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Changing our ways

Changing our ways

Author: Dr M S Jillani
Publication: The News
Date:
URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=7763

The recent report of a US-based think-tank calling Pakistan is failed state is one of those small instigations that the US establishment commits every now to keep its lesser friends confused. In the present case, it is the low point of the rollercoaster ride that started with the signing of India-US nuclear deal. The cycle started with laudatory statements indicating President Bush's admiration for President Musharraf. Soon, they were followed by the deal with India. Then came Mr. Bush's 'historic' visit to Islamabad. Then came Time magazine with its list of the hundred most influential persons in the world which included President Musharraf, Condoleezza Rice and Mukhtaran Mai. A week later, from the blue came a list of failed states with Pakistan among the top. One would not lose even a night's sleep over any of these events. In a world dominated by one of the most unreliable US administrations in history, such things should be expected.

The one about the failed state is a bad joke. The fact is that it is not scientific, objective or even considers the ground realities. Isn't it true that much of the instability in states that are deemed as failing, directly or indirectly, can be traced to situations created by powerful countries? Pakistan knows well the source of its troubles, and is bracing to face the next one, coming its way from Afghanistan.

What really worries one is not these small and sometimes not so small irritants, but what we are up to about ourselves -- our society, nation and the people. So far, we were wailing over corruption, lack of democracy, frequent military takeovers, undue American influence, mounting clout of extremist religious elements, poor law and order situation and inflation. More recently, shameful events of gargantuan proportions have started surfacing. Reports of many a scam are coming to light. Incidences of rape are becoming routine due to their frequency and absence of redress. Now there is a report that an eight-year-old boy is in police custody for allegedly raping an even younger girl. Property scams are known to everybody yet newspapers continue to be full of advertisements about housing societies and real estate. The most recent addition to the list is the disappearance of passports from our embassy in Madrid, perhaps a bigger passport scandal at Jeddah, not to mention irregularities in Haj operations.

Then there are reports of real or imaginary scandals in the process of privatization, financial irregularities committed by government and semi-government departments and institutions, land grabbing by the ever-active land mafia and the so-called builders and developers.

The craze for all this wealth and material gain has made traditional moderation and contentment a thing of the past. The big question thus is about the future of this country and society if we continue with our ways. If money is to reign supreme and everything starts having a price tag, where will that leave the forces responsible for law and order, what will happen to rule of law, who will regulate the prices of goods in the market, and what will be the future of services in dusty villages, forgotten towns and crowded cities?

One must concede that blame for all of this cannot lie with one specific government. But this government could have checked the moral decay that has set in Pakistani society. One would acknowledge that this government took a bold and welcome step towards accountability by establishing an national accountability bureau. But it failed to serve its purpose when right at the very beginning it allowed those who had committed many a wrong to get away scot-free. Some money was collected from these people but it was a paltry proportion of what had been stolen or embezzled in the first place. In the process, the principle of accountability and punishment quietly fled through the backdoor.

Regrettably, no amount of logic or debate or any of the religious proclamations could convince this writer that sparing culprits from punishment can have a chastening effect on society. Almost six years down the road, we are told by the media that hundreds of murderers, thousands of conmen, hordes of people occupying lands and houses of others, and confirmed thieves and dacoits are loitering on our streets without any fear of detention or retribution. Lately, the chickens have come home to roost and assaulters of senior government servants go about without even a public condemnation or action by leaders of the government.

One must mention all of this so that the government may be reminded of its duty to put society back on its rails. Although one has reservations yet there is still a chance that the wrongdoers, especially those bragging about their invulnerability, are apprehended and are held accountability and made to pay for their deeds. It may not do any miracles but a lot of the causes of dissatisfaction among the public can be eliminated by apprehending and punishing those who break the law.

One rejected the conjecture of counting Pakistan among the failed states, for two main reasons. One, we are the best judges of our failures and successes and no outsider has any business to sit in judgment over us. Two, we have been in existence for almost sixty years now. We have passed through many trials and tribulations during our life, yet we have come out alive. What so dire is happening to us in 2006 that we have, or are bound to fail?

However, the 'indictment' of failure by any quarter should make us take stock of our situation and we should quit deceiving ourselves by saying all is well. One only hopes that the compulsions of holding elections will not force the government to not act against those involved in criminal activity.

The writer is a former federal secrtary with an academic background in Economics and Sociology. Email: jilani2@ comsats.net.pk


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