Desicritics Category: Politics: Pakistan

A Letter to Our Neighbour

Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:34:27 EDT

With a sense of deep foreboding, I am observing the same old story repeat itself again in Pakistan. The attack on the Sri Lankan Cricket team, the situation in Punjab, the corruption allegations, the threats from the military, the chatterati returning to their old way of thinking that its the military's or the rotten politicians' fault or that Pakistan needs Jinnah again or blaming Zia or needing Allah.

And this opinion is, by and large, found across the spectrum. Always the easy way out, reaching for the army!. I am reading messages which seem to say that President Musharraf was better than the existing leadership. Or it would be good that the current Army Chief should step in or when would be a good time for them to step in. But no, that’s not going to work. Here’s a question. Zardari is a corrupt man. So? What are your choices? Tell me an available choice that means that in 5 years time, you will have a better state?

It does not matter if its Zardari or Sharif really. What I am trying to say is that you have to stick with your leaders. Who are on the second rung? Have you seen your Nazims? How about the third rung of leaders? Say the chaps who are in University right now? Who will be the leader making decisions in your old age? Or for your children or grand-children?

What kind of politicians and leaders are you creating and developing? Look at your political landscape! It is shattered, but it is the only one you have. Stick with your civilian government and try to improve it rather than replace it, because you tried replacing your governments so many times before. Every time you replaced a government either through that silly Doctrine of Necessity or through a coup or what have you, the leader turned out to be not what you expected.

What else do you expect? That you will have messiah's? That somebody will drop down from Jannat to lead Pakistan into the heavenly kingdom? No Sir, I am afraid it wont happen that easily. You have to work hard - very hard indeed starting with tiny steps. Very small steps, which mean trying to improve things little by little and yes, having faith in your democracy. You have an elected government, work with it. Try to improve it. The Army is not meant for governing but is meant for security purposes. If the army is going to govern, will the politicians fight? A rather silly notion!

Don't give up, neighbours, keep on working, keep the army where it belongs, namely in the barracks, not in your parliament or in your municipal corporations. You also do not want to do regicide. I know there were 4 sessions where you had BB and Sharifs alternating in ruining your country, but that does not mean you let the army back in. It just means that you try for a while longer so that the politicians improve. Allow the 2nd and 3rd rung of leaders to start moving up into positions of influence, so that you can improve the political system.

But the sheer amount of cynicism? Come on, folks, life is tough enough. Instead of moaning and whining, try your best to think positive about your country, who else will?

How Should India Respond to the Attack on Pakistan?

Sandeep Bansal — Thu, 5 Mar 2009 09:23:21 EST

Everyone – politicians, the media, or even common people on both sides of the border – revel in the pain of others. For the last two decades, Pakistan and its citizens have ridiculed India's claim that Pakistan was the epicenter of regional terrorism. Several Pakistani newspapers and websites have often ridiculed India's ambition of becoming a superpower. Surprisingly, very few of them have actually criticized their own Govt. and its achievements of the last 60 years. Even now, if you visit the homepage of Dawn, it has a link to an article titled India - not Shining, which ridicules the achievements of Slumdog Millionaire at the Oscars. Surely, even one of the most respected newspapers of the country feels it necessary to hit out at India rather than talk about the turmoil of their own country.

The Economist rightly puts it,

"IF PAKISTAN’S leaders had ever united against Islamist militancy as they have against India over the past three weeks, their country would not be the violent mess that it is. They are united against India because fulminating against India is more fun"

In such a scenario of extreme hatred and mistrust, it wasn't surprising at all when some sections in Pakistan blamed Indian agency RAW for these attacks. A minister in the Pakistani Govt. claimed that this was India's response for the Mumbai Attacks. Some Pakistani channels played Sonia Gandhi's recent election speech where she said that "Hum muhtodd jawaab denge"(We will give them an appropriate response). But how should India respond to these attacks in Pakistan. Do we also celebrate in the same manner as our neighbor has been doing for the last two decades or do we behave differently?

