Pakistan: Reflections
on the 67th Independence Day
Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.
August 14, is
the 67th independence day of Pakistan from the British colonial
rule. When people and nations across the
globe celebrate their independence day, they analyze a fair assessment of their
present and past and try to focus on their ideas of the freedom movement and
ideals of achievements, progress and to share a vision of the future - a
picture of tomorrow- how the people and nation will appear or strive to pursue
for the best of their national priorities. Pakistanis are not fortunate enough
to demonstrate this vital historical record as part of their contemporary
history and its legacy. Pakistan
movement - the demand for freedom of a Muslim homeland in the sub-continent,
was not an end itself of the struggle but a progressive movement of the people,
by the people and for the people to achieve strategically important goals- the
Freedom from colonial subjugation, and continue to march for the ultimate goals
of a progressive nation-building, change and development to co-exist within the
international community of civilized nations. What Mohammad Ali Jinnah-
Qauid-e-Azam and his colleagues achieved under the circumstances was not an end
of the Pakistan Movement but an initial stage of progress to be continued by
the succeeding generations of morally and intellectually conscientious and educated
and responsible Pakistanis. Perhaps,
Quai-e-Azam and his immediate colleague like the first Prime Minister Liaquat
Ali Khan, Miss Fatimah Jinnah, Sardar Abdur Rub Nishtar, Khawaja Nazamudeen and
so many others were not conscious that future generations could betray the
ideals of the Pakistan Movement. It is imperative, that we all must THINK - who
we are, where we are and why and what needs to be done to move forward. Any critical analysis of the nation will
engage critical questions and self-analysis of what happened and what went
wrong and why?
Mohammad Ali
Jinnah- Quaid-e-Azam was a visionary political leader of integrity and knew the
well integrated essence of freedom and capacity-building of the nationhood. Nation-building is a rigorous task over ages.
Jinnah continued to teach, focus and emphasize the moral and intellectual
facets of freedom -- Faith, Unity and Discipline. After Jinnah’s sudden death,
those who embraced the political power through backdoor conspiracies betrayed
the moral and intellectual foundation of Pakistan. The British colonial master transferred the
power to the Muslim League on August 14, 1947- the only time Pakistan’s history
witnessed a legitimate occasion of transfer of power, all those who came
afterwards were feudal lords popped up by the legacy of British Raj or most
incompetent and uneducated conspirators who saw the corridors of power through political
intrigues, corruption and treachery to the principles of the Pakistani’s
Freedom Movement. Change and development are critical facts in the political
pursuit of making a progressive nation.
Pakistan’s freedom was
besieged and its progress curtailed by the absolute rulers – the Generals and
their accomplice feudal landlords- the cronies of the British
Empire. Pakistan’s
history demonstrates turbulent and unpredictable chaotic developments
undermining its movement for freedom, national interests and the future. Pakistan is under heavy foreign
debts and foreign dictates in policies and practices. Pakistan is being governed by the wrong people, with wrong thinking and
doing the wrong things. Pakistan Needs a navigational Change, away from the
corrupt politics of the few egomaniacs and criminals called politicians. The priorities must be focused on
developing a new system of economic and political governance by disconnecting
the interdependence on foreign aid, debts and dictates. The nation is at its
critical and painful juncture of very survival. Under the circumstances, what
is there to celebrate? The symbolic Pakistan Independence Day celebrations
will remain devoid of much needed change and reformation aim of the
institutionalized corrupt system of governance. The core message is that Pakistan is in
desperate need of a New Political System, New Political institutions, New
Educated and Intelligent leadership befitting to the changing needs and
aspirations of the people and Islamic values to ensure a viable future.
Pakistan’s major problem rests with domestic powerpoltics. Those who grab
the power through intrigues, political conspiracies, military coups, sectarian
killings and large social-economic disruptions as is the on-going Pakistani
elite supported and American-British led bogus War on Terror, would never cease
to act or see an end to their hegemonic power control. For almost half of a
century, Pakistani politics in groomed with military dictators and their FEW
created and installed feudal lord families of the British colonial time-
Bhuttos, Sharfis, Zardaris, Chaurdirs and of course, the military Generals
themselves - the chief instigators of selfish governance and national decline.
These are household names of hatred and disgrace to the thinking Pakistanis.
The Nation that allows criminally indicted and most corrupt people to hold
offices of national governance and responsibility cannot be viewed as Nation of
moral values and honor. This is how East Pakistan
was lost. The political curse and disintegration of the social, moral and
intellectual culture goes on for ages without an end in view. Anyone who will challenge their powerhouse is
labeled as “extremists”, “fundamentalists” and most often “terrorists”. The
real terrorists are never publicly arrested or brought to law and justice. The
IMF record shows that Pakistan
owes some $70 billions in loan mostly in arrears unable even to make the
interests-based annual installments. Nobody knows how and where these funds are
utilized for the benefits of the people of Pakistan. It is public knowledge that Zardari, Ms.
