No Quick-Fix for Pakistan
Pakistan is a failed state. That was the collective judgment of several commentators who appeared on CNN on the day of the assassination of the former Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto.
Of course, the present leadership of the nation can prove the talking heads wrong. All that needs to be done is to hold the scheduled elections on time and to move on with the business of the state. At this critical moment the conduct of elections is more crucial than ever. It must be shown to the world that Pakistan is a normal functioning nation-state and is not just limping along ready to fall apart.
The country cannot be made to appear that it is in disarray simply because an opposition leader was gunned down. Several countries have experienced similar tragedies, including the United States, and have bounced back to carry on the business of governing.
While Pakistan has endured a series of irregularities the present crisis tests the real strength of the nation. After surviving for sixty years with abnormalities abound Pakistan cannot falter at this point.
Pakistan has many problems crying out for resolution. All the problems are deep and fundamental. They all require long-term solution. They cannot be taken care of simply by quick-fix gimmicks. Over time these problems have compounded to become ever more complex.
Fundamentally, the problems can be divided into two categories. One set is about the issues of governance and politics, and the other, about the structure and nature of the Pakistani society.
Neither of these can be resolved simply by imposing “democracy.” There is no agreement on the concept of democracy which has brought only disorder and chaos. To this point democracy has not guaranteed the emergence of leaders with vision. The resolution of Pakistan’s problems requires visionary leadership with foresight in planning, dedication and devoted efforts.
Of course, democracy has been tried before. That is how the two elected and disgraced Prime Ministers came to power. They both robbed the country blind and brought it to the brink of disaster.
In the arena of governance the two most pressing problems facing the nation at the moment are the holding of elections and the strengthening of the rule of law. Elections must go on and be as transparent as possible, if need be, through the presence of international monitors. The other is to ensure the independence of judiciary beyond political intrusion. In that regard action must be taken to guarantee that the Supreme Court of Pakistan becomes an independent institution.
Everyone is aware that lawlessness is widespread in the country. That is because corruption is at the core of law enforcement and the judicial system. That cancer has to be removed forthwith. Neither the policeman on the beat nor the judges, and all the state bureaucrats in between, ought to be allowed to use their jobs for shakedown to demand handouts.
The law must remain a neutral instrument in the manner that justice is blind. Victims need not approach the President of the country to obtain justice like in the medieval times. The fact that Mukhtaran Mai had to approach Musharraf for justice indicates that Pakistan is a very broken, backward country. The legal-judicial machinery should have delivered her the justice deserved.
The law enforcement mechanism must kick-in automatically whenever law is violated. The wheels of justice must grind on impersonally to render the appropriate verdict.
The other category of problems afflicting the nation has to do with the structure of the Pakistani society. All of these are related to the issues of deprivation that people experience in their daily lives. The most fundamental of these is education but also economic well-being, health, security for the next generation and so forth.
Education is critical for the survival of the country. It is the foundation upon which the pillars of societal institutions are constructed. In another way it is an engine pulling the country forward.
After sixty years of neglect the issue of education has only now come into focus. Much of the credit for this should be given to Pervez Musharraf. He is the first national leader to take concrete action in attempting to construct an educational system by making funds available and by instituting necessary reforms. More schools have been built during the past seven years than ever before. Also, for the first time an infrastructure has been created for graduate studies, research and information technology.
The importance of education lies in the fact that everything else is related to it. Knowledge is what brings about economic development, increase in productivity, modernization, industrialization, employment, improvement in health and access to clean drinking water. Unfortunately, there are still political leaders who do not see the connection between education and everything else considered desirable.
All of these activities are long-term. These can only be accomplished to some satisfactory level after decades of sustained effort. A beginning has to be made now. The policies necessary to launch these initiatives are all dependent on the leadership and the way in which the political system is organized. Therein lies the rub.
