A politician can ride the populist wave, win electoral seats in a democracy, but his success or failure to deliver lies solely on his political maturity and choice of qualified team to assist in decision making. If a populist politician confines his choice of advisors to loyalists/family members, within his party, he is liable to lose, what he gained through the ballot. Failure to do so, will ultimately result in removal from power, by same people who voted for him. Riding populism wave is never a permanent phenomenon, but is cyclic.
One of the most successful and prominent conservative American presidents was Ronald Reagan, who started his career as an actor. After graduation, and a brief career as sports broadcaster, he became a film actor and president of Screen Actors Guild, but never played any leading role. Reagan entered politics, became Governor California in 1966, where he succeeded in turning a deficit budget into a surplus by raising taxes. In 1980 he finally won with help of political establishment and became president of USA. His biggest asset was his ability of self-assessment and recognition of lack of experience to decide intricate matters of state. Regan selected a team of apolitical, qualified specialists from academia and industry to advice on decision making, instead of team of sycophants and political loyalists in his kitchen cabinet.
It is this lack of self- assessment by political and paid (civil or uniformed) elite of Pakistan, which is primarily responsible for the mess this country faces. The 2024 elections are over, with a split mandate, which demands from various political parties and powerful stake holders to understand that Pakistan is engulfed in an economic quagmire, which threatens national security. We are at a very critical juncture in our brief, but checkered history, which requires collective effort, by all parties, to restore the economy and provide relief to desperate millions, who suffer daily. Every politician who has held power, including the powerful paid elite are responsible for the failures. The judiciary cannot be absolved, of their share of responsibility, who resorted to Doctrine of Necessity, more than once, to regularise acts, which came in direct conflict with the very ideals for creation Pakistan, elaborated by Father of Nation MAJ.
Major structural reforms are needed to reform our paid civil and uniformed bureaucracy, so that they shed the British Raj legacy, which trained them to serve an occupying colonial power, instead of serving the people, whose taxes fund their salaries. This is long overdue. India embarked on restructuring and under took major reforms to rid British Raj legacy, and transform bureaucracy as servants of people, working within confines of constitution, which they adopted in 1949. We failed to do so, and are suffering because of this. Individuals with split loyalties were allowed to frame our economic policies, so that we remained subservient to foreign powers, serve them as a client state, performing tasks and being involved in proxy wars. Had the 1965 elections conducted by Ayub Khan not been rigged and Fatima Jinnah taken over, the geography, political landscape and our economics would have been far better. Pakistan continues to bleed because of the adventurism by likes of Ayub.
What this country today desperately needs is restoration of MAJ’s vision, with emphasis on developing human resources, rule of law, supremacy of constitution and good governance by those at helm. Populism alone cannot resolve the issues we face. Those who have been elected, irrespective of allegations of gross irregularities, must display political maturity and rise up to meet the challenges. There should be no doubt that a political party which rode to power on shoulders of establishment in 2018, is the beneficiary of an anti- status quo wave in 2024, after it was removed through a no-confidence vote. The recent general elections, like those in 2018, 2008 etc. are conspicuous by allegations of irregularities. Some of these allegations are credible and need to be investigated, and remedial steps taken to restore confidence in the system.
India, like Pakistan, inherited ills of British Raj and made sure that all their citizens had undivided loyalty to the country. They were not willing to replace direct rule by white British colonialists with indirect rule by subjects of their former colonial masters, who simultaneously pledge loyalty to British monarchy with concept of dual nationality, while retaining their Indian nationality. Indian Constitution does not allow any citizen to hold dual nationality, nor permits political parties to be registered abroad, because of visible conflicts of interest.
The fact that any immigrant on assumption of a foreign citizenship revokes his previous loyalty, leaves no doubt that he has made his choice of singular loyalty. Enactment of Patriot Act in USA and right-wing nationalism in Europe etc., gives no space for dual nationals to be even seen to serve national interest of the country of their origin, even if there is even an iota of conflict with national or security interest of their adopted country, where they reside, pay taxes and own assets.
Pakistani diaspora holding foreign passports are divided because of their involvement in politics of Pakistan. Laws need to be enacted debarring Pakistan based political parties to be registered in foreign countries. They have gone to extremes, disregarding the enormity of economic crisis, in campaigning with US senators seeking sanctions and suspension of IMF Bailout Package, which this country needs. Pakistan must carry out major structural reforms to widen tax-net. Any delay or failure in IMF bailout would inflict more miseries on the poor and middle classes, who are already suffering.
This misguided vocal group affiliated with a political party in USA, embarked upon a campaign, seeking intervention of American administration to place sanctions, till their political ambitions are achieved. Seeking foreign intervention in internal matters of Pakistan is not only unwise, but unbecoming of those who have received popular mandate in 2024 elections. It is time to reconsider dual nationality status.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Lahore.
Email: [email protected]
views expressed are writer’s own.
