Pakistan was formed by a leader suffering from tuberculosis, who died shortly after his dream was realised. Sixty-four years later, the body politic continues to suffer from this ancient scourge. At war with itself, Pakistan today resembles a patient who seeks a fast and easy cure; without putting in the requisite effort. Plagued by terrorism, ethnic and religious rivalry, managed by an ineffectual government, itself answerable to a corpulent military; Pakistan faces enemies within and without.
We are unable to differentiate between aid and aggression, believing our sovereignty to be questioned when asked to take difficult decisions. With over 18 billion dollars in US funding over the past 10 years, the government has had to choose where to allot such largesse. Buy more F-17s or build schools? Create nuclear energy or bombs? Nation building, Pakistani style, involves pumping iron – literally – into the military structure. No food? No electricity? No hope? At least we have guns.
The fault, as Cassius famously said, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves. When frustrated mobs take to the streets in violent protest, Pakistanis demand to see soldiers in tanks keeping the streets safe. When these same soldiers refuse to return to their barracks, we declaim the military brass and talk about democracy. If, then, Pakistan is a patient with multiple complaints, our vastly differing demands on the military and its involvement in the affairs of state reveal an almost schizophrenic desire to have everything at once, and not at all.
We want water, and dams, with no environmental cost. We want to grow enough crops to feed and clothe ourselves, and still have plenty left to export. We want prices to fall, without paying taxes. We want education and jobs for all. We want electricity, but our nukes are dearer. We want the freedom to practice our faith, provided we dictate the interpretation that suits our religious circles (most do not even agree on one adaptation). We want peace, but we’ll keep our weapons, just in case. We want to be a global power, but we’ll settle for notoriety.
Pakistan’s military fever has broken in spells, with democracy returning to the country. Democratus interruptus. It is true that our civilian and political institutions lack capacity and competence, but contrary to what the military believes, incompetence does not legitimise a coup. Nor vice versa. Politicians are driven by a desire for power rather than civic service.
Just imagine. Sixty-four years of living in denial. We are still a country struggling to define a cohesive identity. Rather than being merely Pakistani, the state consists of a vast number of ethnic and religious groupings, which remain in constant conflict with each other. These groups are a by-product of our prevailing illness. The ailment has led to not just malnourishment – only about a half of Pakistan’s total population has access to adequate nutritional intake – but has also led to more than half of us Pakistanis to remain illiterate. We lay the blame of that squarely on the infamous “corruption” syndrome.
However, is President Asif Ali Zardari really the only corrupt person in Pakistan? Will removing him rid Pakistan of corruption? Again, short term cure, if any at all. Moreover, is the world really against us and is it without reason? Was 9/11 a conspiracy to give the US an excuse to be able to corner and counter Pakistan? Is that because Pakistan is the only Islamic nuclear power in the world? Notwithstanding international conspiracies, we also have a cure for our cricket malady. Remove the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board: Ijaz Butt. Really now! Pakistan couldn’t win the world cup only because Butt is heading the PCB?
Denial again. We fail to understand that corruption has become our national character, and it’s common to take advantage of one’s position or throw away money to get favours. A rickshaw driver breaks the red signal light without fear of being caught by a traffic constable. He is confident that he will never see the inside of a lock-up or get a challan issued because he will bribe himself out. Even the self-righteous journalists know that they can evade any uncomfortable situation by flashing their ‘Press’ card. So, why blame President Zardari or his lackeys for corruption. Depravity runs our system. This is precisely why we have a black economy overshadowing our GDP.
Similarly, we reject the idea of how we are causing our own people to die. Everyone in the country – from the common man, to seasoned journalists to renowned analysts – are convinced that this war has come to us post 9/11. They conveniently forget to mention that a majority of terrorist attacks in the world including Indonesia, Kenya, Spain, London and Madrid were planned and operated from Pakistan. The fact that the Pakistani tribal areas prove to be a breeding ground for aspiring militants travelling from all across the world is usually ignored and mostly denied.
What is even more worrisome is that it’s no longer just our ‘enemy’, the US is questioning our policy on terrorists. Our eternal friend China too, is beginning to have its doubts.
These are just two examples of disavowal: the mother of all illnesses. Sixty-four years of poor health are enough to indicate that our own prescribed medication is not working. However, it is entirely possible, albeit painful, to reverse the crash course we are currently on. Just as a person suffering from a serious illness must alter their lifestyle or face the consequences, the Pakistani state must implement fundamental changes, which may not yield results until much later. This Independence Day, we must clearly demonstrate a respect for Pakistan’s own needs beyond short-term diagnosis that neglects the real cause of our illness.
