Mowahid Hussain Shah addresses the audience at the American University forum on Pakistan Elections
Dr Shannon Hader, Dean of the School of International Service, American University, gives her welcoming remarks
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, American University Professor and Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, delivers his remarks
Akbar and Mowahid amidst their conversation
Implications of Pakistan Elections Spotlighted at American University Forum
A Pakistan Link Report
Washington, DC: A major forum on Pakistan elections was convened under the aegis of American University in Washington, DC, which was presided over by Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Professor and Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University, with Mowahid Hussain Shah as main speaker. Mowahid is an original co-founder of PTI, former Cabinet Minister, Attorney-at-Law, and was Adviser to the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2004. He has been a regular contributor to Pakistan Link and enjoys a large following.
The seminar was held in the prestigious Founders Room of the School of International Service (SIS), one of the premier such schools in the US.
Recognizing the salience of the event, the vibrant and engaging Dean of SIS, Dr Shannon Hader, attended and gave welcoming introductory remarks. Dr Akbar Ahmed laid out the theoretical framework, drawing on his own rich experience as a top civil service officer and administrator in Pakistan.
Mowahid was not particularly sanguine about the post-election scenario in Pakistan. He posited that the electoral process would not furnish political stability and economic security in a deeply divided polity. He alluded to Einstein’s theory of doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting a different result. Significantly, Mowahid did not see elections as a panacea for Pakistan’s multiplicity of problems, with a lopsided advantage given to those with a monopoly of means and genes. When elections are unaccompanied by a democratic mindset, then it is a recipe for further instability, bringing more angst, especially to the young, he maintained.
Mowahid said that, for the first time, in the public eye, the military upper echelons have received a black eye, notably in Punjab. He likened it to a “black swan” event, with unexpected and unforeseen consequences. However, he mentioned that, at the grassroots, there is tremendous yearning for fair play and, if that aspiration is throttled, it would have deleterious repercussions. It is this unquenchable thirst for equity and inclusion that gives persistent hope for a better tomorrow.
In response to a question, Mowahid remarked that the people of Pakistan are extremely welcoming and hospitable to overseas visitors, who are embraced with open arms. He gave the example of the Indian cricket team who came to Pakistan in 2004 and 2006, and such was the scope of hospitality that many shopkeepers refused to charge Indian customers. On the cricket ground, the Indian team was cheered and Indian flags were waved.
Mowahid commented that the existing system has continued the pattern of dysfunction and distrust, with issues of governance and security superseded by naked pursuit of power and its perpetuation once ensconced in the chair. He said that a self-examining review and re-think is imperative to identify what is not working and how best to rectify it. This would enshrine and honor the legacy of the incorruptible Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah who practically gave his life toward the making of Pakistan, with none from his family benefiting from it.
Mowahid was skeptical about the utility and credibility of the existing electoral process – including, but not limited to, its latest dubious manifestation – which has rendered difficult its acceptability and broader digestibility by the public. Mowahid further stated that, under the hijab of democracy, rests the overwhelming undemocratic influence of big money, with its firmly entrenched vested quarters encircling and jealously safeguarding the status quo.
Mowahid made it a point to laud Dr Akbar Ahmed for making extraordinary endeavors for inclusivity, understanding, and amity, and being an unflinching voice for sense and sensibility for the best part of the 21st century in the Nation’s Capital, especially so, in the aftermath of 9/11. He also acknowledged the stalwart and steadfast presence of Zeenat, Akbar’s wife. The attendees congratulated Akbar for his initiative in hosting a timely program on one of the vital regions affecting East-West relations.
