GOEBBELS must be turning in his grave, envying those involved in smear and propaganda campaign, using social media applications available on internet. The only thing that Pakistan does not lag behind West, is in the spread of fake news, which spreads chaos, unrest etc. and polarization. As compared to this, Pakistan has gone down in all socio-economic sectors. We have the highest illiteracy rate in the subcontinent. Our health sector is in shambles. We are amongst few countries of the world where Polio still exists. Our education system is in shambles education, and become an expensive commodity accessible to few. In such an environment the rare breed of geniuses like Abdus Salam cannot be nurtured. This is a sad reflection on all those who have held power in Pakistan since 1958.
The unfortunate reality is that neither the political parties, nor other stake holders, realize gravity of the crisis this country faces. Instead of focusing on developing our human resources, through investment in education, health, provision of basic necessities, security of life and private property, provision of justice, rule of laws etc., those at helm chose to fight proxy wars of super wars, or engage in real estate projects, which has adversely impacted our agricultural economy. Pakistan ended up giving sanctuary to foreign fighters, courtesy few ambitious adventurers, and we now reap harvest of sins committed by likes of Zia, Musharraf etc. Terrorism and extremism today haunt this country from within. MAJ’s vision of a modern democratic welfare state, was reduced to a country where “Rule of Law” became hostage to whims of individuals, who violated oath they had taken. Quaid had warned both civil and uniformed public office holders of the significance of oath they take, whilst addressing Staff College Quetta on 14 June 1948. Unfortunately, remnants of the British Raj trained bureaucracy, chose to disregard MAJ’s advice and as they the “Chickens Have Come Home to Roost”. Whilst few political parties and their keyboard warriors are involved in a dirty turf war, the unfortunate reality is that the World Bank in its latest report and analysis has concluded that almost 12.5Million citizens of Pakistan have been added to those living below the poverty line.
Almost 95million Pakistanis now live below poverty line, which is almost 300% more than the total population of 32.5Million at the time of independence. By 1954 the population had increased to 40.2Million, almost 60.9million in 1971, and this increased to 124.7Million in 2007. Today it is 245.2Million. This is the highest increase in the region. What Pakistan desperately needs is an educated apolitical economist with integrity like Dr Manmohan Singh, who abolished the decades old License Raj in 1991, removed impediments and bureaucratic hurdles for slow economy, when FOREX reserves were $1Billion, just enough for 2 weeks import. In Pakistan choice of individuals as Finance Minister with visible conflicts of interest, who had voluntarily chosen to take citizenships of other countries, and renounced loyalty to Pakistan, or on kinship basis, or just loyalty to individuals, was destined to fail.
Pakistan is neither a fiefdom nor a kingdom, and there is no space for concept of ruling families in a democracy. In a democracy, individuals are elected to serve for a specified time, defined in the constitution. It is the constitution and will of people which reigns supreme in a democracy. Families of elected individuals cannot claim any divine right to rule. People elected for public office, or holding powerful paid public offices, do not have absolute powers, but only those which constitution entrusts them with. Pakistan was created to be a modern democratic welfare state by its Founding Fathers, and not a banana state, or fiefdom of an individual, or a family, nor hostage to any state funded institution or department. It took the likes of Iskandar Mirza and Ayub Khan, both remnants of British Raj, to derail the very basis of its creation, when they restricted political process. Sikandar Mirza, a direct descendent of Mir Jaffer, was the choice of British Raj, which preferred such men, whose loyalties can be bought. The British monarchy, like other colonialist powers, believe in pedigree of human beings. Sikandar Mirza was inducted in British Indian Army and later laterally inducted into civil service, because of loyalty to the Raj and willingness to betray his motherland. It is because of such individuals that Colonialists manage to rule several countries. When the British occupied India, it was a rich country. By the time they left subcontinent, it had been plundered of its wealth and natural resources. Individuals like Sikandar Mirza were tools, the Raj employed, to rule and plunder subcontinent. Pakistan, unfortunately inherited such a civil and uniformed bureaucracy in 1947. Quaid was very clear that such remnants of British Raj had no role in a democratic welfare state. This country was carved from subcontinent through a political struggle and its future is wedded to continuation of political process and supremacy of constitution.
For Pakistan to get out of the economic quagmire, it must reform and restructure its paid bureaucracy. We live in an age, where specialists alone must be placed at helm, instead of general administrators or “Jack of All Trades”. Only citizens of Pakistan must be involved in deciding fate and destiny of this country. Today the vast majority of our paid elite have settled their families abroad, and have a clear conflict of interest. Corruption breeds and thrives when such men are at helm. India embarked on restructuring their bureaucracy immediately after partition. They ensured undivided loyalty of the paid or elected elite by banning all citizens of India to hold dual nationality status and ensuring that only citizens of India can join political parties registered there. It is for this reason that no Indian origin American or British citizen is actively involved in the politics of India and instead focus on politics of their adopted country. Indian origin foreign nationals hold key political posts, and serve as lobbyists.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
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