Representation and Presentation
By Mowahid Hussain Shah
Poor presentation and representation – this dimension is at the heart of many of Pakistan’s problems abroad.
When the messenger is weak, the message is not taken seriously.
For example, when the Indo-US nuclear deal was transacted, it needed to be attacked head-on, in that a country (India) that had not signed the NPT was not eligible to receive civilian nuclear aid. Instead of challenging the legality, policy-makers in Islamabad, in effect, swallowed the dubious deal by asking for a similar deal – a ludicrous position given Washington’s paranoia over Pakistan’s nuclear program.
Then, too, on Kashmir, there has been a declared willingness to bypass applicable UN resolutions urging fair and free plebiscite under UN auspices. These resolutions – co-authored and co-sponsored by the United States – remain a part of standing international law. Kashmir is an issue of fairness, not favors. Relegating an internationally recognized vehicle to drive the dispute undermines the primacy of the Kashmir case and bails out New Delhi.
A defeatist and servile mindset is not a panacea for empowerment on the international stage. It wrecks the case rather than repairing it.
When the occasion calls for an out-of-the-box approach, reliance is again on a stagnant mode. The caliber of the “team” assembled often is not considered. Recommendation is the sole qualification. The worst time demands the best team.
Cricket is one bonding factor in a culture of national disagreement. Here, the governing body of Pakistan cricket seldom has missed an opportunity to embarrass Pakistan. Cricket – once a source of joy – is now an additional gloom-inducing factor. The past few years have witnessed a litany of humiliating debacles without those responsible being held accountable.
The quandary of presentation and representation is not limited to Pakistan. It extends deep into the Muslim World where, if the incumbents had displayed the sinews of ability and integrity, some of the flashpoints that have roiled global unrest would have been mitigated and stabilized.
Egypt – for years a pivot of Pan-Arabism – slumped under the Mubarak regime and, along with Israel, helped imprison 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza strip. The ouster of Mubarak through a popular revolt is an attempt by Egyptians to regain their lost sense of dignity.
Venal and inept rulers exacerbate militancy. In medieval England, it was the tyranny of King John, who ruled from 1199 to 1216, which produced the legendary myth of the outlaw Robin Hood. Eventually, King John provoked a backlash and was forced to sign the Magna Carta in 1215, which curbed arbitrary powers of royalty and secured fundamental rights for the people.
Back at home, the trend is (paraphrasing a Chinese saying) to curse the darkness instead of lighting a candle.
Already, the consequences of poor representation and presentation have wreaked havoc. Abroad, it has allowed the UN to become a concubine of big powers. At home, there is no counter-strategy to fight the deleterious forces that infest state and society and undermine the nation along tribal, sectarian, and parochial lines.
The Arab Spring sweeping across much of the Middle East is, however, an indicator that a Magna Carta moment may be in motion.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
