Through a staff level standby agreement between Pakistan and International Monetary Fund (IMF), the latter has agreed to provide loan of $3 billion to Pakistan. The first instalment of this loan ($1.2 billion) has already been transferred to State Bank of Pakistan. Besides, Saudi Arabia has kept $2 billion and $1 billion by UAE in the foreign currency reserves of Pakistan. This arrangement has saved Pakistan from immediate economic collapse, especially from the perspective of default. Nevertheless, these are temporary measures and economic managers of Pakistan must take very strict measures to ensure revival of the economy on long-term basis. Earlier, there remained political instability in the country for over a year which created a state of uncertainty in the country besides causing economic crises.
This situation compelled the masses and media to debate the future of the state from many perspectives. One common debate was; whether Pakistan is heading for a failed state. This debate had two dimensions; a) a deliberately initiated discussion with the motive to create a state of chaos and confusion among the wider Pakistani society so that people lose trust over the state and its institutions and b) a casual and unintentional debate, influenced by economic crises, social intolerance and political polarization. In either form, such debates create an element of despair, dejection, misperceptions and distrust about the state and its institutions. Besides, persistence of such views and debates ultimately form a public opinion which in either case create pessimism, anger and revulsion. Indeed, the short term political and economic crises and economic cannot be termed as failure of the state. A failed state is defined from three salient aspects; a) where government has become incapable of its functioning and discharging its responsibilities as per the constitution of the state, b) the state has failed militarily in defending the territorial frontiers of the state, and c) the government has failed to maintained law and order, provision of justice, education and basic facilities to its masses. Nothing of the above-mentioned factors can be truly applied over Pakistan which means, Pakistan was neither failing nor a failed state. It was just a part of the propaganda campaign against Pakistan, initiated by those having vested agenda.
Towards the beginning of May 2023, the rival forces were all set to declare Pakistan as a failing state and political leadership was clueless regarding counter measures. Indeed, a proportionate response with tangible measures and clarity about the future planning are essentially required by the incumbent Government on urgent basis. Pakistan is not a failed state nor it is heading towards any debacle, however, the current state of affairs is a consequence of repeated events of bad governance, demonstrated by successive governments. The aspects of the bad governance must be substituted with good governance rather conspiring to declare Pakistan as a failed state. Indeed, the ruling elites of Pakistan have failed in their forms of governance and economic management of the state rather the state of Pakistan. Indeed, this is the reality and the correct perspective about Pakistani state which should be known to masses especially the youth of Pakistan. The abovementioned aspects of the state, statehood and masses need a perspective of the state from international law and United Nations. From the perspective of international law, the state is defined as an entity with a defined territory having permanent population with a government in-placed and having the capacity to enter into international relations with other states. All these aspects of the statehood are applicable to the state of Pakistan and Pakistan qualifies to be a modern state, fulfilling all its obligations. It is in its international relationship through the instrument of its foreign policy with almost all states and recognized by United Nations. There is yet another angle, the UN dimension of the state which says; Statehood” is an element of membership in the United Nations. Pakistan became the member of this world body from the very first day of its inception as an independent state on August 14, 1947. It very much adheres to all treaties and international obligations as an independent state under the laid-down internationally recognized norms. There are some of the basic qualifications for a state to be called as the legal entity of international system as “state” which Pakistan fulfilled in its over seventy-five years of history. Covering the operational aspects of an independent and sovereign state; right from its inception in 1947, the state of Pakistan has emerged as the most successful state of the world. Despite confronting a military campaign from its eastern neighbor over Kashmir, immediately after independence, Pakistan proved its existence and potentials from all aspects; political, economic, social and strategic. The economic and military assets of British India which were supposed to be proportionately divided among Pakistan and India were not done and Pakistan did not receive its share. Nevertheless, it maintained its steady growth and remained economically affluent and militarily strong throughout. In the process, it attained the capability of a nuclear state after exploding its nuclear weapons in 1998. Today, Pakistan is a nuclear power with a clear deterrence having created nuclear parity in South Asia against Indian brinkmanship. It brought strategic stability in the region where India has been trying to undermine the sovereignty of other South Asian states. Prime Minister, Shahbaz Sharif has already announced to hand over the Government to intern set-up by mid-August 2023 that will conduct the general elections. In this regards, a meeting between Prime Minister and Asif Ali Zardari has taken place in Lahore on July 15, 2023. With the general elections-2023, there are all the chances that, political instability will come to an end. With stable governments in the center and provinces, the economic crises will come to an end.
Pakistan is a gift of Allah Almighty and most viable state on the map of the world. Indeed, its geopolitical location makes it as the most significant state, its economic potentials makes it as the promising economies of the world, its professional military makes its frontiers as impregnable and its resilient masses make it as the most responsible work force in the world. Army Chief, General Asim Muneer while addressing the National Seminar on Agriculture and Food Security said, “Being an institution, we assured [government] of every possible cooperation for Pakistan’s economic progress. Allah Almighty has blessed Pakistan with many resources and we are a capable nation who has the potential to rise to the top.” — The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.Email: [email protected]
