It is a commentary on the current political situation in Pakistan. Iat is an original paper; highlighting existential threats to the state and society of Pakistan; and a framework of likely solutions
Original Title
Random Thoughts – an Extraordinary Situation Requires Extraordinary Solutions
It is a commentary on the current political situation in Pakistan. Iat is an original paper; highlighting existential threats to the state and society of Pakistan; and a framework of likely solutions
It is a commentary on the current political situation in Pakistan. Iat is an original paper; highlighting existential threats to the state and society of Pakistan; and a framework of likely solutions
This piece was triggered by a query from a friend: as to how do
we strengthen the democracy and get out of the present malaise.
My first stipulation is that there has never been
democracy in Pakistan ab initio. What we have is an uninterrupted feudal system since at least the last 13 centuries or so. This pernicious system has permeated to all nooks and corners of our body politic. It has subjugated the psyche of everyone and everything from our homes to corporate and state institutions to political parties. It has retarded us both psychologically and physically. It thrives on status quo education, enlightenment and progress is anathema to it. It stifles growth, creativity, innovation and progress. It is exploitative, retrogressive and parasitical. It does not tolerate dissent or change. It is based on raw power, greed and corruption; and corrupts everything it touches. It uses religious dogma and religious spin doctors to nurture itself. Its weapons are the threat of physical decapitation and terror. To legitimize itself, it uses the trappings and symbols of democracy, like elections and parliament etc. Since it is a nihilistic and retrogressive system; it spurns and eschews talent, merit and professionalism. There is no sense of responsibility or accountability. Politics have
been honed tyo a fine art of making money. Acquisition
of public office is the time-honored method to power, pelf, property and money. Therefore scum and infra-mediocre personalities rise up; who are actually criminals, thugs and extortionists. These ruling thugs have developed nexus with terrorists and criminals. Indeed all political parties have raised armed criminal gangs to keep themselves in money by extortion; while not in power. But for those in power, it is not a problem: the state machinery and its minions oblige. Those of the feudal ilk, whether in power or not; even get away with murder too! This nihilist and pernicious system has even corrupted the mosque and the madarassa; once a symbol of Islam and Islamic culture. Islam has been politicized to gain political power. Its eternal message of unity and peace has been subverted to cause disunity and strife. Sectarianism has reached its apogee; now the color of turban is the emblem of ones faith. Most mosques have been taken over by bigots who spit out hate and venom against those, whom turban color does not, matches their color aesthetics. An overwhelming number of madrassas have become a veritable assembly-line of jihadis. There is discernible nexus between the feudalism, mulla and terrorism. Today, as a result of the afore-mentioned trinity of evil; all our institutions stand tarnished and corrupted by feudalism some more, some less. The end-result is that Pakistan has become a failed state. Some might quibble that it is not a failed state or that it is
a failing state. This is all semantics: in simple terms a
state stands failed due to its failure to provide protection to life and property of its subjects, justice, freedom of belief and a prosperous life. I know that scholars, experts and researchers have drawn elaborate matrixes to determine whether a state is a failed one or otherwise. But if one applies the simple criteria given above; it should give a good idea of the health of the state. Thererfore, my second stipulation is that today Pakistan is a failed state. In fact its ideological moorings got unstuck, the day East Pakistan separated. Notwithstanding other factors; the essentially non-feudal East could not allow itself to be colonized by the essentially feudal West. The insidious feudal system has since thrived and perpetuated itself no end. As stated earlier the feudal system has since moved from its natural rural habitat to the urban areas. Feudals have used their land-holding to buy urban property and shares, ownership in industries etc. This has allowed the osmosis of the feudalistic psyche in the urbanized masses also. The wages of rampant feudalism in Pakistan is what you see today: mis-governance of the highest order (rather no governance), scarcity of basic essentials like food, water, electricity and fuel; a highly beghairat coterie of criminals ruling and looting us. 350 kids have died in Thar and no heads have rolled. 85 kids died due to lack of oxygen in Sargodha and no heads rolled. A dozen plus citizens were mowed down by the state police (Model Town,
Lahore) and again no heads rolled. Thousands of people
