It demands a concerted effort by all the political parties, state institutions and the entire nation
Constitutions embody the will of the nations that delineate the contours of the course to be adopted by them to achieve their cherished goals. Adherence to the constitution and the laws enacted in consonance with the constitution provide the foundation on which the edifice of a state is erected and the spirit of harmony and unity nurtured among different segments of the society that acts as a catalyst for peace and progress. Any deviation from the constitution and flaunting of the laws leads to chaos, disunity and emergence of the fissiparous tendencies that undermine the very objectives that a nation sets for itself to achieve, besides threatening its security and weakening its defence.
The current challenges like terrorism, extremism, sectarianism, insurgency in Balochistan and precarious law and order situation in Karachi are undoubtedly the result of the unconstitutional rules in the country and the consequent political instability that has marred the political landscape of the country. People often ask what they can do to overcome these debilitating challenges and removing the threats to the security of the country. The answer lies in going back to the drawing board, rediscovering the contours of the state envisioned by the founding father and making the slogan of ‘Unity, Faith and Discipline’ given by the Quaid, a driving force for all our actions designed at nation building; which invariably comes through adherence to the constitution.
Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, therefore, was right on money when addressing the participants of the National Security and War Course at the National Defence University where he observed: “State cannot survive if the constitutional order is not respected and the rule of law not enforced. Strengthening of Pakistan’s identity as a modern and democratic state which is at peace with both itself and its neighbors and is also recognised as a responsible sovereign all over the world is an imperative of country’s National Security Policy. The discipline of a state is a product of its constitution and is exercised through fearless implementation of its laws while ensuring the fundamental principles of equality before the law, equal treatment before the law and due process of the law.”
The prime minister actually put into a nutshell the recipe that we need to surmount the challenges facing the country and earn a respectable place in the comity of nations as envisioned by the architect of Pakistan. Appreciating the sacrifices rendered by the security forces, law enforcing agencies and the people of Pakistan as a consequence of the burgeoning acts of terrorism in the country, he rightly described it as a complex issue which could not be resolved by any one party or one institution. It surely demands a concerted effort by all the political parties, state institutions and the entire nation. Unfortunately terrorism has both internal and external dimensions due to the involvement of Kabul-India nexus. Dealing with it therefore needs a consolidated national response. We also need to learn from our past mistakes while aspiring to build the future.
It is also encouraging to note that in line with the commitment of the prime minister to establish the ascendancy of the constitution, the government committee holding dialogue with the TTP-nominated committee to resolve the issue of terrorism within our borders, in its very first interaction with the latter has reiterated unequivocally that the parleys would be held within the constitution which means that the government is not going to entertain any unconstitutional demand or endorse any action which vitiates the spirit of the constitution.
The government has shown utmost sincerity in resolving the conundrum by giving priority to a negotiated settlement without exhibiting any slackness in establishing the writ of the state. The parleys can prove productive only when the other side also realizes the futility of their actions and expresses willingness to respect the constitution and what it stands for. The two committees after their first formal talks sounded very optimistic about a positive outcome. However the statement by Maulana Abdul Aziz that the insistence of the government on holding dialogue within the confines of the constitution might create difficulties and the declaration made by the spokesman of TTP that talks would be held only under Quran and Sharia, is the first indication of how difficult and arduous task it would be to find a common ground to carry forward the process of parleys. One can only pray for the success of the dialogue at this stage and keep the fingers crossed.
No person in his right mind can begrudge the dialogue initiative if it really leads to smoothening out the ideological differences between the TTP and the state of Pakistan and ushers in an era of peace, so vitally needed to put the country back on track and reviving the fractured economy. Our economy has been badly mauled by the prevailing law and order situation; therefore, the government has rightly accorded top priority to dealing with the issue of terrorism and taken positive initiatives to restore peace in Karachi and also bringing the Baloch insurgents back into the political mainstream. These policy initiatives have already started showing some encouraging results and would certainly take some time to have their wholesome effect. The problems are so convoluted that there is no quick fix solution for them. But the most important thing is that steps have been taken towards the right direction. The government seems determined to tackle the phenomenon of terrorism and restore the writ of the state by whatever means it can be achieved.
While focusing on terrorism, the government has simultaneously given lot of attention to fixing the economy also. The resource-constrained economy needed big injections of finances to revive economic activity in the country. The government has successfully negotiated a standby arrangement amounting to US$ 5.3 billion with the IMF and introduced a number of structural reforms to change the economic culture, put in place steps to broaden the tax base and has won GSP Plus status for Pakistan that promises a boost of US$ 2 billion in our exports to EU countries. The economy has shown signs of revival and stock market is also on the upward curve. The IMF has expressed confidence in the measures adopted by the government. However, the full-fledged revival of the economy still depends to a great extent on the improved law and order situation in the country. Pakistan is at the crossroads and the efforts of the government to winch the country out of the quagmire need unstinted support of the entire nation.
