THE Western “Gang of Four,” in their desperation to implement the long-standing Zionist agenda titled “En-route to Globalization”—conceived nearly two centuries ago—have re-entered the geopolitical ring with renewed aggression, placing Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria in their crosshairs.
This appears to be a revival of a new crusade against Islam, with even Christian leaders seemingly subdued into acting as their proxies. Capitalism and the dollar-dominated global order seem to have run their course. A new era of Afro-Asian unity is on the horizon—one that promises emancipation for the masses rather than enrichment for a handful of Federal Reserve board members. In their frenzy to preserve the crumbling old order, these power-hungry actors are preparing to ignite perhaps the most dangerous war in history, with little regard for the catastrophic fallout it may have on the West itself. Former President Trump has mobilized proxies in the UK, Israel, and Ukraine, while institutions like the UN and the ICJ remain impotent spectators, incapable of halting the ongoing genocide.
The Pakistani nation still struggles to comprehend the reality behind the truncated independence of 1947. The greatest mischief was orchestrated by Sir Cyril Radcliffe, chairman of the Boundary Commission, who deliberately delayed announcing the partition award until August 17—three days after independence—causing strategic hurdles for Pakistan. This delay violated the British Parliament’s approved partition plan, which had offered a clear formula for the accession of princely states. In states with a religious mismatch between ruler and majority population, plebiscites were to decide their fate. Yet Kashmir was left in limbo. A hasty ceasefire and a slew of unimplemented UN Security Council resolutions further complicated matters. Meanwhile, the British Viceroy, who became India’s first Governor-General, turned a blind eye to delayed financial, military, and resource transfers. In 1949, India threatened Pakistan with a “water war,” leading to the planting of a World Bank expert whose recommendations culminated in the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960—surrendering Pakistan’s eastern rivers Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas to India.
Our leadership failed to foresee the dire consequences of excessive World Bank loans and flawed water management. Projects like the Tarbela Dam faced structural failures, while poorly designed link canals turned fertile lands saline due to water seepage. The rising water table further worsened agricultural productivity. In response, the World Bank offered successive loans under SALT 1 through 5—each deepening our economic dependence and corruption. Today, only a privileged 2% elite harbor hopes of recovery; the rest of the population has lost hope, waiting in despair for some miracle to pull them from this economic quagmire. After brief progress under Ayub Khan, Pakistan now suffers from an acute leadership crisis—ruled by visionless pygmies lacking any coherent agenda for national revival.
Global powers had already launched tools like the World Bank and IMF to derail our economic sovereignty. The Indus Basin Project initially promised several multipurpose dams, yet its flawed execution resulted in heavy losses—most notably the Tarbela Dam disaster, which halved its storage capacity. Instead of pursuing hydroelectric projects, we were forced to import gas turbines and build thermal power stations, rapidly depleting our natural gas reserves. The final blow came when the World Bank pushed for the approval of the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) policy under Benazir Bhutto’s government, inserting a disastrous “capacity payment” clause—paying owners even for idle plants. Later, we witnessed the Rental Power Projects (RPPs) scandal, where the government financed 80% of equity investment, creating an unmanageable mountain of circular debt. Since 2018–19, successive IMF packages have broken the camel’s back, plunging our economy into stagflation. A viable solution may lie in a drastic shift—whether through an Islamic Social Justice financial model or the alternative BRICS-based financial order.
It is also worth recalling Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s powerful speech at the Arab League Summit in 2007–08. Like a true statesman, he challenged the Arab world to awaken. He raised pointed questions: Were the 9/11 hijackers Iraqis? Was Osama bin Laden an Iraqi? Were any weapons of mass destruction found in Iraq? He exposed how these wars were not about justice but business ventures—profiting through arms sales and resource plunder. Former US President George W. Bush, eager to attack oil-rich Iraq after 9/11, was held back only temporarily by Secretary of State Gen. Colin Powell, who insisted on preparing public opinion first. As a result, Afghanistan was targeted instead—a resource-rich land bombed under the guise of justice. This is governance at its ugliest: powerful nations scavenging the world for survival.
— The writer is a contributing columnist based in Karachi.
