Blowback is here

And what are we doing about it?

The much-talked about and feared ‘blowback’ is here. First, there was the suicide blast at Wagah that killed at least 60 innocent citizens last Sunday, and then the very next day a young Christian couple was lynched by a frenzied mob over alleged blasphemy in Kasur.

Our security apparatus had feared a backlash as a direct consequence of its putsch against jihadists in North Waziristan. They were right that Taliban of different hues and colours, having sanctuaries all over Pakistan, would strike back. And they eventually did.

But to judge these incidents of violence in isolation, in narrow tactical terms, will be tantamount to missing the wood for the trees. In many ways the blowback is symptomatic of the whole Pakistani state edifice heading towards a collapse owing to years of malfeasance, maladroitness and short-sighted policies of our ruling elite – civilian and khaki.

No doubt now the proverbial chickens have come home to roost. The rot that had set in long ago is now manifesting itself not only in the form of rampant intolerance in society and terrorists ruling the roost, but in virtually all walks of life.

Take the case of Pakistan’s security conundrum. While our military is engaged in an operation to weed out terrorists from the country, it has been accused by the US of double dealing by patting on the back of India-centric and Afghanistan-specific groups. Islamabad, while vehemently denying these charges, has expressed an obvious sense of hurt and outrage.

Apart from being isolated in the region, its erstwhile patron, overtly tilting towards New Delhi, is doubly hurtful for Pakistan. Our neighbours – China and Iran inclusive – take our lament that we ourselves are victims of terrorism and are fighting against militancy with a pinch of salt.

Is it not time that we revisit our flawed security paradigm as well as a skewed foreign policy priorities based on it? Of course an extremist Hindu government in New Delhi feeds our paranoid frenzy.

India-centric hawks amongst us derive a vicarious satisfaction from sabre rattling across the border. It strengthens their ‘I told you so’ narrative.

No doubt now the proverbial chickens have come home to roost. The rot that had set in long ago is now manifesting itself not only in the form of rampant intolerance in society and terrorists ruling the roost, but in virtually all walks of life

Of course the Pakistani military cannot lower its guard in the face of external threats. Nonetheless, it should shed its notion of being the sole guardian of the national interest. In the process it should provide an enabling environment for civilian institutions to flourish and outgrow the national security state syndrome.

Supporting jihadist organisations and using them as an instrument of state policy obviously has had disastrous consequences. It all started with the Afghan jihad under late dictator general Zia-ul-Haq, under the patronage of the US.

The jihadist groups turned against their erstwhile patrons post 9/11. As a result of misplaced priorities, rampant intolerance and false religiosity in the society is for all to see.

Of course the political elite –both bakiyaat–e–Zia (successors of Zia) varieties, as well as to some extent the so-called liberal political parties – took the path of least resistance. They cannot be absolved of the blame. Suffice to say that present day Pakistan is a far cry from what its founding fathers had envisaged.

Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s edicts about secular policies and equal rights for all citizens, including minorities, are de-emphasised or simply edited out by the commentarati. The other day I was shocked to see a mainstream television anchor justifying the murder of Salmaan Taseer in his programme.

The political elite has no stomach to tinker with some of the clauses inserted by late general Zia-ul-Haq in the constitution to perpetuate himself in the name of Islam. They are the very clauses that are misused by extremists to further their agenda.

Politicians, albeit with some honourable exceptions, have adopted a weak-kneed approach towards stemming the tide of rising intolerance. Apart from per functionary condemnation, their policies entirely lack the political will to take on the hydra headed monster of extremism.

Budgetary outlays on the social sector, as a result, remain dismal. The paltry budget for education is squandered on wasteful projects like the so-called Daanish Schools in Punjab. Fancy schemes like motorways, metro buses, bullet trains remain obstinately closer to the hearts of the rulers.

Unfortunately, lack of vision permeates across the spectrum. The PTI – notwithstanding tall claims of Imran Khan of being the agent of change – has outsourced education to its coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

Resultantly, despite launching a military operation to root out terrorism, Pakistan as a state is losing the battle of winning hearts and minds. The society is fast sliding into a pandemic spiral of poverty and mindless extremism.

India-centric hawks amongst us derive a vicarious satisfaction from sabre rattling across the border. It strengthens their ‘I told you so’ narrative

Years of neglect, apathy and misplaced priorities on part of our policy-makers have manifested in virtually all walks of life. Pakistan is now a water and energy deficient country with no light at the end of the tunnel.

Successive civilian and military rulers conveniently overlooked infrastructure projects as a result of political expediency. Precious resources like natural gas and water have been squandered through misplaced priorities.

In the energy sector certain middlemen charlatans have made a killing at the expense of the common man thanks to state patronage. While owing to lack of consensus on use of water resources, they have been simply wasted away.

Young Bilawal Bhutto as chairperson PPP has served a show cause notice to Qaim Ali Shah, the chief minister of Sindh, for showing negligence in dealing with the draught in Tharparker. Interestingly, Shah had denied any children dying of hunger in the draught stricken district, spuriously claiming that they could die as a result of poverty but not of hunger. Where lies the difference, only he knows.

Shah’s approach to the problem is generally symptomatic of the flawed mindset of our feudal/industrial political elite. The malaise runs so deep that unless misplaced priorities are not soon revisited by our plutocrats, we are doomed to keep on sinking in a bottomless pit.

Of course khaki minders should be willing to give space to civilians to make policy. Pakistan has come to the end of its tether so far as its foreign and security policies are concerned.

Out of the box thinking is urgently required, both by the civilian leadership as well as military. This should be a consultative process. But policies should be formulated by those who are mandated to so.

The only way Pakistan can be extricated from its present morass is by all institutions doing their mandated job in unison, as well as revisiting priorities in the light of Jinnah’s ideals.