
In Pakistan, the sun rises on sugar mills sold for a rupee and sets on billionaires whose fortunes mysteriously blossom overnight. A nation built on the dreams of its founders has turned into the private playground of a privileged few – industrial giants, political overlords, and untouchable families. It is as if Pakistan’s economy was auctioned off decades ago, and only a handful hold the keys to its coffers. They don’t just own wealth – they own power, influence, and, most dangerously, the future.
The reality is jarring: factories set up with public funds are sold at token prices, massive loans are approved on the back of phone calls, and bad debts worth billions are quietly written off. Some of the largest industrial groups, hailed as the drivers of growth, have expanded their fortunes on the back of state concessions, unfair monopolies, and opaque deals, leaving the ordinary Pakistani burdened with debt. This isn’t mere corruption – it’s the wholesale capture of an economy.
Economic power in Pakistan has always belonged to the few. Whether under state-led nationalization or market-driven privatization, wealth has moved in one direction – upwards. In the 1970s, nationalization policies dismantled industrial monopolies only to cripple the economy in new ways. Many of the big business groups of that era were shattered, but their resilience allowed them to re-emerge. By the 1990s, privatization became the new buzzword. State assets – banks, steel mills, factories – were auctioned off at prices that defied all economic logic. Instead of breaking monopolies, privatization created new ones. A sugar mill built for millions was handed over for a rupee; billions in unpaid loans were waived, with the cost borne by taxpayers. The beneficiaries of these policies were often the same powerful families who knew how to navigate the system.
The human cost of these economic distortions has been enormous. For the privileged few, Pakistan is a land of opportunity – sprawling mansions, overseas investments, and unchecked influence. For the majority, it’s a daily struggle to afford education, healthcare, and food. The tax system is a glaring example of this injustice. The poor are burdened with countless indirect taxes while the rich enjoy exemptions, holidays, and loopholes designed to shield their wealth. Loans meant to support industrial growth are often siphoned off, leaving factories idle and workers unemployed. The people who suffer most from this exploitation are those least able to escape it.
Economic power has not only concentrated wealth but also shaped politics. The line between business empires and political leadership has blurred to the point of invisibility. It’s no coincidence that many of the individuals who owe billions to the state hold political office or enjoy close ties to those who do. This unholy alliance ensures that the system remains rigged in favor of the powerful, while the public is left to pay the price of their unchecked greed.
But the real question is not just who owns Pakistan but whether the country can ever be reclaimed for its people. The answer lies in radical, systemic reform. Transparency is the first step – every privatization deal, loan waiver, and tax exemption must be made public. Accountability must become a non-negotiable principle. Those who owe the nation billions cannot be allowed to evade justice under political cover. At the same time, the tax system must be restructured to shift theburden upward. The state must invest in its people – not just in rhetoric but in schools, hospitals, and infrastructure that create real opportunities.
Pakistan cannot afford to be held hostage by a handful of families. Its true wealth lies not in sugar mills, stock markets, or foreign accounts but in its people – the millions who work, dream, and sacrifice for a better tomorrow. For decades, Pakistan’s resources have been controlled, exploited, and squandered, but the time has come to demand a new social contract.
The question is no longer about who owns Pakistan – it’s about how long this injustice can endure. The people deserve better. They deserve a country where power is earned, not inherited; where wealth is created, not hoarded; and where the economy serves the many, not the few. The solutions are within reach, but they require courage – the courage to dismantle the empires of the untouchable elite and give Pakistan back to those who built it.
It’s time for Pakistan to move from being a playground for the privileged to a nation where justice, opportunity, and fairness reign.