If 26/11 was termed as an attack on the very idea of India by P. Chidambaram, the latest attack on the Sri Lankan Cricketers is surely an attack on the whole of Pakistan. Pakistan is a country which has faced an identity crisis right from the very beginning. Pakistan neither has any history or any distinct culture of its own that unites its citizens as a nation. There are only two things that unite its people together - religion and cricket. Imran Khan once famously said that terrorists would never dare to target Cricketers. But even he has unfortunately been proved wrong.

Pakistan may provide ideal fodder for our politicians’ election speeches,but ideally, they should resist such temptations. The history of Pakistan suggests it is hatred for India that unites Pakistan. The only entity that has benefited from the 26/11 attacks is the Pakistani military. Now they could become even stronger and perhaps the stage is set for another coup. At such a time when the civilian government is struggling to manage the economy, containing extremists in Swat, and also facing the ire of lawyers and opposition, India just cannot allow democracy to fail in Pakistan.

It’s not just Pakistan that is the problem. India's other neighbors such as Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are also facing internal troubles and Nepal although stable for the moment is undergoing radical change. With trouble spots in our neighborhood, we cannot turn a blind eye towards them. Islamic Fundamentalism is on the rise even in India, particularly in certain districts of UP like Azamgarh. Though it is still restricted to small pockets, incidents like Babri Mosque and Godhra riots don't help the Indian democracy.

In hindsight, the UPA government’s. decision to resist war mongering and using coercive diplomacy to great effect is commendable. Going forward, India should strongly dismiss all suggestions that point to a foreign hand in the Lahore attacks. At the same time it should not make matters worse for the weak civilian govt. If possible, confidence should be built along the border so that Pakistan's armed forces can be deployed in larger number in the troubled areas of SWAT and NWFP and Pakistan cannot blame tensions with India for not deploying enough troops.

India should not forget that the latest attacks are not just going to affect cricket in Pakistan, but the entire sub-continent. Jacob Orab has already expressed his reservations on the IPL. The Asian Block is known to have been united for a long time now. It should be recalled that in 1996, when several teams refused to visit Sri Lanka due to security concerns, a joint Indo-Pak cricket team led by Azhar played a match with the Sri Lankans. Therefore it is in our own interests that the Asian block pushes for the return of cricket to Pakistan as soon as conditions return back to normal.

Perhaps the IPL would have to bear the immediate impact of these attacks. It will be nearly impossible to provide continuous security to eight teams each of almost 25 members plus the coaching and supports staff and umpires over a period of one month, at a time when the General Elections will be taking place. The Indian Government won't be willing to take any chances during the elections. Any attack on IPL would be raised by the opposition as a failure of the Govt. This is particularly the case after the Mumbai attacks and was visible when the Indian tour to Pakistan was canceled. The problem is that postponing IPL is not an option because then the IPL might interfere with the Future Tours Program and the foreign players might not be available.

India is going to host the Commonwealth Games next year. The security of the Games village and the visiting athletes and officials will be crucial. This will be an important milestone for India as the success of the Games might give India a future opportunity to host Olympics. The Games are also important because they offer India a great opportunity to showcase itself as a tourist destination with its heritage and culture. But without adequate security, this will not materialize.

Without ensuring regional stability, we cannot hope to remain as an attractive destination for FDI as India would continue to be labeled along with the rest of the troubled South Asia. It is therefore in India's own interest to take the lead and ensure stability in the region.

Peace is the Business of the Fearless

Desh — Thu, 5 Mar 2009 08:46:50 EST

"Pakistan's Image" is a strange animal.

If one were to believe the rhetoric that goes in the media is Pakistan and fanned by some ministers (like Sardar Nabil Ahmed Gabol, minister of state for shipping) [1], one would come to believe that India's sole obsession is with sullying Pakistan's Image. Because of this one reason it conducted:

- Mumbai Attacks on ITSELF, killing its own citizens and hurting its tourism and other industries.
- Lahore Attack on Pakistan, killing Pakistani citizens hurting Pakistan's cricket now.

