Pakistan in Search of Future

Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.

History cannot be replicated by superficial images and video sounds as a reality factor that happened in the past. Thinkers, philosophers, political visionaries, common folks, poets, artists, and so many others activists who were committed to their sublime aims and ambitions in life and enriched a specific time span. Faith, Unity and Discipline were the lifeline characteristics of the Pakistan freedom movement more than six decades earlier. All movements indoctrinate people to a sense of unity and equality for its aims and purposes that nothing else can or will establish a coherent relationship between the aims of the movement and its pursuit until accomplished. It was not haphazard but intellectually, morally and politically an organized scheme of things to define the Pakistan movement that “there is no god but Allah and Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah.” It embodied knowledge, proactive vision, wisdom and consistent principles of human intellectual pursuit to achieve the aims of the movement. Today’s Pakistan and its physical body, leadership and political systems and culture point out a sharp disconnect with its past - the Pakistan movement and its ultimate goals for national freedom and the unity of purpose.

The challenges common Pakistanis face today are the result of the wrong people, wrong thinking and wrong actions. But the Pakistan freedom movement had two major challenges: (1) the illegal British Raj and military occupation of Muslim India and the implications of racial superiority of the British rule by destroying Muslim culture and civilization; and (2) overwhelming domination of Hindus in business, trade, politics and collaboration with the British to support the colonization to gain a Hindu dominated India. None of these historical factors are reviewed by Pakistanis for change and reformation of the contemporary affairs. Whereas, comparatively, India has pursued planned change and achieved progress to become a leading industrial and cultural hub center of Asia. It should be important to note that military Generals in India remained out of the political scope and dictatorial governance enabling the Indian politics and policy making to enrich its capacity for future-building. The same has unfolded a dark chapter for Pakistan by military interventions and martial laws to incapacitate the nation and its thinking- intellectual powers for change and development. No sensible person or businessmen invests in a society dominated or controlled by military dictators. 

After the 9/11, the American and British political lobbyists zeroed-in on Pakistan as the epicenter of a fake phenomenon - “Islamic terrorism.” The American leadership and the neocons needed this escape from reality to reinforce “fear” as strategy in the hearts and minds of the America masses and to implement the PNAC ( Project for the New American Century), Plan for political domination of the oil-gas rich resources of the Middle East and Central Asia. Ignorant Pakistani military rulers like General Musharaf and cheap politicians were bought and bribed by foreign powers to make Pakistanis look-like terrorist enabling them to remake the global crusade against Islam. The mainstream Western news media was one of the innovative weapons used by the US-British political strategists. The New York Times in its front page headlines (July 2007) reaffirmed that “Pakistani Generals are paid to do the job.”  The Washington Post characterized General Musharaf in cartoon as “dog” that Commander Bush trusts as an ally. Was it an insult to Muslim Pakistan or was it a real world reflection how America sees the bootlicking General Musharaf standing before his Master. Musharaf was not a leaders but a stupid and timid soldier coerced by George Bush, Candeelica Rice, George Tenet (CIA Director) and General Powell to wage war against the Taliban run Afghanistan. The military dictator had no sense of the national interests of Pakistan or capacity to seek advice from educated Pakistanis and intellectuals. Musharaf did what no other responsible and intelligent could have done to join hands and allow Pakistani territory and facilities for the US warmongering. Consequently, the country is stampeded, its economic and social life ruined and so are its peace loving and simple people with destroyed social and natural habitats. While Pakistan and the nation is strangulated by the foreign powers, Musharaf lives happily in London $1.4 million flat, protected by the British security force. The end goal is chaos and destruction of the Muslim nation.

Pakistan faces multiple problems.  But there are no real world public institutions or leadership to THINK of the viable alternatives, conflict management and conflict resolution. For its survival, Pakistan must be re-connected to its ideological foundation of Islam as a system of life. Otherwise, its people have no other credible identity. Viewing the bigger picture from North America, we see an emerging collaborative understanding at work between the current corrupt and criminal political elite (PPP and MQM), and the US to encourage and instigate internal political disruptions and bloodbaths and to dismantle the physical body of the nation over certain period of time.

Pakistan is politically chaotic, weak and torn apart between foreign dictated conflicts. It is not operational from a position of strength but extreme weakness and vulnerability to foreign dictates and ultimate self-destruction. Pakistan needs a NAVIGATIONAL CHANGE in policies, practices and national priorities to regain political institutions, different military role and intelligent and accountable political governance. But where would this change come from?  Who would THINK and PLAN for the change?  Legal judgments do not change the human behaviors or rebuild nations. The US and Britain are fighting against Islam and Muslims. Their strategic plans include annihilation of Muslim Pakistan and Muslim Afghanistan to restore supremacy of India and secularism.  A different course of policy and action is needed to stop the emerging internal militancy, daily bloodbaths of the civilians, destruction of the social and economic lifelines of the nation. After decades of martial laws (rule of the jungle) and established political institutions of corruption across the board, how do you imagine to plan and devise strategies for change and a sustainable FUTURE?  Zardari is not a leader or thinker but an indicted criminal and has no capability to think of change. The Generals can only march left and right, cannot THINK of the nation-building. They failed miserably to defend its national interest and are bootlickers of America and Britain, the colonial masters. There is no defined systematic mechanism for political change. Since its inception, and shortly after the death of Mohammad Ali Jinnah - Qaide-Azam, power was not transferred peacefully to any elected officials or political establishments. There were military coups and backdoor conspiracies to assume the leadership role. Most of the time by ignorant and arrogant ex-colonial politicians or families, not the enlightened and responsible new generation of educated Pakistanis who could have, for sure taken a different route for change and development of the nation. They have been denied all opportunities for participation except through coercion and political disruption. How could the problem of much needed change and political reformation be addressed under the present circumstances?  There is no single remedy or diagnostic pill to cure the sickness but many non-violent and peaceful avenues to further the goal of change and reformation.

