Extremist tendencies are now deep rooted in the collective consciousness
“Our object should be peace within, and peace without. We want to live peacefully and maintain cordial relations with our immediate neighbours and with the world at large.”
These were the remarks of Quaid-e-Azam after the formation of Pakistan. It is a greatest misfortune that Pakistan remained unable to develop and follow the path that could have fulfilled this dream of the founding father. The detrimental impact of colonial rule became obvious in the immediate aftermath of the partition. With continued influx of refugees, poor infrastructure and unjust division of territories; Pakistan’s survival became conditioned with the principles of self-help and resilience. Jinnah appeared to be the only asset who remained determined to the cause of state-building and nation-building. However, the untimely death of Jinnah created a political vacuum and led the country into a leadership crisis that Pakistan has continued to experience in the course of the past sixty eight years.
The ineffectiveness of elected governments and frequent military coups further thwarted the process of institutionalising democracy in the country. In Pakistan, important domestic and foreign policy decisions have mostly been taken by the military. Credibility of a policy is undermined when it is formulated and executed unilaterally without taking public opinion into account. That’s why the role of the military should be confined only to defence and security of the state. Nonetheless, the ineptness, downright corruption and poor performance of civilian governments always provoked the military to intervene in political affairs. The military too remained unsuccessful in fulfilling the agenda of good governance.
It is lack of vision that drives rulers to act as profit motivated individuals
It is lack of vision that drives rulers to act as profit motivated individuals. They run affairs of the state on the principal of increasing personal benefits at the expense of social benefits, and exploit the country’s resources to enhance their private privileges. This pattern has been observed in the past and present as well. The employment of religion has remained instrumental in manipulating and exploiting uneducated masses in this regard. From Bhutto’s misleading notion of “Islamic Socialism” to Zia’s outward “Islamisation” and Musharraf’s paradoxical distinction of “Good Taliban and Bad Taliban”; Islam has been used and misused by political elites, military rulers and so-called religious parties for power oriented personal gains. Extremist tendencies are now deep rooted in the collective consciousness. On the one hand, there are calls of complete exclusion of religion from affairs of the state, particularly from groups that have always tried to secularise the Quaid. On the other hand, there are groups that perceive religion as nothing more than a set of definitive codes and extractions, groups that have tried to Islamise the Quaid. In this scenario, any attempt to propagate a rational and moderate narrative finds little appreciation from the public.
Today, Pakistan represents a coordination and consistency dilemma along with an indeterminate fate. A crisis of confidence and crisis of legitimacy prevails because personality dominated political parties have largely failed to legitimise masses’ belief in the party system. A myriad of problems ranging from political, economic and social walks of life has no single panacea. The set of internal and external challenges including the menace of terrorism, hostile neighbourhoods, embedded corruption, population overgrowth, brain drain, aid dependency, unbalanced foreign policy and shattered economy has enhanced the chances of Pakistan’s exploitation by major powers due to its geostrategic location and nuclear state status. Mega development projects like Pak-China economic corridor are useful in transforming Pakistan’s economy but they cannot work unless Pakistan builds institutional and political capacity to implement such projects. The insurgency in Balochistan can be a major obstacle in this regard. Denial of political power and lack of economic development have rightly created siege mentality within Balochis that is further fuelled by India. It seems as if history is repeating itself. The sorrowful and humiliating memories of 1971’s debacle still haunt Pakistanis. To avoid providing a schadenfreude moment to our neighbours again, it is imperative to introduce proactive structural and functional reforms in the region.
On the international front, Pakistan’s dependency and over reliance upon the United States has done more damage than good to its foreign policy objectives. Formulating and justifying every policy in the name of national interest is certainly a Machiavellian approach which need not be observed. A balanced approach based on mutual respect instead of being a subservient to the US is mandatory to establish long lasting relations. Normalisation of relations with Afghanistan and India is equally important. The one-sided approach by Pakistan to observe peace and stability in the region cannot yield productive outcomes. Reciprocity should be observed by respective governments for promoting mutual trust and confidence in the relations.
The state of denial accompanied with obsessive nationalism is not the solution to Pakistan’s problems
A sincere evaluation of our current standing reveals grim realities. However, there is hope that the failing and falling status of Pakistan could be transformed by overcoming present challenges. Pakistan is not alone in its struggle for sustained development. Developing countries pass through different stages of struggle to attain a reputable status in world politics. Pakistan’s progress is contingent upon good governance. Good Governance advanced through a genuine democratic political system can set a bright and prosperous fate. The foundations of democracy are built on acceptance of the rule of law.
Democracy thrives on competition, fair play, accountability and justice. It certainly does not deliver all the benefits to all segments of the society. But one thing that a democratic form of government renders is hope for improved performance in future. This change can come with time and dedicated hard work of each and every individual. It is important to emphasise that Pakistan cannot move forward as a nation unless there is a deliberate effort and concerted realisation on the part of our leaders to see themselves accountable for their actions.
The state of denial accompanied with obsessive nationalism is not the solution to Pakistan’s problems. Acknowledging problems and prioritising appropriate policy responses accordingly is the only way forward. Otherwise, the entire world would continue to be seen as conspiring against us.