So, no matter who gets killed and where he or she gets killed, the sole and the greatest motivator for such killing remains - Pakistan's Image.

One would assume that this elusive thing that India is after, namely "Pakistan's Image", must be really a spectacularly shining and exquisite commodity that everyone wants to own... and if one cannot own, as ostensibly India may not, then it is a strong enough reason for us to go ahead and dent it. Such is the clamour for image like that Pakistan has been able to build for itself in the 60 years of its existence through a series of failed democracies, junta rule, and export of terrorism and Nukes.

Victimization Plea

Now, lets look at the Islamic world as a whole and you will see a similar pattern... the constant blaming on the "other" and rejoicing in the magnanimity of one's own "victim status".

The furthering of Victimization plea in the Islamic world is so prevalent that no matter where an upheaval occurs, somehow the culprit is someone else. Chechnya, Palestine, Kashmir, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan - wherever there is a fight, its always the "other" side which is guilty, and after the Muslim blood. The Muslim fighter obviously by most of the Islamic scholars' (who matter and affect the common perception) analysis is just "defending" himself or herself.

Different Upbringing?

In fact if one were to seriously take the extent and regularity of the Islamic rhetoric, then it would almost seem that whenever any child is born in the world, the mother repeatedly suggests to the child "Well, the milk can wait my kid, first let's start plotting on how to kill or hurt a Muslim.. and if you cannot hurt "them".. let us try and see how we can kill ourselves... so at the very least their "Image" gets sullied!!". followed by Smirks... and evil smiles of violent satisfaction..

The situation on the "other" side is obviously as pious as pious gets. The kids from the villages of Sudan to the poor neighborhoods in Pakistan to the mountains of Afghanistan, are taught on how everyone is so nice.. and no matter which religion a person believes in, their Gods and beliefs are as pious as our own and so we must love all. Of course if anyone hits us.. we will take the hit and throw stones at them, NOT because we have not been educated enough to create anything sophisticated enough, but because we are peaceloving and born VICTIMS incarnate!

Give Moderates some "Space" Plea

There is another line of argument by the moderates. That they need to be "strengthened" to bring about a change in the Muslim world and so one should not challenge the Islamic hardliners or hit them, because then they "lose the ground" on which to argue for "peace".

This was also the argument that I saw repeated ad nauseum on Fareed Zakaria's program last Sunday. And, in my view, it is the most nonsensical argument I have ever heard! It shows an utter lack of understanding of sociological history and lessons from peaceful revolutions. Whenever there has been a revolution or societal change in the history of mankind - in modern times, by Dr. Martin Luther King, or by Gandhi and by moderates in India in general during the Independence Struggle - it has been brought about by people who had ZERO help from outside.. and more importantly had ONE common factor - FEARLESSNESS.

Peace is the business of the FEARLESS!

Timid, dependent and the needy of external props and doles cannot, have not, and will never be able to bring about any change! Worse, they keep strengthening the apetite of the Violent and the Gory and extend their might. We saw that under Hitler, we saw that under Saddam and we are seeing that now.

And there is a reason why the FEARLESSNESS is central to Peaceful initiatives. The Violent and the Gory live and govern by FEAR. Fear is the central tenet to all those who want to bring about violence to bear upon a situation. And they back it up with a strong ideology. The Violent of Islam have used the tenets of Quran and Hadiths for that. Hitler had his own ideology based on hatred for Jews and Aryan superiority. So, every Violent group has two main things to perpetuate violence and bloodbath:

- Fear-based rhetoric
- Firm "commitment" to an Ideology

The only way to fight such a mad group is to challenge BOTH: FEAR and Ideology. You cannot ask for "concessions" in any of these two. The fight has to be ruthlessly honest and comprehensive in its depth and breadth. Anything short will be only a failure. No one can teach anyone on how to challenge a defunct and inherently counterproductive ideology, only one's own intellect and honesty brings one to that point. Fearlessness is the ONLY partner on that journey.

