NATIONAL COHESION — Part 1

BY:TARIK SAADAT

While we are at the cusp of New Year, I am compelled to write on the topic of National Unity and Cohesion which I have been planning doing for a long time but my indolence came in the way. National Unity no longer exists in a period of fractured democracy where our politics has become increasingly non-accommodative and conflictual. The political interests have become hostile and non-democratic with abuses, barbs and personal attacks in Parliament and Public Meetings. In January 2017, even punches were exchanged on the floor of the National Assembly which is a growing sign of increased tension and damaging politics, especially as we are making steady progress in all fields. There is a serious disconnect between the government and opposition and government and the people and the differences have grown wider than a chasm. Nobody is willing to meet halfway for the National Cause or Cohesion.

The politicians of all hue, color and parties are infighting like spoilt children without a single thought of unifying the nation to resolve all major issues like Health, Education, Economy, Rule of Law, Good Governance etc. If we can unite on the issue of Terrorism being considered bad then why not unite on other vexing problems so that our Nation can bounce back from adversity. No political party or leader is willing to bridge the divide and are acting as ‘misguided Missiles ’. Let us set our sights higher and bring all politicians on one platform. In my view we seriously need a ‘National Government of Unity’ formed from amongst the best, honest (Ameen) and competent politicians and Technocrats for a period of 2 to 3 years with a mandate to rectify and regenerate the structure of state. What is required is to clear the Augean stables of all corrupt people, cement the collapsed economy, clear our debts & deficits, provide jobs, improve the lot of common folk and alleviate poverty.

The stark differences amongst political parties need to be bridged without personal ambitions or politics getting in the way. It was disheartening to see the recent Azadi March & Dharna and now the “plan b” which is the blocked of major roads in Pakistan That is actually disruptive in Pakistan’shour of crisis in the face if a vile enemy. The Azadi March of Maulana Fazal-Ur-Rehman is suspected by many as part of a hybrid war engineered by India to create chaos. God Almighty better knows the reality of such suspicions and Allegations and only a proper judicial commission can bring forward the truth in such conspiracy theories. Today in Pakistan there are an abundance of snakes in the grass ready to sell their souls and motherland for money. The state of mind of yester years which led to failed policies needs to be changed and a paradigm shift in our thinking is required to set the ship of state in order.

Whatever the outcome of the Panama Leaks or Panama Gate or Panama Spring and now Paradise Leaks the level of corruption has turned into a canal, creating tectonic ripples. In a pretense democracy like ours there is only despair and no hope as the powerful are not only well entrenched with VIP status dreaming of another term. The Economy is hardly rosy which is a cause of indignation rancor, and irritation for the

people suffering the worst inflation and hike. The political impasse has paralyzed the entire democratic machinery with each passing day and it is a bane despised and abhorred by the common man. Morally the whole system seems to have collapsed with the Establishment watching on the sidelines how the current drama plays out is anybody’s guess. A grave political crisis is brewing. The present time calls for a ‘Jehad’ (aggressive action) against all our ills and maladies which afflict our nation and a new system needs to be put in place which is Islamic and suited to our culture & norms. From the ‘Rope of Sand’ we have to turn it into a ‘Rope of Allah or Unity’, so that ‘no one is able to caste an evil eye on Pakistan’, in the words of the Quaid.

Pakistan as a whole lags behind much of the world and most of its neighbors in many economic and human development indicators. Our political class is mired in a paralyzing fight that has crippled its legitimacy. Disagreements between elected leaders and the so called establishment about how to understand and deal with threats facing the country including economic impact a wide range of policy functions and imperil how the country should react and solve a series of profound challenges. The onus is on politicians to salvage the system. The untold arrogance of our leaders makes them forget the word ‘National Cause & Unity’ due to their massive egos.

We have shades of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine. May Allah forgive our sins and save us. Only Divine Intervention can save us as we are over our heads. We are caught in the throes of a great global change taking place and instead of finding our moorings are caught like a rabbit in the headlights of an incoming car because our political leaders don’t have the mental capacity to understand that it is now or never. Things seem to be falling apart and the three wheeled wagon of the government trudges on. There is no revolution in sight yet as people are too exhausted with making daily ends meet with Tomatoes and Onion selling at Rs. 200 & Rs. 100 per kilo respectively, so they have no energy to spare.

Pakistan came into being in 1947 but we still exist in an antediluvian era. One million people died and 15 Million were uprooted from their homes. This country with the exception of Quaid-e-Azam was never led by able leadership. Politicians have demonstrated that they lack the political will to deliberate on important National Issues in national interest. Both the military and civil governments failed the people and gifted a polarized Pakistan working at cross purposes. The Leadership failed to remain constitutionally accountable to anybody in the state.

Civil military imbalance resulted in instability. For seven decades Pakistan and its people have been deprived of true visionary leadership. Even today, after 70 years of our Independence our democracy has been chartered through various types of agreements making those in Government unanswerable, powerful and corrupt to the core. Institutions matter more than individuals and we seriously need to transform the autocratic aspects of state power.

The state is facing many gigantic external and internal problems of great magnitude. It is not a poor country but a poorly managed one. Fate has presented us with many opportunities time will tell who we had we were using them.