Why Pakistan needs a change

There are many reasons to understand why Pakistan needs a change: economically, politically and security-wise much needs to be done. It is unfortunate that during last 65 years half the time it has been civil democracy while remaining during the other half under military rule but one strange fact that has been unchanged is the need to get rid of the progeny of the feudal ruling class their third or fourth generation of whom is in the run for seats in the parliament in 2013 also.

It’s not a change of government that we need with newly-old faces back in office and the old selfish system perpetuated by exploiters installed on our head in the name democracy to make it a mockery. What we need is a real change of faces and of principles not cheating through media hype that no concrete program or a team is visible on the political horizon of the country. Only a Pakistan that is self-reliant, active and strong can shoulder the difficulties that are facing our country already and those that will be added in the future. While it remains to be seen if the forthcoming election can bring this change – one shudders to think what will happen if not- it makes sense to clarify what exactly this change would be and why it is so necessary. One reason for the failure of previous governments lies in the fact that they all failed to develop a positive national identity and coherence in Pakistan. Such an identity and coherence gives strength and authority to a government when dealing with the domestic and international problems of the country. Another fact is those who came in power were not dedicated politicians but rather mediocre sycophants and hangers-on who mistook their private interest for the national one. Our neighbor India has such an identity and that is why they can handle problems like the recent border crisis in the Ladakh sector of the Indo-Chinese border in a civilized and self-reliant way though the Indo-Chinese border conflict is longstanding one and the war 1962 that was fought between the two neighbors went in favor of China. After India detected that the Chinese army had put up tents in the Depsang/Olding sector on the Indian side of the border. India protested immediately but when China did not respond as expected India decided to treat the incident as a ‘localized affair’ not ready to risk the whole range of Indo-Chinese relations for it.

Now India and China seems to have reached an agreement on the problems in the Ladakh sector and the settlement that had been pre-negotiated between the two army representatives is expected to be confirmed during the forthcoming visit of the Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid to China. This is the way to handle international problems by responsible and self-relying nations. While issues of Kashmir, Sir Creek and Siachin have remained unresolved for decades and Pakistani leaders rather have acted in favor of India by waging three wars against a much stronger India and it is only after so long that vested interest groups succeeded by declaring trade first, opening border and giving MFN Status to India. First Pakistan has learned to treat the border issues as secondary and giving priority to Indo-Pak relations at large.

It is very different from how such problems are handled between the same India and its western neighbor Pakistan. Pakistan as a newly created country was rightly feeling insecure in the beginning of its existence especially keeping in mind Indian hostility and the Kashmir problem. But during the 65 years of her existence successive governments were unable to develop the population of Pakistan into a self-reliant nation.

By declaring ethnicity to be contrary to nation building and by imposing a flat and unpopular deobandi version of Islam during General Ziaul Haq regime on everybody much damage has been done to our national fabric. Ziaul Haq like General Musharraf was feeling insecure due to his unpopularity in the eyes of people so much so that when the US waged Islamic Jihad against Russians in Afghanistan Ziaul Haq turned Pakistan like a conduit to provide logistic and manpower communication through Pakistani territory that Kalashnikov culture made its way into Pakistan and later when US abandoned Afghanistan after the dismemberment of USSR, Pakistan was converted into safe havens for the mujahedeen.

Later this was again exploited by the US to colonize resources in the region when Musharraf adopted the US proxy war in Afghanistan to save his rule after the so-called 9/11 drama. As a result, the nation building process has been interrupted and weakness has marred the future prosperity of Pakistani nation. The so-called war against terror has further undermined and weakened the already weak state and its institutions including the governments. That is why Pakistan was unable to normalize its relationship with its neighbors on either side of its territory and instead looked for support towards a strong partner that could and would provide the strength that Pakistan and its governments lacked. Thus the unholy alliance with the US has come to hold Pakistan hostage making it unable to develop an independent foreign policy.

Pak-Afghan relations that have been marred by Durand line since day one of Pakistan’s existence is being used by US-imposed President Karzai to cover up for his own failures in their Afghan war. Pakistan is being lauded on Western media for first-time completion of a government of a full term of 5 years of the government though those five years have been democracy in name only and have brought the country to the brink of collapse.

Our elected government has also failed to impress on the US the fact that normalization of relations with Taliban is an imperative need of Pakistan while they try to make their own peace with the Taliban in Afghanistan. We know the aftermath of 2014 will only be possible to be borne by Pakistan if Taliban and the US reach a settlement or a power sharing plan in Afghanistan to secure US interest in this region. If this is not achieved this region will be further destabilized and Islamophobia will rule the roost to protect the US interest at the cost of Pakistan’s own. The change that seemed to be possible for a short while through the inspiring election campaign of Imran Khan’s PTI has turned after his unfortunate fall rather unlikely. But change has to come but it is hard to predict as the nation is confused on unnecessary blame game in electioneering that a new threat of Taliban is being exploited to achieve vested interest goal I shudder to think of repetition of March 1977 scenario emerging to block the people aspiration to bring a change through ballot on the 11th May. God help Pakistan.