Rethinking Pakistan
By Dr Nazir Khaja
Los Angeles , CA
Pakistan celebrated its 64 th Independence Day on August 14 this year.
Pakistan was born out of the partition of the Indian sub-continent during a period of great turbulence and tension in 1947. Since then it has lurched from one crisis to another, all of its own making. It had all the opportunities to develop a political system and yet so far it has failed in this effort. The failure is not due to lack of resources but mainly due to squandering them.
Pakistan was more disrupted by partition than India, more radically a new creation with the instabilities that implied which have continued to come in the way to this day as it has struggled to realize its ideals of nationhood. Most of the infrastructure necessary for growth and development in the Sub-continent built by the British during their Raj was in places, which subsequently came under Indian jurisdiction at the time of partition. Also most of the Muslim intellectual capital and institutions were also left behind in India. This however cannot be offered as the excuse or the reason for Pakistan’s utter failure in achieving dignity and security for its masses.
The people of Pakistan are fully deserving of democracy. Yet so far Pakistan seems unable to chart a way forward to become a functioning democracy. The question on everyone’s mind is how does one bring about a change in Pakistan’s trajectory and prevent its further slide? As is often said, one must look backward in order to go forward.
The different tensions in Pakistan's politics and culture, those of ethnic loyalty, provincial divide, religious zeal, feudal control, dynastic politics, bureaucratic corruption, and army's ambition, all have prevented Pakistan from coming together as a nation. The political parties in Pakistan, their history and legacy, all have evolved through constant tensions between the various groups mentioned above. All of them lay claim on Pakistan more for their own group's benefit rather than for the nation's benefit as a whole.
Pakistan ’s political institutions have remained embedded in a power structure, which under the veneer of “democracy” remains tightly controlled whether by the army or by a leadership which is deeply committed to feudal, dynastic and even provincial affiliations. Consequently through the power struggles and confusion in the name of “Democracy” that have been going on in Pakistan an aberrant system of governance has repeatedly surfaced as an alternative to military rule for the people of Pakistan.
The group that holds all the cards in Pakistan's politics is the Army. Though not organized as a political party, it is the most organized group with deep roots into Pakistan's economy and power structure. It has built for itself a power base with awards of concessions, land grants, business permits and appointments to key civilian positions. Of great importance is also the fact that the Army has covertly nurtured, supported and built the political career of a number of Pakistani politicians and continues to do so. It has staged recurrent coups, martial laws and held on to the reins of power for almost the entire period of Pakistan's existence; this in the name of safeguarding the nation from inside threats and outside attacks. All this it has been able to manage is by creating the fear of India in the minds of the Pakistanis.
Having been betrayed continuously by leaders, whether political or religious, Pakistanis seem to circle back to the "doctrine of necessity" justifying military rule. This argument has always left the people of Pakistan with false choices because it is always the lesser of the two evils that they have to settle for. More recently the Army’s image has been severely damaged due to number of incidences. The attacks by extremists on its` own institutions and the Bin Laden episode have raised grave fears about its ability to defend and protect the country. Also the fear that its own ranks have become infiltrated with hard-line extremists and potential terrorists making Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal vulnerable for a takeover, heightening the fear of a nuclear holocaust. There could be widespread support to the idea of control of the Army by a civilian government. Like what has recently happened in Turkey where the Army has been all-powerful until now but recently the civilian government has turned the table on them. There the civilian government had made great progress and the people have become increasingly supportive of the civilian rule. Unfortunately in Pakistan there has not been a government that has done any good for the people
The inability of public institutions to develop an adequate understanding of social and economic problems has created considerable public confusion; and has encouraged the growth of reactionary ideas and responses along with a proliferation of theories of plots and conspiracy by outside enemies.
With the country facing a growing crisis within, and the threat of Jihadis insurgency in the border areas, it is sad to see that the dominant and prevailing view regarding all of Pakistan’s woes among Pakistani masses is that of a conspiracy against the country and also Islam by America or the West with India thrown in-between. The government, the politicians and even the media endorse these views, leaving the masses confused and angry against the West or America.
Instead of getting the facts, the Pakistani media seems most concerned about making reality fit their pre-fabricated narrative.
The coverage of events is slow, often riddled with inaccuracies and at times patronizing towards a nation still in confusion. So prevalent is anti-Americanism that many politicians use it to gain popularity; in a recent poll 64 percent of Pakistanis expressed strong anti-US sentiment and in another poll an equal number voted for a politician who has consistently been on the forefront in attacking US policies as the most popular leader.
On the 64 th year of Pakistan’s independence some believe that Pakistan falls in the category of “failed states”.
Yet one must point out that 64 years in a nation's life is but a mere beginning of its destiny. All this does not express the whole truth about Pakistan. Pakistan does face serious challenges but these are not insurmountable. There is work to be done and that implies a clear understanding and acknowledgment of all that has gotten Pakistan in the present mess and then reconstructing a framework for change.
This cannot be done unless the underpinning assumptions prevalent in Pakistan’s society are challenged.
To begin with a serious inquiry into the very idea that Pakistan was founded on is needed. Examining the bridges between ideology and the current situation in Pakistan is necessary.
Founded as a homeland for Muslims the founder’s vision of Pakistan was not that of a religious state with any theocratic notions or an exclusive domain for the Muslims in which the rights of others were left unprotected. The demand was that of a homeland for the Muslims of the Hindu majority Indian sub-continent where the Muslims would be free to practice their religion, maintain their traditions and culture. This simple basis was subsequently “Islamacised”. The ensuing power struggles between various regimes and leaders seeking legitimacy and finding it convenient to use Islam for this purpose.
Even the subsequent tampering of the Constitution was staged by power-hungry leaders resulting in the change of Pakistan’s identification from The Republic of Pakistan to The Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
This manipulation in the name of “Islam” has been possible because of lack of economic development and lack of education among the masses; all of this had a significant link to the issue of the extremist culture that has taken roots in Pakistan.
Although the genie cannot be put back in the bottle there is an urgent need to take the whole argument back to the original vision enunciated by the founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Reframing the vision in the light of present-day realities and making the necessary changes in the Constitution will be a helpful start. Otherwise besides giving Islam an image problem the prevailing popular understanding of Islam and its role in Pakistan’s statecraft and politics will remain an existential threat for Pakistan.
Another urgent need of Pakistan is that of reshaping the civilian-military relations. This will require first a major overhaul of the party political system to discard the dynastic system that has a chokehold on Pakistan’s politics. This will render the much needed transparency and accountability severely lacking in Pakistan’s politics. Once the civilian side undergoes scrutiny and reform, it would be able to establish the ground rule of the primacy of a civilian government over the Army’s ambition to power
With a clear and objective resolution of the first two, a total overhaul of domestic and foreign policy issues (including political reforms, education, rights and protection of the minorities, relations with India) will be possible and must be undertaken.
Pakistan needs to wake-up.
(Dr. Nazir Khaja Is founder of the Council of Pakistani-American Affairs, Los Angeles.
Nazir.khaja@gmail.com)
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