Reference Links:

1. Pakistan minister blames India for Sri Lanka team attack

That Sinking Feeling

thedeskjockey — Wed, 4 Mar 2009 06:39:11 EST

A day after the terrible attacks on Sri Lanka cricketers in Pakistan, the emotion has perhaps settled a little, but the strange sense of hopelessness has not. As I sit today reading through the details coming in through various outlets, it feels that there is no way you can be ready for this despite 60+ years of terrorism. And while I grow weary at the renewed finger pointing across the border (haven’t we had enough of that in the last 4 months?), a couple of things don’t make sense to me at all

1) Why would the terrorists, who have unashamedly killed innocent women and children before, have any qualms about killing high profile cricketers? If their intent is to destabilize the ruling powers, anyone is fair game. So where does the confidence on cricketers being safe, come from?

2) Why is it important to stage cricket games to prove a point? When did cricketers become diplomats or statesmen for their countries? And what if the tour had gone without incident? All it proves, and has proved in the past, is that the security was tight or the terrorists didn’t think it worthy enough of their time. It doesn’t automatically make Pakistan a safer place, nor does it force other countries to reverse their decisions. This leaves the door open to just one disturbing possibility – money.

The Indian team luckily or prudently decided not to tour Pakistan. And the thought of seeing Tendulkar’s and Dhoni’s name substituted for Samaraweera and Paranavithana fuels the worst of what-if fears in us. However, the biggest losers in this are Pakistan cricket and the state of Pakistan as a whole. And somehow, I feel sad for the people living in the country; saddled with the worst of regimes, facing the worst of uncertainties, and living in fear of the worst of the backlashes from the rest of the world.

Several years back, when I was still in university, I had the pleasure of having a Pakistani as my neighbor. Now like the average Indian who viewed their country through the same blood tainted lens the politicians paint for us, I was a little vary and perhaps remained even a little distant to him. However like all guys in general we bonded one day over a glass of vodka (which I was surprised that he was willing to drink despite his religion), a guitar and a lot of good food. And while discussing various topics in general, we inevitably came to the subject of tensions between our countries. And he made a few points that touched me immensely. He said, “I am proud to be a Pakistani, yet there is no one who appreciates that”. “People here in the US have sympathy for the Iraqi, muted admiration or fascination for the Iranian and are just in plain awe of the Indians and Chinese. But when I mention that I am a Pakistani, they reserve their contempt masked by patronizing dismissal only for us”. And he continued by saying that one day, he wanted to see his own country stand tall for its achievements and not its dubious relationships. He said that the average Pakistani is yearning to be a citizen of the world and not unofficially belong to the official “Axis of Evil”. And finally I asked him if he would ever marry an American and he said he would, if she would convert to Islam. What about an Indian? He said he could never return to his country. And that saddened me because I might have given the same answer regarding marriage to a Pakistani. As much as we would like to break our shackles, we still feel incredibly burdened by our past.

That is precisely why I don’t feel the necessity to call out the hollowness of calls to visit the country. Neither do I want to succumb to the urge to wrap this situation in an incredibly funny yet disturbing way. Because the fault does not lie with the people making these calls. Because as much as we are led to believe that Pakistan’s failure lies in harboring and nurturing terrorism, that notion is fundamentally wrong. Their failure lies in its inability to give the average citizen the opportunity to flourish and prosper in this world. Its failure lies in its inability to clearly define a vision for its country. And its failure lies in ignoring the basic pillars that build a successful state of governance – education, infrastructure and economy. By allowing the military to rule the roost at the forefront or behind the scenes, they pretty much guaranteed that they would always make the wrong friends – the Taliban, or make friends for the wrong reasons – the USA.

And not all countries are completely successful at containing terrorism and unrest. India’s extreme economical progress masks a lot of its own problems with the Hindu fundamentalists and Naxalites. Even the USA with all its mighty technology and prosperity could do nothing to contain the widespread crime, rioting and looting in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Eventually, when you remove hope from a person, he/she very rapidly descends down a path of destruction. Now apply that to a significant majority of a country’s population and you get one giant terrorist state.

