Nadir Shahi

The rut we have fallen into

Nadir Shah, the Napoleon of Persia, invaded India in 1739. His specialty was loot and plunder followed by mass killings. Governance and administration was not his forte. He took Koh-i-noor diamond and peacock throne with him to earn the title of ‘Plunder ke Badshah’ and ‘Lootera-e-Azam’.

Finally, his own people got fed up and when he was murdered in June 1747 there was a sigh of relief. He left deep impact on India and Nadir Shahi became a way of life. Since then the Indian sub-continent has not been the same. Stories of his plunder are narrated in the bazaars of old cities like New Delhi and Lahore.

After the partition of India in 1947, the Muslims of India made a fresh start under Jinnah and his team of founding fathers. Despite a rough start Pakistan was moving away from Nadir Shahi. There was direction and honesty in purpose. Both institution and nation building was at its peak. A new generation was being raised to pass on the baton. In 1956, a democratic constitution was also formulated and elections were to be held, but that could not happen. Instead of light, darkness took over in the form of first martial law by a disciple of Nadir Shahi. He got rid of the founding fathers and introduced his brand of ‘Looteray Siasatdan’ like the Chaudhrys of Gujrat and Lahore. Nadir Shahi became the order of the day; those who opposed were taken to the dungeons of the ‘Shahi Qila’ and given a dose of Nadir Shahi. When the mother of Comrade Hassan Nisar came to receive his body, it was mutilated beyond recognition by torture. There were several progressives like him who met similar fate. Even heavy weights like Faiz Ahmed Faiz were not spared.

With Ayub (Nadir) Khan, the era of nation building came to an end and empire formation started. The fruits of the hard work of the founding fathers were divested to a selected elite class. Loans, permits, patronage became the order of the day. The wealth of the nation came in the control of the infamous 22 families.

Since 1958, Nadir Shahi has been the order of the day with breaks in between. Most rulers focused on loot and plunder while governance became weaker and weaker. Only the methods changed, even the exploitation of religion was introduced. Any attempt to change was crushed under the boots. Democratic gains of the 1973 Constitution were neutralised by Zia (Nadir)-ul-Haq. Civilian institutions like Pakistan Railways, WAPDA and Steel Mills came under attack to be replaced by a Khaki Empire.

The Benazir, Nawaz era also proved to be Nadir Shahi, high on plunder and low on governance. Now ‘Bhata Khori’ which is another form of ‘Nadir Shahi’ has taken over cities like Karachi and Hyderabad with overtones in Lahore as well. In fact, most political leadership today is the creation of the Nadir Shahi era with focus on empire building, not nation building. In 1985, the party-less elections proved to be the last nail in the coffin of democracy. The entire state apparatus started to focus on politics instead of governance. In order to win support, the elected representatives were given recruitment quota with no merit for selection. Inductions were made in education, police and other departments without due process resulting in collapse of these institutions.

Canal embankments have become unsafe as the ‘Baildars’ responsible for their regular upkeep are involved in politicking for the modern day Nadir Shahs. Every year before the monsoons tall claims are made of the preparedness to handle the emergencies yet the city drowns and life comes to a standstill. The nation’s rivers are polluted as none of the sewerage treatment plants are functional. The infamous ‘Roohi Drain’ enters Pakistan with about 16 contaminants, by the time its untreated water falls into Ravi, the number increases to 24. Once the lifeline of Lahore the river has become a drain full of contaminated water unfit for aquatic life or human consumption. The water is then consumed by the lower riparian population resulting in diseases.

There is no glory or financial reward in maintaining Nadir Shahi. Replacement and procurement suits Nadir Shahi, so the rot of vital national assets continues unabated. The night time repair of roads or early morning sanitation of the city is a thing of the past. Mechanical road sweepers are seen ceremoniously on city roads mainly obstructing the flow of traffic at peak hours.

National elections on May 11, 2013, were robbed under the terminology of ‘Election Day Dynamics’. There can be no election or democracy without the sanctity of the ballot. Every vote has to be counted for effective results and a meaningful mandate. Only Nadir Shahs ‘emerge’ from tainted ballots. In the words of Aitzaz Ahsan, ‘How can we expect useful outcome when we do not have faith in the process?’

‘Nadir Shahi’ is deep rooted in this part of the world. In 1739, Nadir Shah defeated the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah to gain control of Delhi followed by loot and plunder of the city. The progressives in Pakistan have been struggling for decades to overpower the forces of status-quo but with limited success. Now the battle plans have to change to overcome the menace of ‘Nadir Shahi’. Direct confrontation seems to be the only course of action left.

Imran Khan has asked for verification of votes based on NADRA data in four constituencies. The party will take to the streets after Eid if this exercise is not carried out. The demand is fair for an evolutionary change process to continue through a fair and free ballot. Change is inevitable and an end to ‘Nadir Shahi’ imperative. Time is running out as even mere survival has become difficult for the common man. Nadir Shahi skims the resources of the nation leaving very little for the basics like food, education, health, drinking water, employment and a dignified human existence. We need to make efforts for a welfare estate.

The writer is ex-Chairman, Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be contacted at: [email protected]