New Delhi, Jan 16 (AHN) In Pakistan, the phrase "the 22 families" has been a prominent part of public discourse for decades. It resurfaces time and again, echoing a sentiment held by many that an alarming amount of wealth and power is concentrated in the hands of a small few.

However, the point isn’t necessarily about the identities of these families. Rather, the real concern lies in the repeated nature of this phenomenon and why it remains so resistant to change, an article in Pakistan’s The News International states.

These families established large enterprises spanning sectors such as textiles, banking, real estate, and energy. However, their success was not solely due to business acumen. Political connections played a significant role. Benevolent regulations, market protection, preferential credit, and access to state contracts enabled a handful of groups to dominate entire industries. For smaller businesses and the average citizen, the economic playing field was anything but level, the article said.

While the wealth at the top has increased, opportunities for the majority have dwindled. Economic growth has failed to improve the lives of most Pakistanis. Talented individuals leave the country in search of better prospects. Law and order are undermined as laws are selectively enforced. Parents withdraw their children from schools because education no longer guarantees stability or dignity. These are not isolated incidents but the predictable outcomes of a system that rewards access rather than merit, the article lamented.

It points out that many in Pakistan’s elite are insulated from the rest of society, financially global, politically connected and socially detached, while the state and ordinary citizens bear the burden of a dysfunctional system. The middle class is under pressure, informality is on the rise, and trust in institutions continues to erode.

This is why the debate over the "22 families" should not focus on names or blame. Every country has wealthy families. What matters is whether wealth is linked to productivity and responsibility, or to influence and protection. At this point, reform is not simply about fairness. It is a matter of survival. No country can remain stable when its brightest citizens leave, its children lose hope in education, and its laws instil fear rather than confidence, the article observed.

Change will eventually come, not necessarily because the system is unjust, but because it is unsustainable. Pakistan now faces a choice: to reform while its institutions are still functioning or to wait until the system breaks down, leaving no other option but collapse, the article concluded.