Bhutto and Sharif have stolen billions of dollars from the Pakistani lifelines
and brought costly real estates in UK,
France and Dubai and elsewhere but none can dare to stop
theses criminals to payback to the nation. Ms. Bhutto and Zardari built a
palace in Dubai, bought mansion in Surrey, UK,
a palace in France
and were indicted by Swiss court for money laundering scheme. Sharif twice
dismissed on corruption charges is no stranger to filthy politics. Yet they returned to political power as if
they self-claimed innocence had any credibility. With so much corruption, all
is propagated as normal in public conscience.
The ordinary
folks are still looking for recognition of basic human needs, rights, equality,
security and justice. There are full time high life privileges for the affluent
class but nothing for the ordinary citizens except demonstrations, social and
intellectual deprivation and lost sense of identity. How would the nation reconnect
itself to the forgotten purpose and meaning of the Lahore Resolution of March
1940 for an independent Pakistan?
How would the succeeding generations imagine what challenges prompted to plan and organize the Pakistan’s
freedom movement?
Unless the THINKING PEOPLE of the Pakistani Freedom
Movement and Foundational Values reactivate their thoughts and energies for a
Navigational Change, the Nation is at critical crossroads for its own
fragmentation and by its own so called monstrous political leaders. How to
Change the political cruelty and tyranny of the FEW unto ANEW value-based
political system of institutions, responsible leadership and governance? Pakistan desperately NEEDS people
of New Vision, New Ideas and political imagination to safeguard the freedom of
the nation from ultimate chaos and ruins. Those part of the problems cannot be
part of the solutions. Foreigners will not help Pakistan;
their plans are working to disintegrate Pakistan. Nation’s own future is at
stake.
Western
industrialized world has adapted the phenomenon of Change as a way of thinking
and living. Islam subscribes to change
as a precept of life. But ignorant and selfish rulers denied Islam its rightful
place in Pakistani politics. 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.
Leaders create
leaders. Howard Zenn imagined the
‘history as a weapon’ and EH Carr highlighted the history as a tool for
teaching and learning. Not so, Pakistani elite are abhorrent to the role of
history, only to manipulate and maximum the self-interest and to deprive the
masses. Cruelty knows no bound as for half of a century Pakistani nation failed
to produce a single enlightened, intelligent or credible leader to lead. The
Generals, Bhuttos, Sharifs and Zardari are not the leaders but bootlickers of
the West and the by-products of the neo-colonial military rule. Those so-called
self-appointed leaders who have been living on stolen wealth and borrowed time,
how could they offer any proactive leadership vision for change, reformation
and nation-building? There is nothing to
celebrate on the independence day except a time for soul searching – grab
the mirror if you can or have the rational mind to reflect at our own wrong
thinking and incapacitated state of the national affairs, so helpless that
instead of being active reformers, most have succumbed to be pacifist
spectators. Pakistan
needs change but there is no systematic mechanism to foresee or visualize a
democratic plan for political change and future-building. More than 30 years
earlier while a student in America, this author wrote to General Zia ul-Haq, “what would our history say, why the
succeeding generations of Muslims failed to produce leaders like Salahuddin,
Allama Iqbal, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Qutb, Al-Mushraqi, and Mowdoodi? Only the martial law administrators who kept
the nation together by law and order and nothing else.” Gen Zia ul Haq
replied without attempting to answer the focal question.
India and China
are the emerging new superpowers, acknowledged and considered by the Western
strategic policy interests and economic development agendas. Nations do develop
where there is freedom of thoughts and action, open commerce and trade and
honest and competent people come to assume the leadership role. Nobody would
invest in a society governed by military Generals and indicted criminals like dead
Ms Bhutto and Zardari, as they have neither relevance nor value in the
contemporary global affairs.
America is a big game
player in Pakistan
and its security apparatus. The aid
gimmick has kept Pakistan interdependent on the policy making of the US
administration and a nation being viewed more liability than an asset to the
American geo-political interests in that region. The US leaders allege Pakistani rulers
(civilians and military) as “double dealers” paid, bribed but act contrary to
the American dictates. The imagery that floats across the globe that Pakistani
Generals and politicians are in the paid US
basket and survive on its active support to rule Pakistan. The beggar nation that continues to be living
at the mercy of the so called US aid money and foods, often defined as
conspiracy to fighting proxy wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere. All that can go
wrong have gone wrong with the system of Pakistani governance. Every one
selling others, every one making cash dollars by trading-in the interests of
the Muslim nation. It is business “as usual” and nobody seems to raise any
eyebrows anymore in a culture of nuisance, filthy corruption, and non-Islamic
governance claiming to be Islamic Republic of Pakistan. When corruption spreads, darkness prevails
and people lose sense of direction. Nobody knows where Islam exists or is
operative across Pakistan.
