After Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s recent meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, hard-liners on both sides of the border have once again started their hate campaign to discredit the much-needed peace initiative.

Sometimes I wonder what are the priorities of our leaders and what forces influence them to change their minds. Last week, Sharif raised an important issue at a seminar. He said that despite being a nuclear state, Pakistan was facing acute power shortage affecting the lives and businesses of the masses.

It is very true that Pakistan is facing severe power crisis that is dealing a major blow to the economy of the country. Pakistan wastes huge amount of fresh water, which could be stored for power generation. Unfortunately, a lack of trust among provinces is a major hurdle in the construction of new dams due to which we have to rely on expensive thermal power generation.

Things are not very different in India either. During the election campaign, Modi had promised: “Toilets first, temples later.”

India, another nuclear state, where 500 million people constituting 48 percent of the total population don’t have access to basic sanitation facilities and are forced to relieve themselves in the open. In villages 65 percent people have to defecate in the open fields and the same goes for slum and shanty localities in major cities. The country is witnessing a hike in sex crimes. The number of people living below the poverty line is huge.

What is the use of being nuclear powers when the two countries cannot provide basic amenities to its citizens?

Do we need nuclear weapons or improved law and order situation, economic growth and basic amenities? I believe our leaders should revisit their policies in the larger interest of their people.

Masood Khan

Jubail