Pakistan Day

A modern democratic welfare state infused with the spirit of Islam remains a dream

The Pakistan Day once again comes amidst bad news. Reports continue to pour in from drought stricken Thar about children still dying of malnutrition and various diseases. Women have been ordered to be raped by jirgas which have also validated their killing. The clerics on the CII have refused to accept DNA reports of rape as primary evidence, called the law against child marriage and the one requiring husbands to seek the permission of the first wife before entering into marriage with a second wife, un-Islamic. The government remains hesitant to launch operation in North Waziristan which is widely considered to be the hub of terrorism. Terrorists meanwhile continue to attack targets of their choice. Extremism continues to be on the rise in the county. Banned outfits are still active under new names. They hold public meetings and oppose improvement of relations with Pakistan’s neighbours. On Pakistan Day, Jamaat-ud-Daawa (JuD) used the occasion to spread hatred and misled people by propagating a view of Pakistan’s future opposed to the one proposed by Jinnah in his address to the first Constituent Assembly. The government’s gravitation towards the reactionary Gulf states, some of which have pumped millions of dollars to support seminaries propagating extremist views, is highly worrisome. Some of the terrorist outfits targeting the Shi community have received their backing.

Another source of worry is the dominant role played by the military in policy making. One had hoped that the PML-N which enjoys absolute majority in National Assembly and has further strengthened its position through alliances would try to establish the supremacy of the civilian government. This had failed to happen so far. The agencies are still a law unto themselves. The incidents of forced disappearances in Balochistan despite widespread condemnation continue to take place. Violation of law by agencies of the state has led many others to take recourse to lawlessness thus complicating the issue in the province. Fears are being expressed that the agencies are repeating the blunders in Sindh now. There is a perception that Pakistan’s persistent failure to give MFN status to India is also the result of pressure from offstage actors.

Whatever progress has been made in stemming lawlessness in Karachi, the industrial hub of the country remains marginal. That law enforcement agencies still lack coordination shows that much needs to be done. The crime rate in Lahore is too high. Cases of extortion continue to be reported as well as of criminals killing police personnel. In the latest incident on Friday two policemen were kidnapped and killed in the city.  The courts are free but many think they are soft on military and agencies while hard on politicians.

Unless the government takes policy making in its own hands, improves governance, takes short term and long term measures to curb extremism and eradicate terrorism, the modern, democratic welfare state infused with the spirit of Islam will remain a dream.