Perpetually caught between panic and paralysis

In Pakistan, past experience shows, every attempt at significant economic and governance reforms, which can inherently disrupt the status quo or challenge vested interests, must attract some kind of instinctive, ritualistic resistance from various sources: businesses, judiciary, civil and military bureaucracy, politicians, and even the public. Consequently, inertia has overtaken the moribund economy, making any tangible progress and change difficult, if not outright impossible. There are reasons for this. Policymaking in Pakistan often swings between “panic and paralysis”. The state either makes abrupt decisions without weighing their pros and cons or delays obvious decisions until the moment is long past. Neither approach inspires confidence among the investors and the citizens.