There are daily killings of the innocent civilians either by gangsters (hired militants by foreign interests), or the US drone attacks creating an havoc social and political destabilizing culture in the North Western frontiers - Waziristan parts of Pakistan. Malala Yousefzai – the innocent school girl drew world attention for her shooting by a militant group or individual. But there are countless innocent Malalas killed every day by the American drone attacks. Do they deserve less humanitarian attention? The common citizen could make the difference as did the Italian masses two decades earlier against the institutionalized corrupted politics run by mafia gangs. The Supreme Court or its verdicts would not create a new political culture of positive thinking and action but people’s movement can and will, if they are ONE and organized for change against the militancy. Recently, the People’s Occupy Movement across the globe has done it against many powerful political odds and obstacles. A new strategy of open public marches/demonstration for unity and Islamic solidarity will be helpful in short terms to challenge the nuisance of the militancy. It could discourage the blood baths engineered by extremist groups and send-out a strong message of national unity organized by the people. Non-violent peaceful movement as was the original Pakistan Movement and continued peaceful public demonstrations could reverse the thoughts and strategies of the enemy of Islam and Pakistan. The nation NEEDS anew THINKING HUB, New Institutions and New Educated and Visionary Leaders to plan and implement anew political system.  We are of the opinion that Pakistan needs URGENTLY a non-partisan government of national unity to deal with the current emergencies and to evolve institutional capacity-building for change and reformation of the neo-colonialism and a promising future based on the originality of the Pakistan freedom movement. Pakistan needs a non-partisan government of national unity replacing the current PPP self-proclaimed regime. Pakistan needs a major policy shift asking the US and Britain to immediately withdraw their military forces from Afghanistan. The overwhelming presences of foreign forces in neighboring Afghanistan have catastrophic impacts on political, economic and social life in Pakistan and its future. For change to come into force, Pakistan needs a new leadership and a new foresight way from the military engagements and self-destined destruction pursued by the stupid military Generals and the Zardari regime.

The nation MUST assume the responsibility for the time and opportunities lost and the current political extremism. The Generals, Musharaf, Bhuttos, Zardaris and Sharifs could not have done it alone. There are hundreds and thousands of their accomplices actively engaged in stealing the national financial resources, precious time and opportunities of the nation. Institutionalized corruption is not a one man job.

Pakistan has lost the operational capacity to endure any more emergencies.
Its essential energies of positive thinking and producing the things and national resources were wasted by the stupid and corrupt rulers. The nation has LOST too much over the fifty years: half of Pakistan, rationale for Kashmir, public institutions of originality of THINKING and ACTION, opportunities to have educated people to lead the 21^st century development of Pakistan. The Generals and the military sponsored so called politicians have sucked out the positive energies of the nation, leaving behind a skeleton under the IMF debts of $70. Billions or so without any accountability. The remaining skeleton could be further broken by the on-going conspiracies and warmongering of the enemies of Islam and Pakistan actively pursuing their plans from within and externally. To safeguard the present and future of Pakistan, planned change is the best strategy to ensure a sustainable future for the nation.

Pakistan desperately needs a navigational change to return to its original roots of participatory democracy and a new foreign policy disconnecting its coercive partnership with the US-British led bogus war on terrorism. For Pakistan’s sustainable future, a non-partisan government of national unity under new leadership should be the immediate action replacing the corrupt and illegitimate Zardari gang, and ceasing the confrontational strategy in North Waziristan and the US drone attacks and demanding immediate withdrawal of the American and British troops from Afghanistan.

In “Pakistan in Search of Change and New Leadership” (2011), the author offered this candid observation: 

“American friendship is more dangerous than its publicly defined animosity. Rejecting cynicism but pondering on the US rationale of “war on terrorism”, there are ample similarities of the blueprint what happened in Iraq, the same fate could be waiting for Pakistan. 

Nobody would cry nor would the sky fall if the corrupt Zardari regime is ousted by the voices of reason and a much desired non-partisan government is put in place to re-arrange the affairs of the nation……. The recent Wikileaks documents reveal how some of the Generals and the PPP politicians are accomplice to conspire against the interest of the people of Pakistan. Their mindset and behaviors belong to draconian age full of poisonous backdoor conspiracies for continued power sharing governance. The so called PPP operated democracy does not have roots in Pakistani society; it is a mere foreign illusion to destroy the nation by it sown agents. The political gangsterism has ruined the life of ordinary Pakistanis. These agents of foreign rule have no sense of fear and shame that emboldens them to commit any wicked and cruel crime against the freedom and security of Pakistan.”

(Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: Global Peace and Conflict Management: Man and Humanity in Search of New Thinking. Lambert Publishing Germany, May 2012).