In the wake of these attacks, it is obviously easy to want to isolate Pakistan from the rest of the world. However an isolated Pakistan is not only ripe for the taking for the likes of JeM, LeT, Harkat and the Taliban, but it also means that India would become the new Israel – having Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and Sri Lanka as our neighbors.

And that possibility is a lot more disturbing than the current state of affairs.

This is Not Cricket

temporal — Tue, 3 Mar 2009 22:19:19 EST

The Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked in Lahore yesterday by terrorists. SSS terms this a "shift". I think it is a "deterioration" or "escalation" of lawlessness. If Pakistan is to retain its independence this tide will not be curbed easily by a solitary act (like the restoration of the judiciary) nor by the efforts of one individual or one institution. Both Zardari led government and the Army under Kayani have appeared ineffective to stem this.

More pertinent is to view Tuesday's attack in the context of the peace deals in the Swat Valley and the tribal areas .. Prior to the signing of the deals, the matter of the release of militants who did not belong to the Swat area was raised, that is, non-Pashtun militants... However, after deciding on the level of compensation packages for the families of militants killed or injured by the security forces and other matters related to Swat and the tribal areas, the matter of non-Pashtun militants was deferred and the peace agreements were signed. In effect, non-Pashtun militants have been ignored and the attack in Lahore could be a bloody message to the government that the "Punjabi militants" have the capacity to cripple urban centers at any time and place of their choosing. Syed Saleem Shahzad

So what should the ordinary citizen do? Packing up and leaving is NOT an option. Burying their heads in the sand? More prayers to Allah? Joining the orthodox fringe? Or if not joining, then fighting them for their rights?

If the citizenry continues to be uninvolved, then by default the grounds will be left for a battle royale between forces of status quo and those of orthodoxy.

There is no dearth of external players who want to nudge and support these dark forces.

The Saudi Wahabi sponsorship of the fringe groups in Pakistan is hushed up or swept under the rug. Their role should be examined more closely. They have supported the orthodox fringe in the past (Afghanistan-Mujahideen nexus) and continue to do so to date.

Right now, collectively, (media, bloggers, political parties and government) all search for escape goats elsewhere - primarily the focus of their diatribes (not in any order) is the US Administration, the Talibans, the Indians (Raw...if you hear Hamid Gul croaking after the CID report was released) and the euphemistically termed Agencies.

But the blame game should be exposed for its fallacies.

If the ordinary citizen remains detached and uninvolved, then the march into disarray would continue unabated till it reaches the edge of the precipice - a rather uncomfortable and disturbing thought for all the players in the region.

And the world.

Attack on Sri Lanka Cricketers - The New Wild Wild West

BangaloreGuy — Tue, 3 Mar 2009 05:06:42 EST

In a rather sombre nod to the Indian Government's very correct decision not to send Indian cricketers to Pakistan, Sri Lankan cricketers faced attack from terrorists in Pakistan(link). This is no ordinary thing - Sri Lankans are no strangers to terrorism, but in the history of their nation their cricketers have never been attacked. Not even by the LTTE - another 'terrorist' organization - in the 25 years of their struggle.

The brazen attack by the terrorists, and their scooting from the place of attack without *anyone* being caught points to the inside hand as well as to the danger India faces from Pakistan.

Talk of dismembering Pakistan is seen to be as per official circles something that will destabilize India, India's growth, and increase chances of loose nukes - in the hands of terrorists, but the brazen attack symbolizes that whether the Indian, American, Pakistani or any other government wants it, Pakistan is getting dismembered. Piece by piece, between the Army that both serves cannon fodder and arms to the terrorists, and the terrorists themselves. Pakistani civil society - if there's such a thing is just a non-actor. And its mostly the terrorists who are gaining the upper hand.

If it was Swat the other day that was bartered away, then the Lahore attacks - even to a city not so much a stranger to bomb blasts (link) - indicates that the terrorists aren't done yet - and are targetting more higher profile targets everytime.