died during the last floods and no heads rolled. And I have yet to touch terrorism. The irony is that the two elements who were against the creation of Pakistan: the mullas and the feudals have now joined hands with the third- to undo Pakistan. The existential situation is not viable; enemies both within and without are tightening the noose around us. Neither have we learned any lessons from our internal catastrophe the bifurcation of Pakistan; nor are we heeding the lessons of what has devastated Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. To repeat a clich, an extraordinary situation calls for an extraordinary counter- measures to resolve it. The military has after a long and a damaging delay, gone after the insurgents/ terrorists. Although, it is necessary, but not a sufficient condition to ameliorate the situation. We need to do more. We need to also go after the appeasers/ collaborators/ abettors/ sympathizers and mouth-pieces of terrorists; be they in the ruling class, political parties, media, civil society, judiciary and LEAs. They have unleashed vitriolic propaganda against the military action and military courts. The religious parties (the main providers of the foot-soldiers of terrorism) and media are particularly obfuscating the issue and fanning confusion among the masses. The incumbent government (if one could call a criminal syndicate of professional thugs a government) is dragging its feet and
is reluctant to take action against terrorists; due to their
established links with the latter. It is only the military boot on their backside which is impelling them to make thee needed motions. Following are some of the measures which need to be taken with alacrity; these are not exhaustive or inclusive by any means. Some of them have been discussed in this space earlier too, in different contexts: a. Since there is no democracy in the country (or ever was); therefore, no act to ameliorate the situation should be seen in that context. Army should take over not to rule, but to install a non-political and technocratic government. b. Those articles of the constitution which might impede action against the terrorists/ criminals or corrupt elements should be suspended by fiat. c. Since we are fighting a war for our survival; emergency should be declared. d. Press censorship should be imposed to obviate dissemination of dis-information and preclude space to terrorists and their sympathizers who are clogging the talk shows. e. All political activity, political and religious parties should be banned. No media coverage should be given to politicians and others who are working against Pakistan. f. Those madrassas which are the recruiting/ training factories of jihadis should be demolished without any compunction. And those which refuse to be regulated should be sealed. And if some madrassas are
amenable to regulation and allowed to function; then
it should be ensured that they have only local kids as students. I fail to understand that why almost 80% students at Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa were from Swat, KPK and FATA? Is there a dearth of madrassas in those areas? g. Punjab University, International Islamic University, Islamabad and other non-madarassa campuses should be purged of terrorist collaborators and JI types. h. Those mosques which regurgitate sectarian drivel or espouses the tenets of a particular sect should be sealed. i. Use of loudspeakers should be banned. Azan and azan timings should be broadcasted through TV and radio. j. Complete deweaponization should be enforced. Anybody found with a weapon, concealed/ hidden licensed or otherwise should be shot out of hand. k. Any individual who has evaded taxes, defaulted on utility bills or loan etc should be tried by summary military court (this should include the corrupt generals of the railway and NLC scandals too). l. The most egregious criminals should be hanged. m. Money repatriated abroad illegally should be brought back. Ask the criminal to transfer the money back through wire on the pain of being shot on the spot. n. The cases in which the terrorists have been acquitted or granted bail should be examined; and if any wrong
doing is determined by the judge, prosecutor or the
police; they should be hanged. o. And we should not forget the ruling mafia, which has made water, Petrol, gas, food and medicine scarce; have committed a horrendous economic terrorism. They deserved to be hanged. There looting and nonpolicies have killed our kids in Thar and elsewhere, But we cannot win the war unless the present system is dismantled holistically; because our unique dilemma is that piecemeal reform wont as all parts of the system political, judicial, social, educational and economic etc are contaminated. To stretch the point, even if part off the whole is put right; it will be overwhelmed due to the preponderance of rest of the corrupt parts. Notwithstanding the above, our most potent existential threat is that of terrorism make no mistake about it. But since it is part of taxonomy of our prevalent system; it cannot be truly defeated, unless the whole corrupt edifice is razed to the ground. A tall order, but believe me, it is doable. Anti-terrorism is no joke; it needs determination, ruthlessness and relentlessness. It is war; and in war kill or be killed. Naeem