DECEMBER 16, the blackest day in the history of the country, should serve as a day of reckoning for past mistakes and a solemn pledge by the entire nation especially all those who have strong stakes in the system but unfortunately, there are reasons to believe, we are unwilling to learn lessons and as a consequence the remainder Pakistan is suffering beyond repairs in many respects.
Factors that contributed to the loss of the eastern wing of the united Pakistan are known to all and many of them are still there but no serious attempt is being made even fifty years after the tragedy to address them in a serious and calculated manner.
Political observers and strategists firmly believe that the country would not have experienced the humiliation of surrender at Paltan Maidan if there were no constitutional deviations and genuine grievances of the people of the (then) East Pakistan were addressed timely, appropriately and caringly.
Some versions of the history suggest that people of Bengal wanted to remain part of Pakistan but our wrong and hasty decisions offered a golden opportunity to the enemy to exploit the situation and dismember the original creation of the Quaid.
Constitutionalism offers firm guarantees against fissiparous tendencies but regrettably its sanctity is repeatedly violated by almost all players, sending wrong signals to the federating units, especially smaller ones and the marginalized segments of the society.
This lack of faith and trust in the system’s ability to protect rights and deliver is one of the main causes of discontent among people even today.
We have also badly neglected institution building and as a result none of the main pillars of the state are delivering as per the constitutional scheme of things and expectations of the people.
Parliament, which represents the will of the nation, has been rendered irrelevant and the judiciary is way far from the cherished goal of ensuring justice for all.
There is a perception that police force has become a tool in the hands of ruling elite, NAB a pawn in the hands of manipulators, the Election Commission is constantly being denied the autonomy to act neutrally and the State Bank is answerable to IMF.
The institutional crisis has deteriorated to such an extent that civic bodies are unable to perform their responsibilities, criminals are roaming freely, there is absolutely no check on prices and ministries, divisions and institutions are not ready to take any meaningful initiative.
These and many other factors should serve as a source for concern for our policy-makers and a true national dialogue is needed to reverse the trend.
