Pakistan Lacks Competent Leader to Change Its Destiny

“In Pakistan, there is not yet a single political leader who can change the destiny of the people.”

¯Scholar and historian Nasim Yousaf

Nasim Yousaf, a well-known intellectual, scholar and historian, is highly concerned about the future of Pakistan. According to him, in Pakistan, there is not yet a single political leader who can change the destiny of the people. He further stated, “Pakistan has been led, governed, and controlled by a certain category of people – those who are near-sighted, selfish, or highly corrupt. If such leadership continues, it would be wishful thinking to imagine Pakistan moving forward!” He said that those who are talking of a bright future for the country are giving false hopes to the public. According to him, Pakistan desperately needs a leader like Allama Mashriqi (Founder of the Khaksar Tehrik). The legendary Allama Mashriqi served his nation with the utmost devotion and sought no monetary gains or public office.

Mr. Yousaf regretted that mainstream Pakistanis are unaware of what constitutes real leadership. He felt that this deficiency has resulted in Pakistanis continuing to elect insincere or corrupt politicians. According to him, dishonest leadership is the main reason that Pakistan ranks far behind even other nations that achieved independence around the same time. In the nearly sixty-five years since Pakistan’s independence, many countries around the world have been able to achieve rapid growth. Mr. Yousaf stated, “In my travels to various Asian countries, including China and South Korea, I was flabbergasted by their pace of development and progress. Additionally, Germany, which was torn apart in World War II, has reemerged as a world power.” These countries’ progress demonstrates that this amount of time is sufficient for a nation to rise.

Mr. Yousaf felt that politics in Pakistan has unfortunately become a means to make money, gain power, and advance selfish agendas, rather than a means to serve the people. He lamented that “corruption has seeped into Pakistani society; this disease has converted Pakistan into a seriously sick patient, one whose hopes of progress are dim unless cured.” Mr. Yousaf suggested that the time has come for people to demand that their leaders adopt the life of a common man, much like the respected Allama Mashriqi did. The masses must “discard those leaders who live in luxury while the nation lives in poverty and who keep their assets or bank accounts outside Pakistan.” He urged the print and electronic media to play its role in finding sincere leaders and not promoting corrupt individuals. He regretted that television and talk shows mostly provided a platform for leaders who were either incapable or insincere. He felt that television channels must provide equal opportunity to all parties, regardless of their size.

Mr. Yousaf said that if Pakistanis want to produce genuine leaders and reformers like Mashriqi, his simple and uncontaminated life and times need to be highlighted as an example for the nation and future generations to learn from. In Mr. Yousaf’s words, “Pakistan’s destiny will not change unless the nation gets a visionary, self-sacrificing and competent leader like the great Allama.”

Nasim Yousaf (grandson of Allama Mashriqi) is the author of many books and articles on Allama Mashriqi and the Khaksar Tehrik. His works have been published in “Harvard Asia Quarterly” and “World History Encyclopedia” (USA), and he has presented papers in scholarly conferences in the USA. His forthcoming book entitled “Mahatma Gandhi & My Grandfather, Allama Mashriqi” uncovers many hidden realities behind the freedom of the Indian sub-continent.