Resurrecting Pakistan

Going by the raging controversy regarding who is corrupt and who is not, mostly along partisan lines, one gathers a distinct impression that the human mind has also become a replica of a court of law, not of justice. Much depends on the interpretation of the statute book as also one’s ability to move past the constraints imposed by pre-determined affiliations and interests.

This malady is further accentuated by the high-pitch drama enacted on television screens on a daily basis. One gets a feeling that the contentiousness has gone beyond the domain of winning the political battle alone. Apparently, it is now about the actual survival of some dynasties in the arena. In such circumstances, logic and rationale give way to frequent emotional outbursts which only signify a desire to mould things to suit one’s inclinations.

Like Panama, Broadsheet has as many interpretations as the number of voices dilating on the subject. One seldom witnesses a dispassionate appraisal regarding any key factors contained in the material now made available which would agitate a discussion regarding an acceptance of mistakes made in the past and ascertaining ways to move away from the saga of crime and corruption. It is like going around in circles, with each attempt bringing us back to the beginning – to where it had all started from. It only proves that there is no motivation to actually get out of this harrowing quagmire and towards a path not loaded by the untenable burden of a squalid past. In fact, the battle is all about writing a new script for crime and corruption that would exonerate the allegations looming over the fate of some key politicians who benefitted from their stay in the corridors of power.

On the face of it, this may not be possible. Much that some may try to drive the discourse in a certain direction, there will always be others who would resist the onslaught because at the core of it is the question whether such a step would be within the ambit of legitimacy. Unfortunately, in a battered and bruised environment when reason and logic are rendered subservient to the dictates of one’s rabid agenda, little care is paid to such finer points of ethics. It is like one is consumed by the currents of one’s emotions alone.

This causes further divisions and distortions which, with the passage of time, become deep and unbridgeable gorges. Pakistan’s political scene is tempered by such discords these days which are only becoming more daunting with time because the strength of logic is not exercised to drive the demons of division out and generate the courage to face the past with its unshakable facets of omissions and commissions.

One must also realise that, in the absence of movement, stagnation sets in which creates its own putridity. We may already be abreast of some of it in our midst; and it finds expression in multiple ways. But how long can we afford to be lost in this labyrinth of raw emotions? How long can we deny ourselves the hope of being able to find a way to grapple successfully with the mounting pile of issues that we are confronted with at this juncture?

Some aspects of this confrontation are absolutely clear. Pakistan has been ravaged ceaselessly and mercilessly through decades, but those who have been responsible are not willing to face the truth. Instead, they proclaim that they are being victimised. Even adjudications of the apex court have been contested with malfeasance in the hope that they shall be able to discover their justice Qayyums again.

Resurrecting Pakistan is a Herculean task. It is like erecting an edifice all over again, one that is rooted in sustainable values and foundations. But if divisions keep driving us apart, there is no prospect of coming together around a mutually agreeable formula to make progress. In such an event, the only choice left would be to move forward because a stage comes when falling back is no longer an option. We may have already passed that thin line, but there is no viable alternative to moving on with a clear vision and credible strategy to pull Pakistan out of the demonic clutches of the beneficiary elite.

The coalition of the opposition parties is torn asunder because of multiple contradictions which have emerged over time. The original game plan is no longer an option and they are struggling to agree around a joint strategy. Instead of resignations, they have now opted for contesting parliamentary elections. The long march is lost somewhere under the piling debris of their differences. The PPP’s proposal to move a no-confidence motion has elicited scorn from the PML-N and JUI-F. True to predictions, the PDM looks like a spent force.

The stage to act is now. The governance plan encompassing accountability and reform should move hence with speed and effectiveness to transform the fate of the people. No further time should be wasted in catering to the whims of a disparate band of opportunists led by a merchant of religion.

The writer is the special assistant to the PM on information, a political and security strategist, and the founder of the Regional Peace Institute.

Twitter: @RaoofHasan