THERE is a war in the neighbourhood and no one can be sure how long it might last. And for Pakistan this conflict brings a set of challenges which are not going to be easy to manage. Indeed, for months and years, those commenting on the country have been speaking of the multiple crises here — polycrisis for those with better vocabulary. And now, these are going to intensify with the spillover of the conflict in Iran.

At one level, this has not caught anyone unawares, especially those in power. For a considerable period, genuine concern had been expressed about the impact of a conflict in Iran; it was pointed out multiple times that an insecure or unstable Iran would cause problems in Pakistan because of a common border — for a number of reasons.

Take the recent hike in petrol prices. Not only is this the most obvious effect of a spillover but also one which will dominate the public discourse, especially on the heavily censored mainstream media. Regardless of how justified it may be from the point of view of a government trying to balance the demands of an IMF-mandated revenue target and to prevent hoarding, the hike has and will hit the people very hard.

Already struggling with their much-weakened purchasing power, the arrival of inflation will add to their woes and this will prove costly for the government. While those in power have no choice but to bear the ire of the people, the situation will lead to........

© Dawn