IN recent articles, my critical approach may have given the impression of an overly negative outlook.
I believe it’s important to clarify that my aim is not to dwell on pessimism but to highlight pressing issues that, in my view, threaten our national security and cohesion.
These concerns deserve serious reflection.
In intelligence, we don’t focus on what people say, we watch what they do and more importantly, what they have consistently done over time.
Actions speak volumes, often without a word being spoken.
As a field intelligence operative for decades, my focus has always been on identifying patterns that undermine national interests.
I write with a sense of duty, driven by a moral obligation to my country.
Trust is fading, confusion rising and our brightest minds are quietly stepping back.
What may seem like isolated failures is now a clear pattern, one shaped by elite capture and eroding accountability.
This is no longer a noise; it is the culture we have adopted.
The first step forward is to face it.
I do not claim to be an intellectual or a strategist of great stature, but I feel compelled to share what I have witnessed over the years while serving in intelligence at both tactical and strategic levels.
Many are familiar with our country’s post-independence history and may be able to relate to my reflections spanning the last four decades or so.
What stands out most is the persistent inconsistency in our governance.
It prevented us from staying true to our national ideology, as we deviated onto paths shaped by elites who captured the levers of power early on in our history.
These groups manipulated the system to serve their own agendas, steering governance through tailor-made narratives.
In doing so, they manufactured crises within crises, costing us our finest people, halting our progress and quietly eroding our future.
The country began under the leadership of a Governor General but soon witnessed the emergence of a ‘constitutional Martial Law’, a precedent that paved the way for future interventions.
Subsequently, another notable strategy came from a key politician in General Ayub Khan’s cabinet, who proposed using the liberation of Indian-held Kashmir as a campaign slogan for the 1965 elections.
This move proved costly, both for the nation and Ayub Khan’s personal reputation.
Follow-up events proved to be gambling to intentionally harm the popularity of General Ayub Khan for personal advantage.
The formation of commissions to investigate the 1971 debacle yielded no public results, becoming a story of obscured truths in itself.
Since then, no democratic government completed its tenure and two more military regimes marked our history.
During General Zia’s era, yet another engineered hypothesis was introduced to manipulate the democratic process.
I personally witnessed a case where the President explored replacing the National Assembly with a Majlis-e-Shoora as an alternative governance model.
I was part of the survey team tasked with evaluating this proposal.
Our findings clearly showed it would not improve the system and would only tarnish the image of General Zia’s government.
However, our recommendations were dismissed in favor of a tailor-made narrative pushed by vested interests, leading to elections that yielded no meaningful results.
Similar episodes marked General Pervez Musharraf’s rule.
In our post-retirement gatherings, he often expressed regret, particularly over including opportunistic politicians in his government, a decision that severely damaged his reputation.
Civilian governments ever since have remained part of the problem, with some politicians even maintaining ties with foreign adversaries, willing to serve their interests for personal gain.
Based on tailor-made hypothesis presented by the vested interests, the manipulation of systems through the making and breaking of political parties, along with creation of pressure groups to influence governance, is exacerbating the situation in the country.
This prevailing discontent makes the masses increasingly vulnerable to exploitation by hostile elements.
The core issue behind many of our problems lies in shaping hypotheses to suit specific segments of society, regardless of the consequences for the nation.
During my service, I learned the importance of basing assessments on ground realities to enable informed decision-making.
At times, our findings contradicted expectations, but truth ultimately prevailed.
Crafting narratives to appease superiors, rather than reflect reality, is not just misleading, it is a betrayal of duty.
The malfunctioning of our key government institutions is deeply concerning.
These departments, tasked with upholding the rule of law, appear to be serving political interests instead of justice and remain involved in shaping fabricated narratives.
It’s troubling to see senior officials compromise legal norms to appease their superiors.
Meanwhile, the army and its intelligence agencies are forced to operate within a tainted environment, struggling to maintain neutrality amid political interference.
Politicians frequently exploit the military to advance their own agendas.
As a result, both domestic and international observers, lacking full insight into the situation, remain confused by the prevailing circumstances.
The world is experiencing a profound geopolitical shift and our region remains particularly vulnerable.
Foreign adversaries are capitalizing on this instability, advancing their agendas amid the global transition.
Amid these changes, Pakistan is increasingly seen by international strategists as a potential contributor to a new world order.
However, before assuming such a role, we must address our internal challenges, ensuring political stability, economic resilience and institutional reform.
When we ignore the warning signs in society, they don’t go away, they get louder.
We start losing good people, slow down progress and risk our future.
It is not a sudden disaster, but a slow decline.
The good news is, we can still turn things around.
But leaders need to look deeper, not just at what is obvious, but at the hidden problems and needs.
Today, leadership is not just about giving orders.
It is about paying attention.
The future is shaped by the signals we notice and the ones we don’t.
—The writer is Security Professional, entrepreneur and author, based in Dubai, UAE.
