A KISS OF LIFE

A KISS OF LIFE.
“THE NEED OF PAKISTAN”
By Dr. Khurshid Alam. khurshidalam5@hotmail.com
In my previous article I discussed the issue whether Pakistan is factually a failed state or it is propaganda of the enemies of Pakistan. I am of the opinion that the best approach to out side world should be, not to make enemies but to win friends. International relations are framed according to the internal situation in any country. Stability or non-stability due to any reason is reflected directly in the external affairs. I am yet to see some one to create enemies except the rulers of Pakistan.
In my last article I did mention the role of the vital organs of the state and co ordination between them. We should be frank and honest to discuss issues with open mind, without fear or reservations. Even at the end, it turns out to be a propaganda, we have lost nothing but if a fact is ignored, it can cost the nation a lot and most of the time it will be irreparable.
In my previous article I have expressed my view without chewing words. It is my honest opinion when the vital institutions cease to work properly and there is a lack of co ordination, it is a sick system. A sick system can never give birth to healthy state.
Pakistan has another disadvantage that its deterrent strength has become its liability and due to internal instability has raised alarm in certain quarters. There is no doubt that these rogue organisations have the resources to buy or lay their hand on it.
Due to the non-availability of the institutions or the sick institutions, the persons and cults have taken over. This very factor has brought the country to the present state and is considered as a failed state, being kept alive by borrowed machines.
The lawmakers and the executers are going in different directions. The foreign and internal policy is antagonising each other.
The armed forces are deeply involved in politics and associated intelligence agencies are picking their own citizens and hand over to the foreign countries to be tried and executed there. General public is scared equally of terrorists and our agencies. The number of disappeared persons is alarming.
The causalities being inflicted on the armed forces by the terrorist would have been very low, had there been trust of public in armed forces and the intelligence agencies.
There is only one way to win the fight against terrorist mafia by a conventional army in shortest possible time, is the trust between public and intelligence agencies, to give a feed back to the combatant force. The number of casualties by the armed forces, point towards this lack of trusts and completes failure of agencies. One fails to understand about their failures, as these terrorists are the implants of our agencies. One would be expect much better results and feedback to the fighting force to reduce the casualties.
The failure of the complete break down of the government has flooded the newly liberated judiciary. The major political issues are yet to be heard or interpreted. In my view if this interpretation is further delayed, institutions will keep on encroaching on the domain of each other, the situation will slip from bad to worse.
The journalists should use their newly found freedom responsibly and federally. Dramatisation should be replaced by logic. They should accommodate the lesser also in their forum of discussion. They must abandon to use their freedom of making saint out of sinner and vice versa. I am yet to see the federal look or characteristics in their presentations and discussions on national issues.
The distribution of responsibly has to be determined before the country is plunged in to irreversible crisis. It is already in deep water.
The lawmakers must decide whether it is a federal democracy or presidential system. At the moment it is neither of the two.
The quantum of provincial autonomy has to be the top priority in the present imbalance Pakistan. It has to be either greater Punjab or federal Pakistan. Cheating in the name of religion, ideology of Pakistan and big brother concept must be brought to an end.
Unfortunately the forum of lawmakers has very few members deserving this title. The big majority achieved this status by the crazy use of wealth. They have done so for good reasons, to get good return, not out of love for democratic values, thanks to the lack of political process.
Unless there is legislation there can’t be interpretation. People are still waiting for a visible and palpable change. The more is the delay, the more are the chances of inviting adventurism. Our present opposition has good command in this art.
The disappointment of the public will be demonstrated by distribution of the sweets to welcome another adventurer. If unluckily that happens, it will be the last nail in the coffin of the country.
As a political student I am seeing that our so-called politicians are pushing the people against the wall. I hope I am wrong and pray that I am wrong but the circumstances are ripe for the adventure. It will be absurdity to call it derailment of the system, as there is nothing on the tract. I am sure that there are many to offer their shoulders.
The people have a sense of deprivation and helplessness. Every day one crisis gives birth to another crisis and emissaries starts running between the power brokers.
I think Mr. President must collect the courage to surrender his authority and rob the opportunists of their weapons of adventurism. The house should be kept in a continuous session, till a new constitution is drafted or a complete overhauling of the old constitution has been done.
The jurists should be readily available and the political parties of all shade whether they are in the parliament or not should be on board. The 73 constitutions minus the amendments of the military rulers should be followed till the new one is ready and enforced.
The accountability should start from present to the past retrospectively. In principles I do agree with MQM that it should be based on truth and reconciliation principles. But our own people should remember it in the case of Pakistan, crimes committed against humanity by dictators. They were under oath not to be a part of foul play against the constitution. This is a worse crime than apartheid system.
The lust for power should be suppressed for a while. Looking historically back we have paid an enormous price for it. According to Dr. Sheikh, Jinnah had arguments with lord Mountbatten on seating arrangements during oath taking ceremony, which cost us dearly in the distribution of assets and demarcation of boundary in Gurdas Pur area. The Indian National congress nominated him the first governor general of India is a proof of their political maturity.
The provision of protection of the smaller units is the key to the stability of the country. It is obscured to cheat the people by creating India phobia. We have threat to our existence from our own establishment, not from out side.
Looking at the mental calibre of our leadership, I personally feel that it is the 1000 miles long border with India and the hatred drilled in our mind for Hindu that is keeping the present Pakistan together.
We have our roots in hatred on religious basis and running the country on racial hatred. I think M.J. Akbar was right to say that in tension lays the existence of Pakistan.
Nehru was right to say that the unity of India is in its diversity but he failed to comprehend that if the diversities of huge magnitude, if contained in a small strongbox there is more chances of collision.
Apart from the shear size of India, it is the political buffering system that counts a lot, in spite of insurgencies in 4 places, neither it derailed the democratic set up nor the foreign militants made it a base to fight the Indian government.
If we want to give Kiss of Life to Pakistan, the only way is to clear our own domestic disk, accord foolproof guarantee to smaller nations, in a union of states or federation and evolve a full-fledged democratic system, to get rid of opportunists’ politicians.
We must not forget that there are physical and political breaches in Pakistan. The rogue elements are at work in these breaches whether they are internal or external posing threat to the very foundations of the country.
I do share the concern of the foreign powers about their fear about our nuclear arsenals, if they fall in to the hands of rogue elements. I fail to understand, why they fail to share our fear that unless there is democratic set up in Pakistan, the same arsenals can be used against the small nations, as Musharaf used it against 82 years old Baloch leader, Nawab Bugti. We feel unsafe even now.
It is the last chance; the history has given to the rulers and opposition of to day to give the “KISS OF LIFE” to Pakistan.