Our clueless ruling class
By Iqbal Jafar
November 06, 2012
Political clash and conflict is not something new for Pakistan nor, indeed, for any other democracy in the world. What is new in the present situation is the fact that all the various elements of the ruling class are at loggerheads with each other, not excluding even the armed forces and the judiciary. This is unprecedented in our history.
Despite the game of musical chairs played by the contenders for power, and dramatic events like coups, dismissals, intrigues and betrayals, the ruling class had been a fairly stable entity until recently. Lest there be some confusion about what exactly this entity is composed of, let me offer an operational description of the ruling class. Under the present dispensation – and in order of importance – the ruling class consists of six elements: the military, the politicians, the bureaucracy, the judiciary, the media, and the legal profession. The last three are new entrants in the game, since about 2009. Prior to that, even the judiciary was no more than an adjunct to the executive.
While the ruling class as an entity was quite stable, there were internal adjustments to power-sharing between different elements of the ruling class on various occasions. It is worthwhile to keep those variations in mind to understand the internal dynamics of the ruling class since the early days when none of elements of the ruling class was quite certain of its role, and strengths and weaknesses.
The internal adjustment in power-sharing occurred five times since independence. From 1947 to 1951 (four years), the ruling class consisted of the politicians, the bureaucracy and the military, with politicians as senior partners and the bureaucracy close behind. From 1951 to 1958 (seven years), it consisted of the same three elements but with the bureaucracy as the senior partner and the military close behind. From 1958 to 1971 (13 years), the military was in the dominant position, and the politicians a poor third. From 1971 to 1977 (six years), the politicians were in the driving seat, the bureaucracy close to the seat of power, and the military trailing behind. From 1977 to the present day (35 years), the military has been the dominant power, followed by the politicians, and with the bureaucracy subservient to both.
The military has, thus, been in the dominant position for a total of 48 years, that is, from 1958 to 1971 and from 1977 to the present day. But since 2009 the ruling class expanded – under the pressure of events – to include the judiciary, the media and the legal profession. However, their relative position on the ladder of authority depends upon the context in which a comparison is made.
This, in brief, is the history of power-sharing since independence among various constituents of the ruling class. The present situation, however, is not more of the same. For reasons that have yet to be identified, the ruling class is in complete disarray. Each of its elements is in conflict with the others, and most of them have been weakened by internal conflicts as well. This has led to a rather complicated game of multi-pronged see-saw, with none of the players quite certain whether they are up or down.
One reason or, perhaps, the main reason of the anarchy at the highest level is that the ruling class, as a whole, is quite clueless as to what is happening to the state of Pakistan, why, and what to do about it. The ruling class is not only clueless but feels powerless to even contain the accelerating forces of disruption – lawlessness, poverty, administrative incompetence, collapsing institutions, sectarian and ethnic hatreds, and much else besides.
The ruling class has no one else to blame for this monumental mess but itself, and hence mutual flagellation in a situation where it is no more possible to round up the usual suspects. In short, the ruling class is in the grip of an impotent rage that can only be self-consuming.
Why have things come to such a pass? Mostly because this nation has been ruled by an increasingly rapacious kleptocracy for more than five decades, from the early 1960s. It succeeded only too well in stealing the material resources of the country and repressing its human resource. But in its success lay the seeds of its destruction, for kleptocracy is not an economically sustainable enterprise.
Now at the end of those five decades the ruling class finds itself presiding over a country that is financially bankrupt, economically decrepit, intellectually barren, and morally decadent. Might as well let the ruling class preside over this rotten mess till it is swept away in a manner where the remedy may be worse than the disease – something that often happens after a violent change.
Hopefully, it is possible yet to avert that kind of disaster by simply holding free and fair elections as early as the constitutional provisions permit. Those who have a stake in the future of this nation have to do all that they can to ensure that the results of the elections truly reflect the will of the people as expressed through their votes. Maybe luck will favour us with a dedicated leadership that will rebuild the nation brick by brick to replace its rotten structure and take us back to the land of our dreams.
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