Very few countries face security challenges of the magnitude that Pakistan confronts
Some are a part of the legacy we inherited, several due to geo-strategic compulsions or faulty national policies of the past and present
Whatever the root causes, the fact remains that the country continues to suffer
These challenges have been analysed in the past and certain actions were taken by successive governments to counter them, but many still persist and pose a serious challenge to the security of the state and well-being of its people
It is important that the parliament which is already seized with the problem reassess the security situation and examine what possible measures could be taken to eliminate or reduce their impact
The list is long but the more current kinetic and non-kinetic threats are India’s perennial hostility and the unresolved Kashmir dispute; the disturbed Afghan border and the increasing threat of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP); low-level but persistent insurgency and political dissatisfaction in Balochistan; unrest in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa close to the Afghan border; the economic crisis that has pushed the country to the verge of bankruptcy; highly confrontational political environment posing a serious threat to smooth governance, economic recovery and national reputation; and state institutions failing to abide by basic constitutional obligations
The above list may not be complete but includes most of the major threats and challenges
From this it is easy to infer the magnitude and intensity of these and how unprepared and ill-equipped the nation is to face these perils
The political parties, instead of addressing these problems with national resolve in a workable democratic framework, are skirting responsibility and magnifying the problems by entangling themselves in petty blame game against each other
Whatever short-term gains the PMLN-led coalition government looks to achieve by holding on to power would be soon lost if they are unable to place the country in the right direction
In case of failure, people will express their resentment whose burden will fall on the party in power in the next elections
Similarly, PTI’s focus on demolishing the image and reputation of its opponents can go only that far, but is not helpful in addressing the real issues of the state
A cooperative approach could have helped the government in negotiating a somewhat better deal with the IMF
For example, following the dictates of the IMF, the government has raised taxes to a level that would break the back of the poor
And there is a view among certain well-reputed economists that the deal has killed any possibility of economic development
They maintain that with higher taxes and low wages, it is not possible to build capital
If that be so, the country would remain locked in an economic situation and the poor will be its worst sufferers and at the mercy of charities
It is only normal to expect that political leadership would lead the people during severe economic and political crises
But as history reminds us and the present attitude of leaders reaffirms the view that this phenomenon is largely absent
Our politicians seem to be more interested in settling personal scores rather than seriously addressing national problems
Moreover, the effect of ill-conceived policies has a generational impact that hurts the younger generation the most
Another area of serious concern is Balochistan’s disturbed security situation that has weakened its already fragile economy
And as it worsens the militant outfits — be it the Balochistan Liberation Front or the TTP — find it expedient to exploit it to their advantage
The perennial hostility between India and Pakistan, the two major countries of South Asia, are depriving their people of the advantage of economic cooperation and several benefits that the experience of Europe, Latin America and South East Asia reminds us of
The irony is that the ideological divide between India and Pakistan was supposed to have been settled at the partition
Finding an amicable solution to the Kashmir dispute that gives a voice to its people to carve their own destiny will go a long way in normalising relations between the two countries
It will change a conflictual and biased mindset to a more mature and balanced relationship
Undoubtedly, this is not going to be easy especially as PM Modi has taken a short-term approach by pursuing the policy of abandoning any form of contact with a view to isolating Pakistan
Of course, these inimical designs in the long term will also harm India
A sound assessment of India’s policy on Kashmir should remind Modi that his bigoted approach of crushing aspirations of the people of Kashmir and denying them their rights has only intensified the people’s resolve
The other disturbing aspect that indirectly affects India-Pakistan relations is their treatment of minorities
The BJP government’s attitude towards Muslims in India and other minorities has been a matter of serious concern
The treatment of minorities in Pakistan too has to improve considerably
Incidents of Hindu girls being forced into marriage with Muslims in Sindh are another manifestation of gross human rights violations
Failure of Pakistan to develop into a mature democratic state is due to two major factors
The political parties’ feudal and dynastic dominant character prevents them from promoting a fully democratic culture within their party and in the country
The army’s involvement in politics and power sharing is another major factor that has stifled democracy
This makes it far more difficult to reform the political system, even though the people are increasingly distressed by economic conditions and political infighting
A combination of negative trends will continue to diminish us
We have not only to stop but reverse these trends and keep at it until it is within our grasp
The success of democratic and communist countries does not seem to inspire us although there is so much we could learn from their rise
We need to understand as a people that we cannot live with failures anymore
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2023
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| Date: | 16-Feb-2023 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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