If India hasnt planned for loose nukes yet, this is the time. Prepare for the scare an attack is going to generate, prepare to take out Pakistani nukes - and for the short term up the security at major events.

Mumbai 26/11 showed up the intelligence lacunae, its great to have a 10,000 page chargesheet, but not worth much if the info on them isnt followed up. Sure, police reforms, political reforms will take time. But India's people and its leaders have to stand up now (link).

The enemy is at the gates.

Terrorists Attack Sri Lankan Team In Pakistan

Deepti Lamba — Tue, 3 Mar 2009 00:22:32 EST

Twelve masked gunmen in Lahore targeted the Sri Lankan cricket team which was on its way for a match at Gaddafi stadium. Samaraweera was shot in the leg.

Chaminda Vaas was seen taken on a stretcher. Thilan Tharusha, Paranavithana, Kumar Sangakara and Ajanta Medes are also injured. However the Punjab Governor said the Sri Lankan players are safe in terms of not being in critical condition.

Visual footage was taken of terrorists opening fire. Five police men were killed and weapons including a rocket launcher have been found at the scene of crime.

According to Pakistani police there were twelve gun men and their operation seemed similar to the 26/11 attack. The assailants attacked with guns and hand grenades.

The terrorists are still at large and one may have been shot down.

Ram and Allah Will Stand United Against This

Vijay Sappani — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 06:59:49 EST

The Taleban in Pakistan and Afghanistan have been attacking girls and girls schools in a country where even the leader of a leading political party, Benazir Bhutto was a woman and was killed for it. Worse they do all these in the name of God. God said this, God said that, God did this, God did that, what ever.

I have spent nearly half my life volunteering on education projects and lot of it with girl child development and every time I read a news piece like this, it really hurts. The literacy rate of girls in Pakistan is said to be around 12% and with the current situation it will only get worse in rural and border areas of Pakistan where Taleban and other militant group operate. If this continues to happen,Pakistan as a society will crumble with increasing inequalities between men and women , urban and rural divide. Women in Pakistan have so far enjoyed among the best status in Islamic nations and a lot of it has to do with its education system. the Taleban are not just attacking women, but the very chord that has made Pakistan a nation of relative strength in the Islamic world. These monsters need to be stopped and the hope for it lies more in the hands of the people than in the hands of corrupt politicians. The lawyers strike is a great example of a people's movement that brought change and Pakistan need another grass root movement to keep their girls in school, so that another Benazir Bhutto can come.

Now these jerks are not alone. On the other side of the border, a bunch of jerks trying to get attention(and are rightfully doing it so) attacked women in a bar in Mangalore, India. A never heard of group calling itself Ram Sena attacked women in a bar because they think it affects India's moral and cultural values. The politicians want to write this off as an odd one off incident, but the media and public did not do so. New wealth has lead to new ways for the youth to spend their money and more demand for entertainment for young people. Nearly half of India's booming IT, telecom, call centre's employees are women, giving them a new found source of financial freedom. India's economy continues to boom attracting new investors trying to win a share of the lucrative entertainment market leading to big events on valentines, friendship day, New years eve etc that has become an attractive target for right wing Hindu radicals. These kind of attacks were unheard of a decade back, bu then these kind of celebrations were barely known either. What is most ridiculous is that these monsters do it in the name of God.

Different countries, different religions, different ideologies, different intensity, but the same issue. These monsters use the name of God to justify their inferiority complex and attack women who want to be free and liberated and rightfully do so, whether that be go to a school to read or to a bar to enjoy.

Sweeping these issues under the carpet is not the solution, standing up to these jerks and forcing the politicians to crush these monsters is what we need to do and I hope will be done so.