We are unable to differentiate between aid and aggression, believing our sovereignty to be questioned when asked to take difficult decisions. With over 18 billion dollars in US funding over the past 10 years, the government has had to choose where to allot such largesse. Buy more F-17s or build schools? Create nuclear energy or bombs? Nation building, Pakistani style, involves pumping iron – literally – into the military structure. No food? No electricity? No hope? At least we have guns.
The fault, as Cassius famously said, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves. When frustrated mobs take to the streets in violent protest, Pakistanis demand to see soldiers in tanks keeping the streets safe. When these same soldiers refuse to return to their barracks, we declaim the military brass and talk about democracy. If, then, Pakistan is a patient with multiple complaints, our vastly differing demands on the military and its involvement in the affairs of state reveal an almost schizophrenic desire to have everything at once, and not at all.
We want water, and dams, with no environmental cost. We want to grow enough crops to feed and clothe ourselves, and still have plenty left to export. We want prices to fall, without paying taxes. We want education and jobs for all. We want electricity, but our nukes are dearer. We want the freedom to practice our faith, provided we dictate the interpretation that suits our religious circles (most do not even agree on one adaptation). We want peace, but we’ll keep our weapons, just in case. We want to be a global power, but we’ll settle for notoriety.
Pakistan’s military fever has broken in spells, with democracy returning to the country. Democratus interruptus. It is true that our civilian and political institutions lack capacity and competence, but contrary to what the military believes, incompetence does not legitimise a coup. Nor vice versa. Politicians are driven by a desire for power rather than civic service.
Just imagine. Sixty-four years of living in denial. We are still a country struggling to define a cohesive identity. Rather than being merely Pakistani, the state consists of a vast number of ethnic and religious groupings, which remain in constant conflict with each other. These groups are a by-product of our prevailing illness. The ailment has led to not just malnourishment – only about a half of Pakistan’s total population has access to adequate nutritional intake – but has also led to more than half of us Pakistanis to remain illiterate. We lay the blame of that squarely on the infamous “corruption” syndrome.
However, is President Asif Ali Zardari really the only corrupt person in Pakistan? Will removing him rid Pakistan of corruption? Again, short term cure, if any at all. Moreover, is the world really against us and is it without reason? Was 9/11 a conspiracy to give the US an excuse to be able to corner and counter Pakistan? Is that because Pakistan is the only Islamic nuclear power in the world? Notwithstanding international conspiracies, we also have a cure for our cricket malady. Remove the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board: Ijaz Butt. Really now! Pakistan couldn’t win the world cup only because Butt is heading the PCB?
Denial again. We fail to understand that corruption has become our national character, and it’s common to take advantage of one’s position or throw away money to get favours. A rickshaw driver breaks the red signal light without fear of being caught by a traffic constable. He is confident that he will never see the inside of a lock-up or get a challan issued because he will bribe himself out. Even the self-righteous journalists know that they can evade any uncomfortable situation by flashing their ‘Press’ card. So, why blame President Zardari or his lackeys for corruption. Depravity runs our system. This is precisely why we have a black economy overshadowing our GDP.
Similarly, we reject the idea of how we are causing our own people to die. Everyone in the country – from the common man, to seasoned journalists to renowned analysts – are convinced that this war has come to us post 9/11. They conveniently forget to mention that a majority of terrorist attacks in the world including Indonesia, Kenya, Spain, London and Madrid were planned and operated from Pakistan. The fact that the Pakistani tribal areas prove to be a breeding ground for aspiring militants travelling from all across the world is usually ignored and mostly denied.
What is even more worrisome is that it’s no longer just our ‘enemy’, the US is questioning our policy on terrorists. Our eternal friend China too, is beginning to have its doubts.
These are just two examples of disavowal: the mother of all illnesses. Sixty-four years of poor health are enough to indicate that our own prescribed medication is not working. However, it is entirely possible, albeit painful, to reverse the crash course we are currently on. Just as a person suffering from a serious illness must alter their lifestyle or face the consequences, the Pakistani state must implement fundamental changes, which may not yield results until much later. This Independence Day, we must clearly demonstrate a respect for Pakistan’s own needs beyond short-term diagnosis that neglects the real cause of our illness.
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