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Pakistan - Unkept Promises and Shattered Hopes
By Emad Nadim, Pakistan
Pakistan has spun into a state of turmoil - the economy is in shambles and amidst a confused and divided strategy for the War on Terror, high levels of food inflation, widespread energy shortage, a judicial crisis and a coalition government without the vision, ability or strength of mandate to execute an effective escape route, there is little light at the end of the tunnel.
There are various sources for the crises that mar this country and as a member of the educated class of Pakistan I often struggle with the decision of where one should be begin.
"...it is not the grotesque threat of terrorism looming in our largest cities that concerns the common man at this point; rather it is the struggle against the more pertinent problems such as staggering levels of energy and food inflation and a slowing economy..." -Emad Nadim
A good place to start is the North West Frontier of the country. Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) has had a long history of self-rule, often enjoying little or no accountability from the Centre. The breathtaking valleys and mountains of that region have long been a source of tourism. But another group of foreigners, the Taleban, have realized how ideal that terrain is for guerilla warfare. They have formed bases there and have begun imposing their own system of brutal justice and order upon societies there.
The new government has tried to initiate a round of negotiations for peaceful resolution with the Taleban with the help of the tribal elders. This has obviously sparked contempt from the United States and NATO that have vowed to terminate this group with or without the support of Pakistan's Armed Forces.
With the U.S. elections around the corner, many Pakistanis while awed by the charisma of Obama, have been left with a bitter aftertaste in the form of renewed threats from his campaign against the sovereignty of the country. Add to that the pressures to restructure the ISI (Pakistan's intelligence agency) and the government has more serious issues than it can effectively deal with.
But it is not the grotesque threat of terrorism looming in our largest cities that concerns the common man at this point; rather it is the struggle against the more pertinent problems such as staggering levels of energy and food inflation and a slowing economy. The onset of a budget that is slave to neo-liberal policies and structural reforms is only championed by the Bretton Wood twins - the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Over the last few days, Pakistan has witnessed the largest single hike in the price of petrol, natural gas, wheat and sugar. The government seems adamant about providing relief. But one wonders whether their approach will carry out Benazir Bhutto's intentions to provide basic necessities or whether sheer inexperience and incompetence in governance will be guided by cronyism from the bureaucratic circles as has been the case in all preceding PPP governments.
The fact remains that the government is continuing to cut down subsidies on essential commodities, as well as incentives for the development of industry, and must now rely on unsustainable sources such as increases in easily collectable regressive taxes, heavy borrowing from the State Bank and foreign aid to finance their budget.
While these are issues that can lead to major civil strife, the coalition government has spent their first four months in office blaming the previous regime for all of their troubles. They are preoccupied by an ideological internal rift on the issues of restoring the Judiciary and Musharraf's impeachment.
And while these have become secondary issues for the public, the ministers are continuing to hold needless meetings with their leadership based out of Dubai and London at the expense of the taxpayer's rupee, instead of debating and resolving issues by means of the parliament.
Armed with ‘National Reconciliation' as their buzzword, the coalition government is continuing to distract the common man who is crushed under a slowing economy and is becoming increasingly incapable of providing basic necessities for his family. The problem is compounded by lack of employment opportunities and a general power shortage in the country. There is a compounding risk that the poor will turn to crime as levels of desperation continue to rise.
The nation, disenfranchised and increasingly apathetic is being driven into a state of helplessness and lack of democratic will. It is this tragic, vicious circle that has historically marred any positive development in Pakistan.
"Unless the political parties get their act straight immediately, and unite to resolve the issue of judiciary to create an environment of accountability and begin to tackle the problems faced by the nation, the country is likely to remain trapped in a downward spiral of crisis and the outlook remains extremely negative with a breakdown of social order and possibly a bloody revolution. Revolution, however, needs leaders too, leaders we do not have.quot; -Emad Nadim
Unless the political parties get their act straight immediately, and unite to resolve the issue of judiciary to create an environment of accountability and begin to tackle the problems faced by the nation, the country is likely to remain trapped in a downward spiral of crisis and the outlook remains extremely negative with a breakdown of social order and possibly a bloody revolution. Revolution, however, needs leaders too, leaders we do not have.
Over the last year, many of us fought for free and fair elections in the hope of a better future, and while we, the Pakistani people, were able to vote out an unpopular government for the first time in our history, we have managed to re-elect the remnants of our dark history - the PPP and the PML-N.
Fear and despair is the general sentiment at this time but we need to realize that, tough as these times may be, democracy is a process of learning. While it may take decades before our institutions shape up to deliver the promise they were intended to keep, trusting and staying steadfast on the path towards democracy is a step in the right direction. This country can ill afford another reactionary pressure from the public for military intervention in the name of ‘saving Pakistan'.
