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Pakistan: Politicians at Crossroads
Dr. Mahboob A.
Khawaja
To progressive nations, the knowledge and information based 21st
century ushers attractive futuristic imagination for change but not so to Pakistan. The
Western industrialized nations have produced transformational leadership to
envisage change and futuristic advancements - the framework for building a
progressive nation. But Pakistan’s
traditional political powerhouse is entrenched in family feuds and backdoor
intrigues to perceive political change for the few, not to serve the public
interest. The new educated and intelligent generation looks for change and
opportunities to participate and shape anew future out of the ruins of
individualistic absolutism and feudal lord’s oligarchy having stolen more than
forty years of the national lifelines. Comparatively, other progressive nations
and societies have capitalized on the phenomenon of change to embrace new generational
political activism enriched with new thinking and new visions for change and
development. But Pakistanis are glued to the old and obsolete theatre of
nuisance and absurdity managing its political powerhouse. The new aspiring generations are excluded from the political activism
that future is theirs to make, not for the old and hated feudal lords. One
could think of piled junk history with a common emotion of fear and hatred
toward the military-operated politics that has undermined the freedom, human
dignity and progress of the nation. History speaks loud that nations captive of
military dictators and martial laws lose the capacity to pursue sustainable
change for future-making. All dictators and their collaborative politicians are
a menace to societal change and progress.
Do Pakistanis need a slap on their face to understand the historical
facts? Most leading politicians are the
by-products of military dictators. The ruling elite are devoid of the rationality
of change and societal development. Speculations overwhelm the continuing
governance of Nawaz Sharif being at a crossroad, which way to go for the
future- another military coup or some sort of marriage of convenience between the
much hated politicians and the new military Generals. The nation remains devoid
of moment of peace and happiness. Talibans, MQM in Karachi
and others in Baluchistan have erected fault
lines where violence, killings of the innocent and insanity rages every
day. When critical problems are
mishandled, more are created - the typical “right man” syndrome of the naked
form of Pakistani politics. Pakistani politicians are known for their
selfishness and stupidity otherwise what else is there to read the history
books with lost time and opportunities for change spanning more than 40 years.
Hardly anyone could imagine a miracle to change the course of forthcoming
events marked on the board. The anxiety made former Chief of the Army and
retired General Mirza Aslam Beg (“Gen Beg Warns of Egypt-like Change in Pakistan.” The
Nation: 4/22/2014), to warn the fellow countrymen to be careful on continued
blame game against the senior army officials. “The higher the tension, the easier the
change”, said General Mirza Beg. But such a change would be
disastrous as accidental change does not offer stability and futuristic
development but destroy all that is built by the thinkers and morally
accountable people. Arguably, Nawaz Sharif lacks will and imagination to deal
with any national crisis what to talk of making peace with the Talibans. All of
the official machinery is following one-sided dictates to punish former General
Musharaf - the dictator who ousted Sharif and imprisoned him for a while. To
dehumanize the army Generals is unfair and a terrible one-sided naïve imagery.
Bhuttos, Zardari, and Sharif should be held accountable too. They have
committed heinous crimes against the nation and stolen time, wealth and
opportunities which they cannot return to the nation. There is nothing new and
good for the nation; otherwise, Nawaz Sharif would have done it to revitalize
his family’s ambitions. Strange, why
should an informed and mature Pakistanis vote for such politicians who are good
for nothing?
Imagine the
prevalent culture of political nuisance, only inept, crime-riddled and
thumb-lickers come to political activism. American intelligence forecasts sketch
out that Pakistan
would collapse by 2016 or by 2020 at the latest, more with domestic flare ups
and animosities as the people live in a distant 20th century’s
culture of thinking and practices. There is no progress and new stories to tell
to curious school children, grown-ups, and college graduates when it comes to change,
national progress, its security and future-making. Do Bhuttos, Zardari, Sharif
and Musharaf offer any plausible lessons to the present and future generations?
Most books being used are written by foreigners, not knowing the freedom
movement of Pakistan,
its historical imperatives and cultural values. Youngsters are indoctrinated to
imagine being in New York and London for hobbies, support and good times.
Could Pakistani politicians and the martial law administrators develop the
future of the nation? Most politicians
and their human instinct appear untouched that nation is in the midst of an
unseen storm and it could well be swayed away unless a planned navigational
change supersedes the status-quo maintained by the few. There is no substance
or reliability that Nawaz Sharif or any Generals could facilitate a sustainable
change for the future. Pakistan
at its critical juncture of global affairs needs a transformational leader, new
system of political institutions and governance and creative leadership that
could build people’s trust and commitment to change, unity and progress.
America is a big game player in Pakistan
and managing its security apparatus. The
AID gimmick has kept Pakistan
interdependent on the policy making of the US
administration and now Pakistan
is 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 - used clothes and dry milk, often
defined as conspiracy to fighting proxy wars in Afghanistan and elsewhere. America and its paid allies have caused havoc
humanitarian, social, economic and political conditions in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The bogus war on
terrorism and its ripple affects will not end in 2014 but will leave imprints
for generations to come - the innocent men, women and children massacred and
human habitats destroyed. Should America and its allies be not held
accountable for all the war crimes and damages and drone attacks on the
civilians?
All that can go wrong have gone
wrong with the system of Pakistani political governance. Bruce Ruedel, One of President
Obama’s advisors on Pakistan,
Afghanistan 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….”
There is no political
change, stability or national reconciliation in progress under PM Nawaz Sharif.
Continuing political crises have destabilized all domains of public life. National
security, trade, commerce, productivity and moral and intellectual domains are
worst affected. Growing political fear and hatred outweigh the political
governance. Nawaz Sahrif and his collaborators have no political imagination or
planned policies for change and national development. The solution must come
out of the new thinking and new visions of the young people and new generation
of educated Pakistanis who are able to think independently and out of the corrupt
box curtailment. This approach deserves an inward
eye on the objectivity and purpose of political change and reformation of
the neo-colonial dominated governance, an
eye not merely to change the political faces but to be critically focused on
the purpose and clarity of political change, institutionalized developments
and holding corrupt politicians accountable for their crimes against the
nation. The Hope for change and reshaping anew Pakistan rests with the ideas and
optimism of the new, educated and intelligent young generation of Pakistanis. As of now, the best option appears to be that
the National Assembly should set-up a Government of National Unity under new
and intelligent leadership with the task to evolve new public institutions and
encourage new and educated people to enhance the working of democracy and
national unity. All segments of
educated, informed and conscientious Pakistanis have genuine interests and
priority to rebuild a strong foundation for the unity of a progressive nation.
The ultimate aim of unity and its realization rests with the foundation of the freedom
movement of Pakistan and
Islamic values as powerful and articulating forces of change and sustainable
development for the future 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).
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