Pakistan and Tahreer Square
By Dr. Nazir Khaja
Los Angeles , CA
Political and economic marginalization is one of the basic causes of the unrest that is prevalent all throughout the Muslim world. The uprising in Egypt is the culmination of a long process of political oppression and economic impoverishment for the majority of Egyptians.
In Pakistan the situation is equally bad, if not more.
After decades of misrule, traumatic dictatorship in an already feudal/tribal society, the national identity is weak and vulnerable to manipulation from many sources, the chief among them being the leadership within Pakistan itself.
Two recent events in Pakistan serve to highlight the confusion and contradiction that prevail in Pakistan’s politics. .
It seemed to be a simple case of shooting in self-defense in a busy street in Lahore, after being threatened at gunpoint by robbers. The twists in the narrative, however, have made it into a front-page story in Pakistan. The person, who killed the two men, was Raymond Davis, a US citizen and reportedly a member of the US Embassy staff. Davis remains in jail in Pakistan during this time when US government is trying to convince Pakistani authorities of his diplomatic status which will compel them to hand him over to US authorities for further action.
The issue has already been politicized. Religious and political parties, aided by columnists and sections of the media with anti-US slant, see the hand of a CIA conspiracy in this. The opposition to the present government finds it as another opportunity to blame the government for ceding to the US government's demands, regardless of the facts of the case. All of this despite the fact that not a day goes by that many people share the experience of Mr. Davis of being harassed by gun-toting bandits on motor-bikes demanding to hand over money and other assets. This based on the personal experience for many of us and our families.
Also, it is ironic that religious and political parties are demanding justice in this case, and have turned a blind eye to seek justice in the case of the murder of Salman Taseer, the former governor of Punjab province. Mumtaz Qadri -- who killed the governor in cold blood because of his support for changing Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws -- has been lauded as a hero and defender of Islam, while Davis, who may have been acting in mere self-defense from potential robbers, is being called a demon. Worse than “Murder most foul”, as Shakespeare would say, is the frightening image of groups of lawyers who take credit for toppling Musharraf, a dictator, to come out in celebration of this murderer! Another line from Shakespeare captures that moment: “Judgment thou art fled to brutish beasts and men have lost their reasoning”.
Democracy is work in process. Its avowed promise for the masses to be the masters of their own destiny can only be fulfilled if transparency, accountability and the rule of law are the guiding principles. Unfortunately these fundamentals by which all democracies function still await implementation in the case of Pakistan. Because of this serious deficiency Pakistan’s self-identity of being an ‘Islamic Republic’ remains unrealized.
Because of systemic failure the government seems to have lost its writ in many areas of the country. The issue of law and order breakdown only serves to highlight the democracy deficit. The majority of Pakistanis feels totally unprotected and has no confidence in the Government or its institutions. Corruption seems rampant and deep-rooted in all government institutions and agencies; the leaders are power hungry, the political system is dynastic, the judiciary is tainted, the police is corrupt and if the people have to find refuge from all of this in religion, they find themselves in the clutches of backward looking religious leaders who have not served their or Pakistan’s best interest and neither Islam’s own identity and image. The way it usually works out is that the worse things will get; the more conservative the people become, and the more conservative people get, the worse things become...
The leaders in Pakistan, both the politicians and the religious, are teaching people that their ongoing despair and humiliation is due to a deliberate conspiracy against Pakistan and its people, and not because of institutional failure and lack of true leadership
The narrative in Pakistan has been implicit in the emphasis on conspiracy against Islam, Pakistan and infused with anti-Western/American sentiment
After decades of misrule, traumatic dictatorship in an already feudal/tribal society, the national identity is weak and vulnerable to manipulation from many sources, the chief among them being the leadership within Pakistan itself.
The stream of Pakistani nationalism which says that Pakistan`s abject failure to deal with issues of law and order is on account of outside interference must stop. The outside interference is only facilitated by the inherent weaknesses in the system within.
Pakistan is in a must change human development crisis.
Most people in Pakistan believe that the best interest of the country would be served if the present batch of leaders from all parties will leave or be set aside. Yet the masses are not yet ready and unable because of a political system which keeps them divided along different ethnic, provincial and sectarian lines. They remain vulnerable to authoritarianism and the entrenched political and religious hierarchy. Since the country has gone through two election cycles it is argued that this process should continue so that the country does not fall back in the hands of military dictatorship. This, despite the fact that the elections have only proven to be a sterile exercise rendering nothing for the uplift of the masses. Unless the people of Pakistan see the truth for what it is, beyond the accepted ways of blaming others for the problems they face, their lives will continue to wallow in misery.
As it stands now the ideal of the country’s interest and a national identity is barely apparent or surviving. It is not expected that the people would rise up to pose an unprecedented challenge to the Pakistani political establishment. Yet, one hopes that there is a change for the better, let us keep hoping...
(Dr. Nazir Khaja is Chairman of the Islamic Information Service, Los Angeles. He is also the founder of the Council of Pakistan-American Affairs. nazir.khaja@gmail.com)
