By now every kid on every block in the world has been made aware of Pakistan by the incessant bombardment on the international media. Needless to say, it’s all negative branding. Most unfortunate, indeed. Because you know and I know that as a people we do not deserve the bashing that we have been getting, especially during this last decade. In fact, the majority has played no part in where we are at today. It has been silent; innocent bystanders trying to get on with life while the battle rages on our borders and in our cities.
The media, the politicians and their ilk have been in the driving seat. Their actions, statements, speculation have played a huge part in driving this campaign. All around us, in a crisis situation, nations are harnessed into pro-nation mode. Take the Western press for example. It’s reporting on Libya, or now on Pakistan, is totally in favor of the action taken by their respective countries. It’s high time we decided to store our sledgehammers and take stock of the damage rhetoric and venting is causing.
The bin Laden incident has shocked this country as it has any other. There is no way one can condone the impudence of the US invasion of our sovereignty. On the other hand, we cannot say that we were not given the chance to get him first nor can we say we were not forewarned multiple times that in the event of his being in our country, the US would come in and get him. Since we didn’t, they did. So we are outraged and should be. But there is precious little we can do about it.
We can speculate all we want, we can yell at the top of our voices, and we are, but facts are facts. What are we in actual fact wanting to say to the world? Is it that we wish to be branded as a pariah nation driving towards our own destruction? Or shall we pursue the path of the majority opinion in Pakistan? Let me add, this majority opinion supports the stability, development and economy of the Pakistan and its people and seeks to empower them. War, terror, revolution is not what the majority seeks. This has been thrust upon them for the last sixty-five years.
Politicians and the media are causing irreparable harm by dividing the nation today. This is the moment to forge unity and face the consequences as a united nation. Everything one reads and hears stands in contradiction. It’s sad because it betrays the people. Thinking people are shriveling under the glare of publicity and wishing for damage control to come from the political leadership. These leaders are hell bent on scoring points, consequences notwithstanding.
Very recently, the Chinese government issued advice to its electronic media and the press that they should turn their focus on patriotic programs and articles for the next three months. Why three months only I am not aware of, but certainly it is advice that we need to follow too. The time to vent frustration will come but this is certainly not that moment. We need to strengthen institutions not demolish them.
One can see where Nawaz Sharif is going with his demand. The Army has been pushed into a corner for the first time since 1971. At the time, Z A Bhutto had taken it to task and made an attempt to cut it down to size. Mustafa Khar had driven the chiefs of the three services in an unprotected vehicle from Mr Bhutto’s office in Rawalpindi to Lahore and they were relieved of their charge. Mr Bhutto did not consolidate on that but revived a reviled Tikka Khan in a bid to make the institution subservient to him. The rest is history.
Perhaps Mr Sharif’s own experience with this institution on a couple of occasions has left him with a bad taste in the mouth. His demand for an independent judicial enquiry is not unreasonable. He is not seeking immediate dismissal of the army leadership but driving towards fixation of responsibility prior to any action. One can safely assume that this is the course that would be adopted in most countries. But then the army functions institutionally in most countries whereas in Pakistan it has always had a superior and revered role.
Mr Sharif’s statement however does not address one very important aspect which is the need to immediately arrest the leadership of the extremist elements operating in Pakistan. In driving towards a conclusion on this event, we as a nation should seriously think of the damage extremists have caused and will continue to cause. Serious action needs to be taken to stop any support for these elements. The government must drive this and the judiciary would be well advised to declare the known extremist leadership absconders and demand their immediate arrest and internment. This is a long overdue step that will most certainly be an important one in restoring Pakistan’s image among the comity of nations.
The writer can be contacted at [email protected]
I don't see how this article addresses a fraction the issue.
So long as Pakistan is run by mullahs, military and militants there would be more of the current episode.
Maybe, but it's not the writer's fault. He's merely attempting to represent a situation within the limited space available. If you want more take the trouble to find and read a book on the topic. Then maybe your comments will move from those spawned by generations of prejudice to something vaguely intelligent. You are living in a glass house, Mr Shiv Kumar – you, too, sholdn't throw stones. Look as you advise, within to the violence and prejudice in your own country.
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