The air in Minister Ali’s office hung heavy with the scent of despair and stale coffee. He stared at the latest report on SOE losses, the grim figures dancing before his eyes like mocking specters. Rs405 billion in six months. It was a hemorrhage, a relentless drain on the nation’s already weakened veins.
He thought of the committee, a motley crew of bureaucrats and economists, their meetings a symphony of jargon and bureaucratic inertia. “Feasibility studies,” “due diligence,” “market valuation” – the phrases echoed in his head like empty platitudes.
Ali remembered the PIA debacle, the ghost of that failed privatization haunting his every waking moment. The public outcry, the political backlash, it had left him scarred. Now, the shadow of the IMF loomed large, its stern demands for fiscal discipline a constant reminder of the looming crisis.
“Sir,” his secretary’s voice startled him. “The Prime Minister wishes to see you.”
Dreading the inevitable grilling, Ali walked towards the Prime Minister’s office. The PM, his face etched with worry, wasted no time. “The losses, Ali, they are unsustainable. The IMF is breathing down our necks. We need to act, and we need to act now.”
Ali braced himself. “Sir, I understand the urgency. But privatization is a complex process. We need to ensure transparency, protect workers’ interests…”
“Excuses, Ali, excuses!” the PM interrupted, his voice rising. “We’ve been talking about this for decades. Decades! Where are the results? The country is bleeding, and you’re talking about feasibility studies?”
The PM’s words struck a chord. Ali had to admit, he’d been playing it safe, avoiding the political minefield that was privatization. But the reality was stark. The country couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
“Sir,” Ali said, a newfound resolve hardening his voice, “I will streamline the process. We will cut through the red tape, engage with potential investors directly. We will make it happen.”
The PM looked at him, a flicker of hope in his eyes. “Good. I expect results, Ali. The country needs them.”
Leaving the PM’s office, Ali felt a strange sense of liberation. The weight of inaction, the fear of failure, it had been holding him back. Now, he had a choice: succumb to the inertia, or face the challenge head-on.
He knew it wouldn’t be easy. There would be opposition, political hurdles, and the constant threat of failure. But the alternative was unthinkable. The ghost of privatization had haunted him long enough. It was time to exorcise it, to break the chains of inaction, and to save the nation from financial ruin.