BBB Inc. - With Bare Hands If Necessary

temporal — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:33:38 EST

Rehan Ansari's lament is passionately articulated. It exposes the growing sub-continental fault line. He writes about the subversive elements, the interest groups, the politicians, leaders and government honchos who may not be in collusion but who certainly appear to favour lack of detente:

Partition has resulted in nationalism, borders, and visa regimes that make sure that people know even less about each other. As a result, they are more likely to be taken for a ride by the agendas of lashkars , fascists, and the realpolitik of Islamabad and New Delhi. A United India – or even an India and Pakistan that were friendly states, much like contemporary France and Germany – would never have been vulnerable to an American agenda of jihad in Afghanistan and Pakistan against the Soviets. Better relations would also have negated this ‘problem’ of Kashmir.

On those (now increasingly rare) occasions, when individuals and groups from one country visit the other, they invariably follow up with glowing praises. They discover the commonness ignored by the government and media in their respective countries. They instinctively discover the common ground and find the warmth and friendliness in the other not revealed and expressed openly in their home country.

And this causes dismay and consternation in the groups and lobbies in both India and Pakistan who want the enmity, suspicion and hostility maintained. That such efforts are nudged and aided from other powers in the region and the world can be argued another time.

While the extremist fringes in India and Pakistan can be identified, there are many others that are harder to identify. But their maneuverings are easily discernible. It is good for business - their business. Hatred, intolerance and suspicion must be kept brewing. Peace and amity must be kept at bay.

BBB

These three have a common interest to ferment and instigate the chasm between India and Pakistan:

Big Business: They see profit big ticket defense expenditure. Peace is bad business. If only they realise that peace has its own dividends, and can add more to their bottom line than selling instruments of death and destruction.

Big Beards: The religious fringe do not want amity and friendship between people. Bad for their business - these Babas in green and saffron revel in hatred and enmity.

Bureaucratic Babus: The bureaucrats have lost their sheen and magic and are now in cahoots with big business and MNCs.

The irony is each one of these three think of the other two as their puppets.

Each time the two countries try to come close by, a force generated by the BBB Inc. pulls them away. The past sixty years are rife with such examples. Three generations have grown apart. The unstated goal of nourishing and maintaining a wall of suspicion, enmity and intolerance towards each other is growing taller, wider and deeper.

In India, amidst a plethora of cable TV channels available, there is no Pakistani channel available for subscribers. Likewise, in Pakistan there is a ban on Indian channels, naach-gaana channels are surreptitiously allowed though.

What is good for BBB Inc. is bad business for the majority of middle classes on both sides of the divide. And it is not only middle class that suffers as Rehan argues, but the common person is victimised too.

Barring past six decades, for centuries they drank the water from the same well, participated in each others religious and cultural celebrations, fought against the colonizers and invaders.

This wall is an artificial construct that needs to be brought down - with bare hands if necessary - one brick at a time.

Changez - Alive in Pakistan

Ms. Anona — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:02:26 EST

As the pages of history are turned, it can be difficult to envision the same emphatic characters learned through books and in classrooms fitting into the saga of modern times. Names such as Genghis “Changez” Khan are often spoken about in folklore as if history exists in its own unattainable dimension, distinct from the perils of today. Over seven hundred years have passed since the peak of the Mongol Empire, the most influential and contiguous dynasty to exist in Central Asia in all time, but the legacy remains still.

To many, it may be difficult to understand why Changez Khan, a man with an insatiable appetite for blood could be looked at as such an admirable figure. His name in many circles has become synonymous with lying, killing and betrayal. He was quoted to have exclaimed that his greatest joy came after seeing the ashes of the cities and the tears of the people he conquered. But there is yet another side of the story, one of great humanity and rule of law (‘Yaza’) that is still applicable. It can be said without too much stretch of the imagination that the same roots laid out by his governance are encoded in the modern-day manifestation in at least one of the countries touched by his empire, that being the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Pakistan, in many ways borders on contemporary democratic ideals, but remains a theocracy at heart, and at times colluding in conflict. Throughout its sixty plus years of existence, it has seen its share of despots and warlords engaging in corruption and broken promises. On the political turf, not much seems to have changed in Pakistan since barbarians ruled. Its leaders seem to have forgotten Yaza and abandoned it for their own ad hoc interpretation of moral conduct. This is apparent in the recent developments at Lal Masjid where under former President Pervez Musharraf up to a thousand people were massacred for following a most fundamental adherence to Islamic Law and abandoning the state over something that would be considered First Amendment rights in the United States. Historically, nearly the same thing happened when Changez conquered Baghdad in his time. He entered the religious center in modern day Iraq and killed a few hundred people, some praying, others hiding. Both leaders claimed they were killing militants, but in the most recent case, they were almost all women and children.

