fail to address the grievances of ordinary citizens. The Russian Revolution of 1917 was driven by poverty, unequal distribution of land, food shortages and a political system that failed to respond to public demands. Although Russia and Pakistan have different political histories, the underlying lesson remains relevant: no country can secure lasting stability if economic hardship is concentrated among ordinary people while powerful groups continue to enjoy disproportionate advantages.

Pakistan was established with the promise of dignity, freedom and economic opportunity for its citizens. Yet, decades after independence, millions of Pakistanis struggle to afford basic necessities, including food, electricity, healthcare and education. The question is no longer simply how to stabilise the economy but whether the benefits and burdens of economic policy are being distributed fairly.

The Russian Revolution brought an end to centuries of monarchical rule and transformed the country’s economic and political structures. It also led to civil war, repression and enormous human suffering. Its experience demonstrates that deep-rooted inequality can undermine established institutions, but revolutionary change alone does not guarantee justice. Pakistan must learn from these historical lessons and pursue meaningful reform through constitutional and peaceful means.

One of Pakistan’s most persistent challenges is the concentration of political and economic influence. Feudal interests continue to exercise considerable influence in parts of the political system, while powerful business groups, sections of the bureaucracy and other privileged interests can benefit from policies unavailable to ordinary citizens. Successive governments have promised reform, but the public continues to question whether influential groups are required to make sacrifices comparable to those imposed on the wider population.

The scale of the problem was highlighted by the United Nations Development Programme’s Pakistan National Human Development Report 2020. Using data from 2017–18, the report estimated that economic privileges enjoyed by powerful interest groups amounted to Rs2.66 trillion, equivalent to approximately eight per cent of GDP. This historical estimate is not a measure of current annual spending, nor does it represent cash payments to individual politicians. It nevertheless raises a fundamental question about the opportunity cost of exemptions, subsidies and preferential economic arrangements.

At a time when governments repeatedly ask citizens to accept higher taxes and difficult economic adjustments, such privileges deserve transparent review. Every exemption should be justified by its public benefit, and every subsidy should be assessed against its contribution to employment, productivity and national welfare. Benefits that serve no defensible public purpose should be withdrawn in accordance with the law.

The electricity crisis illustrates the human consequences of an unequal economic system. For a low-paid employee, a pensioner or a small shopkeeper, an electricity bill can consume a substantial portion of monthly income. Families are forced to choose between paying utility bills, purchasing medicines, buying groceries and meeting their children’s educational expenses. Economic reform becomes meaningless when the ordinary citizen is repeatedly asked to bear its cost without a credible prospect of relief.

Meanwhile, public confidence suffers when privileged groups appear insulated from the hardships experienced by the wider population. Parliamentarians and public officials have a responsibility to explain their benefits, allowances and use of public resources. They should lead by example rather than offer successive promises of relief without addressing the structural causes of high electricity costs, inefficient distribution systems and poorly targeted subsidies.

Pakistan needs a fundamental change in governance. Political loyalty and personal connections must not take precedence over professional competence. The country should establish a merit-based national economic reform programme led by qualified technocrats in taxation, energy, agriculture, public finance, education and healthcare. These professionals should be selected through transparent procedures, required to disclose conflicts of interest and evaluated against measurable targets.

However, technocratic expertise must complement, not replace, constitutional democracy. An unelected administration operating without accountability could reproduce the same concentration of power that reform is intended to end. Parliament must retain its constitutional responsibilities, while independent courts, auditors and oversight institutions ensure that public funds are used properly. A time-bound reform administration, supported by a broad political consensus and subject to parliamentary scrutiny, could help implement difficult but necessary changes.

The immediate priorities should be a comprehensive review of elite privileges, fairer taxation of income and wealth, stronger action against tax evasion, transparent auditing of electricity contracts and capacity payments, and better-targeted assistance for low-income households. Public money recovered through legitimate reforms should strengthen government schools, hospitals, vocational training and social protection. Performance reports should be published regularly so citizens can assess whether promised savings actually improve their lives.

Accountability must also apply equally to politicians, bureaucrats, judges, business leaders and every other holder of public responsibility, subject to the law and due process. Neither political influence nor official position should provide protection from legitimate scrutiny. Equally, accountability mechanisms must not become instruments of political revenge.

Pakistan does not need to repeat the Russian Revolution. It needs to understand why societies lose confidence in their institutions and how that confidence can be restored. The answer lies in economic justice, competent administration, transparent public spending and equal treatment under the law.

A country cannot ask its poorest citizens to demonstrate endless patience while leaving unjustified privileges untouched. The real measure of economic reform is not the number of taxes imposed or austerity measures announced, but whether an ordinary Pakistani can afford electricity, educate children, access healthcare and live with dignity.

National stability will depend not merely on economic growth but on whether its benefits reach the people in whose name the state exists. Pakistan’s future requires a government that places merit above connections, public service above privilege and accountability above political convenience.

The writer can be reached at mujtabanodeel@gmail.com.