Dr Muhammad Khan
A sentence from the speech of General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff obligated me to write article on its broader insinuations for the country like Pakistan. The sentence may be one liner but its meanings are deep-rooted, eloquent, judicious and valid forever. On 10 October 2020 while addressing the passing-out parade of Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), the General said, “We Pakistanis have proved that we can do wonders when we keep our national interests above our parochial, institutional and personal interests.” Indeed, this statement is the key for the solution of all problems in today’s Pakistan. Analysing the history of Pakistan, the maximum sufferance of this God Gifted state has been owing to these parochial personnel interests over the broader, all-encompassing and most needed national interests. Ever since the death of Quaid-i-Azam, this syndrome of personnel interests have dominated in Pakistan and Pakistani national leadership was found wanting in conceiving and pursuing the element of national interest, national pride and national sovereignty. The famous jurist of international relations, Hans J Morgenthau, once said about national interests, “The interest of a nation as a whole held to be an independent entity separates from the interests of subordinate areas or groups and also of other nations or supranational groups any foreign policy which operates under the standard of the national interest”.
National interest of any nation is hampered by two factors; external factors and domestic factors. In the case of Pakistan, the external factors (powers) have always tried to underestimate, exploit and down-play Pakistani geopolitics and its domestic social and ideological strength for their own vested interests. This is the essence of power politics in a global system which is anarchic in nature. Owing to its pivotal position, Pakistan has suffered the maximum at the hands external powers, following the concept of power politics of super powers and major powers forthe regional domination. An excellent counter to this external factor, affecting the national interests of Pakistan has been that over the years, Pakistan developed its armed forces as highly professional with most sophisticated equipment to meet any external challenge. The most recent example has been the war against terrorism, which was an externally planned campaign against the state and society of Pakistan.
Since it was a well-conceived campaign against Pakistan, therefore, the planners expected big blow to the security and national integrity of Pakistan. The external powers had engaged Pakistan on multiple fronts; terrorism, sub-nationalism, ethnicity, factionalism, sectarianism, hybrid warfare and the social unrest. The armed forces of Pakistan defeated all these external strategic planning through their effective counter- strategies. In the war against global terrorism, Pakistani military came out as winner whereas; the world’s top armies had to face humiliating defeats in the neighbourhood of Pakistan (Afghanistan). Indian aggression against Pakistan on 26 February 2019 was a great plan to engulf Pakistan had there been no response by Pakistan Air Force on broad day light, very next day (27 February 2019). There were similar responses from Pak Army and Pakistan Navy in their respective spheres. Owing to its unmatched professionalism, Pakistani military has survived many wars, conflicts and conspiracies in last seven decades.
Whereas, Pakistan came-out successfully at external front, domestically there have been serious concerns with respect to national interest of Pakistan viz-a-viz parochial personnel interests. In most of its history, there have been parochial personnel interests as dominant factors. These personnel interests encumbered most of the national interests and potentials, the nation realizes now with far reaching repercussions. Unfortunately, despite realization of damaging impacts of personnel interests over national interests, this process hasn’t stopped. Rather, it is going on un-checked and with new stimulus, further damaging the state and its institutions severely. Indeed, neither individual nor the personnel interests should be taken as inevitable for Pakistan. No one should be considered as inevitable, everyone has to go finally. A famous saying sufficiently explains this concept; “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” Therefore, let’s follow the natural and laid-down course of change while looking for the better people to make positive change and development to keep national esteem and national interest as supreme.
Let’s understand the golden principle; ‘Politics is not just a game of clashing parties and competing interests to gain power, promote personnel interests, exploit opponents and ignore and relegate the national interests.’ The right reason is to challenge the status quo, to serve the common good and to leave this nation better than we found it.”The national leadership should stand answerable for their past activities, especially in upholding and protecting the national interests of Pakistan. This is the biggest question for those who ruled Pakistan for decades without a positive, perceptible and incremental development at the level of; state, governance, institutions and society. In order to elevate the status of Pakistan in the contemporary world, let’s strictly follow key principle; individual, personnel and community interests should not dominate national interests of the nation (Pakistan).
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