Today Pakistan has a new President, Asif Zardari, formerly known as Mr. 10%, based on his infamous and unlawful taxing schemes and extortion. The President claims to be a follower of Yaza and used his knowledge superiority to defeat opponents when they were least expecting it in the latest election. The problem is that when he was elected he made a staunch promise to the party and the people of Pakistan that he would free the judiciary and restore the suspended judges that had been removed under President Musharref. This is a situation of utmost concern to the people of Pakistan and without it freedom towards granting a fair trial is impeded regularly. Only with a free judiciary will no single entity be treated as above the law. Right now, powerful landlords or certain members of the armed forces can easily be granted impunity from the law.

The dilemma with Pakistan, as seen from history’s eyes, is that our leaders instead of confronting the turmoil of our era prefer to bow down before individual situations and submit, many times abandoning the will of the people. These same leaders will easily thwart anyone who vocalizes criticisms towards the differing regimes. If someone who is not part of the elitist rank and file rises amongst the way, that man is seen as a hindrance to the structure and his voice is easily suppressed. Islamic law, although it may be difficult for the outside world to see at times, has its roots in democracy and makes a clear attempt to disable hierarchies where influential people become above the law. It is the hope of the people that Pakistan becomes democratic in nature, while still adhering to a higher purpose obtained through Islamic Law. These ideals, although difficult to pursue, need not be conflicting.

It is ultimately up to the people of Pakistan to join together and fight for their unalienable rights, a daunting task nonetheless. As seen today, the hope of a nation to balance democracy with Islamic Law may lie in one man, former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharief, who is currently leading the popular party. Pakistan needs a leader who is well-versed in the political landmines that lay before it, but someone who will not abandon the people’s voice when the time comes. During Sharief’s previous reign, he never forgot his elected role in providing education to all people, creating party networks fighting for labor rights, and ending feudal societies. The economy through the industrial sector rose and was successful. He made Pakistan a nuclear power, a source of pride for the Pakistani people. He did this not to threaten other countries, but for the purpose of defense.

Pakistan, although in the midst of mass international tensions, is comparatively a homogeneous nation of immense ideological solidarity throughout the overwhelming majority. The will of the people will not anytime soon separate or distinguish between the codes of ethics laid out in religion from that of the political arena. The conflict comes when leaders in Pakistan are boasted as sort of messianic figures, embodying the image of a god-like figure, much closer to divinity than any common man. This type of thought is dangerous and goes against a nation backed up by the concepts of old, Yaza. Pakistan as a nation needs to get back on track and find the roots of their ideology and interpret it in their own unique way that will be beneficial and yet not contradictory to modern political thought.

After Changez Khan passed and the empire was given to his descendants and successors, the new leaders became spiritually depraved, no longer wanting to follow Yaza, and the empire fell apart. They lacked the ability to commit to something that demanded high morals and unswerving loyalty and dedication to rigid principles. They instead concerned themselves with the pursuit of material riches and short-term goals of this world. Changez Khan warned about this in his time and his words are as true today as much as at any time in history. "If the great, the military leaders and the leaders of the many descendants of the ruler who will be born in the future, should not adhere strictly to the Yaza, then the power of the state will be shattered and come to an end, no matter how they then seek Genghis Khan, they shall not find him….. Be of one mind and one faith, that you may conquer your enemies and lead long and happy lives."

Guest post by Shahzeb Mughal and Malika Zafar.