What Pakistan cannot, we can

— Abu Nasar Saied Ahmed The TV footage of a horrific scene of flogging a helpless 17 year old by notoriously cruel and inhuman Taliban in the Swat province and the toothless condemnation issued by Yusuf Gilani, who is heading a Government that already has abdicated its responsibility of governance by forging a ‘peace deal’ with religious extremists on February 16, 2009, gives a clear and loud message that Pakistan as a nation-state has failed to stand up with dignity and honour in a moment of national crisis. What are the basic components of a nation? What makes a nation-state to prove before the community of nations that it can overcome all obstacles, man-made or otherwise? A nation with substance needs a secular and credible constitution, a democratically elected legislative Assembly (Parliament) with the power to legislate on matters of national importance and debate on matters of national issues, an impartial judiciary to interpret the constitution and uphold the principle of law and justice, a strong party system, a voice of moral disagreement and a free print and electronic media. It is through a historical process these foundation blocks of a country are constructed. Unfortunately, that process has not taken place in Pakistan, which came into being as a result of a divisive policy of British imperialism. Pakistan is not a product of a sustained struggle of the masses. It was an expediency-driven result of a self-seeking group of people headed by an unreligious and frustrated politician who had used religion to achieve his political ambition. The urge to develop a nation-state on democratic foundation was missing in its national reconstruction, Consequently, it got dismembered in 1971 by its own weight of contradictions. In this process, Pakistan has become “the world’s most dangerous place”, as London Economist (February 5, 2008) declared soon after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

In its 62 years of existence, Pakistan has a record of abrogation of the constitution for three times. It had to taste the brutality of military rule for four occasions spanning a period of 30 years. The first Prime Ministers Liaqat Ali Khan and the first woman Prime Minister had to lay down their lives at the hands of assassins. An elected Prime Minister, Zulifikar Ali Bhutto, was removed by force, implicated in a cooked up murder case and hanged defying world opinion against the extreme punishment. Another Prime Minister, Miah Nawaz Sharif, narrowly escaped gallows at the intervention of Saudi Arabia. The Chief Justice of the country, Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhury, was removed and kept under house arrest by a military dictator. The lawyers and the public had to take a ‘long march’ to have him back to the office and restore the honour of judiciary, and that too had to be done when a civilian government was in office. A state, which was created in the name of Islam and Muslim homeland, is experiencing the gory fratricidal bloodbath. Even holy mosques and burial grounds are not spared. The victims are Namaz-offering innocent civilians. Where is Islam for which India was partitioned, where is quam for which the State of Pakistan was created?

During its 62 years of existence Pakistani state has not been able to depoliticise military and bureaucracy, which are so powerful that nothing can happen without their consent and support. Their social background is based on feudalism and to certain extent industrial capitalism. The political elite do not have the teeth to rein them. One could easily foretell what could be the fate of democracy where political leadership is controlled by these all-powerful interests. During a short period of two decades (1980-2000), Pakistan had given birth to countless militant outfits which are going to take over the country. The New York Times (April 6, 2009) suggests that Pakistan will collapse in six months. The symptoms are clear and loud. The ‘peace deal’ with the Taliban in the Swat Valley, the shocking attacks on various establishments including the Police Academy in Lahore, the government’s inability to develop a strategic plan to counter these anti-modern, obdurate, and hence irrational, outfits which have become a major threat to the survival of the State are a few evidences to assume that-a failed State has no survival instinct. There were 2,148 terrorist attacks in 2008. A State, which itself had created militants and insurgents to destroy others, is now facing self-destruction. Most of the strategic analysts have argued that till now Pakistan has not developed any counter-insurgency strategy and mechanism, and therefore, it has become a helpless spectator of all kinds of attacks and violence. The Government of India has given Pakistan scores of evidence to testify to its assertion that Pakistan has allowed the terrorist infrastructure to grow unchecked. But the latter has learnt to live in habitual denial. It is too late to respond to the terrorist threat. Even if it wants to do so, it does not have the political will. That is why Chief Justice has ruefully stated that the state of Pakistan had shown determination in arresting the judges and putting them behind the bars but has no guts to arrest a few criminals who violated the laws of the land by publicly flogging an innocent girl. “No one can give justification for such an act”, while commenting on the suo moto notice issued by the Chief Justice, a front rank lawyer, Athar Mianallah, said, “These handful of people have taken the population hostage, and the government is trying to patronize them. If the state surrender what will happen next?”

What will happen next? As the US top ranking officials suggest that Pakistan will disintegrate in no time. I do not foresee early dismemberment of Pakistan, although the process has begun, unless its leaders learn to take steps to put the country on the rails. What could be foreseen is that in the midst of chaos and public frustration at the performance of the civilian government, military will stage a comeback. It has experiences, resources and potentialities to strike the final blow. It might allow the deterioration of the law and order situation to continue for some more time, so that the public faith in the civilian government falls down to the lowest ebb, so that when it eventually takes over there is least opposition from the public. If the army does not strike, the religious fanatics and militants will take over. The Taliban have already taken over the Swat Valley and its movements and expanding activities remain unchecked and unchallenged. The civil society has demonstrated its strength by its massive participation in the ‘long march’ but has not sufficiently mustered public courage and determination to fight against the militants which have huge financial resources to buy a suicide bomber at the cost of Rs1.5 million and terrifyingly possess deadly firepower to deter any civilian opposition. A country which has not been able to address the issue of social justice including gender justice, where militancy has become a purchasable commodity, any number of suicide bombers could be recruited with funds available at the disposal of the militants. This leads one to argue that Talibanization of Pakistan is not a distant reality, unless there is an external intervention to stop it. Left alone Pakistani state cannot stop it. Disdainfully, Pakistan has rejected any external help. It will rather succumb meekly to the surging militants, as in the case of Swat Valley.

Sadly, Pakistan has not been able to produce a single leader, who could command the confidence of the vast majority. Nor has it a strong party system which could stabilise the country politically. Its civil society is too fragile to stand up against notoriously dangerous outfits, which are almost going to take over. A deadly militant neighbour is a matter of grave concern for our own security. The report of Taliban’s sneaking into our territory is an early warning which we cannot afford to ignore. A national consensus in our country to fight these dangers has to be developed. All the political parties, the civil society organisations, the common citizens and the government must work unite by to thwart any Taliban misadventure. What Pakistan cannot, we can. ASSAM TRIBUNE