Confrontation with judiciary, disdain for the rule of law, disregard for morality, political coalitions sans principles, state sponsorship of corruption, absolute powers in the Presidency in a parliamentary form of government, including dual offices, precedence of power politics over values, exploitation of religion for personal gains, ruling class living beyond means in a sea of poverty, placing national security over national welfare, stashing public wealth in offshore banks, making mockery of promises, widening gulf between words and actions, free fall of currency, media presenting lies as truth, equating personal with national interest, contempt for merit and love for nepotism, trying to fool all the people all the time, practising double standards in fighting terrorism, expecting the world to respect us when we don’t respect and tolerate each other, focusing on clinging to power instead of its peaceful transfer, and Living in the past without learning lessons from history – these among others are recipes, components and building blocks of a failing state which has lost the capacity and the will to hold fair elections on way to a peaceful transition.
If we can hold free, fair and transparent elections in 2013, Pakistan will stand on its own feet. Otherwise, the pitiable nation is doomed to sink and disappear into darkness of the unknown.