Worst
crises have happened but the rulers and the nation seem to have ignored the
necessity of political change. In its May 18, 2007, the New York Times
published front page article that “Pakistani Generals are paid to do the
job.” That was General Musharaf and
comrades, exposing the insanity of the “war on terrorism” that Pakistan
embraced and the Generals made millions. The terms of reference clearly shows
that the US intelligence
network and the political leadership have full control over all the major
affairs of governance in Pakistan. Zardari and the Pakistani Generals are the
stooges of the US
managed political chessboard. In May 2011, President Obama ordered attack at a
compound in Abbottabad to kill Osma bin Laden.. It was a political killing as
Bin Laden was not charged with any crimes anywhere or according to the American
Constitution. Next day, CIA Chief Panetta thanked General Kiyani and President
Zardari for their cooperation. Why
Pakistani did not repulse the US
attack on Abbottabad? Should Pakistanis
not question Kiyani and Zardari for their involvement in this political
massacre? It is not the first time that Pakistani rulers have sided with the
aggressors. ZA Bhutto and Gen Musharaf came into power through this
exercise. Do these cruel monsters have a
future? Bruce
Riedel, One of Obama’s advisors on Pakistan
and the War on Terrorism (“Battle for the Soul
of Pakistan” 1/4/2013, Brookings Institute and Centre for Middle East Policy)
calls it “2013 could be a transformative year for the country, indeed it will
be the battle for the soul of Pakistan.” He explains: “One measure of Pakistan's instability is that the
country now has between 300 and 500 private security firms, employing 3,00,000
armed guards, most run by ex-generals.”
What makes the ex-Generals to create a culture of fear and
insecurity? Is it the ex-Generals or the
bogus War on Terror they have perpetuated? Is it that they draw their after
service gratuities from such crime-riddled adventures? He
adds that
“So, it is no wonder that the generals prefer to have the civilians
responsible for managing the unmanageable, while they guard their prerogatives
and decide national security issues. As important as the coming elections will
be, the far more important issue is who will be the next Chief of Army Staff.”
The corrupt
institutionalized politics denies participation to educated, honest and
intelligent Pakistanis. The nation has not learned any lesson from its own
blood soaked tragedies. Ironically, dead Bhuttos, Zardari and Sharifs were
candidates in the elections again and
Sharif has conveniently replaced Zardari
to form a new government. Nowhere in the civilized world are the
criminals allowed to stand in political elections. Have the Pakistani people gone that much down the drains in thoughts,
observations and wisdom? Do they have
any honor left for the self? If so, they could not allow Musharaf, Zardari,
Bhuttos and Sharifs to compete in the elections. The Pakistani nation must see
the Mirror – look at itself straight, candidly and with fullest sense of moral,
intellectual and political responsibility:
who they were, where they are and where they are heading to? Or the Nation stands no chance for any
recourse or coming out of the deadly political stunts of the few, time killing
legal battles and the historical graveyards. If the nation was not complacent
in all of these sadistic misfortunes – General Musharaf and his associates,
Bhuttos, Zardaris and Sharifs and Chaudris could never have come into political
power and to molestation of the moral, intellectual and spiritual culture and
values of Islamic Pakistan. None of these
political monsters have made any positive contributions toward a genuine functional
democracy nor do they have any rational sense or knowledge of it. They are
active again to grab the power and nothing else. History
has a defined role and the present and future generations must give credence to
these developments and learn to be aware of the future in waiting, and how best
to make a navigational change to ensure independence and integrity of Pakistan.
The ideals of
the Pakistan Freedom Movement must be revisited and incorporated into the
making of the future. To undo the darkened past and reshape the present, Pakistan
urgently NEEDS educated, visionary and proactive leadership and public
institutions to rebuild its essential capacity to safeguard its integrity,
survival and future as a Muslim Nation moving forward to pursue change and social
and economic development infrastructures for the deprived people. The solution
must come from the THINKING people of the new educated generation - the intelligent
and proactive Pakistanis to facilitate HOPE and PROMISE for a sustainable
future of the beleaguered nation. This should be the framework of the message
and active agenda for change and reformation as the core of the celebration of
the Pakistan’s
67th Independence Day. At the
top of the political agenda, should be the security of the nation and
protection of life and human dignity of all the citizens of Pakistan. The
intelligence networks appear to be old and too much aligned to the foreign
interests. This must change and innovative public intelligence networks should
be evolved to protect the unity and integrity of Pakistan. If there are mindful new
politicians, they must focus to develop the national capacity to assure the
global community that Pakistan
could live, progress and achieve its futuristic economic-political goals without
begging any more IMF loans and AID from the US. Self-reliance and
self-development are critical to national development. Pakistan’s
image is tarnished. There must be an immediate end to belligerent US drone attacks on Pakistan
and end to Pakistan’s involvement
in the US
sponsored bogus War on Terror. These rulers must focus on restoration of
political normalcy, trade, commerce and integration of people and movement for
business across Pakistan. Any neglect will amount to dreadful treachery
and violation of the principles and values of the Foundation of the Nation. If
you reject cynicism, indifference and perversion, YOU (the people) have the
capacity - YOU can do it. It is not too late, despite the odds and self-geared moral,
political-economic ruins and increasing internal strife and sectarian bloodbaths,
YES, you can be changed unto a strong progressive Nation under intelligent and
honest new generation leadership fostering the ideas and ideals of Mohmmad Ali
Jinnah, Quaid-e-Azam and reconnecting and integrating the present and future
generations to the making of a promising Future. Now, it is up to YOU (the people) to make it
or break it.
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