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
