Image building of Pakistan

[amy]

Deposed Chief Justice (CJ) of Pakistan is still under house arrest with his colleagues. The president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) is under house arrest. One former prime minister is dead and the other is facing threat to his life. There has been media gagging. Some time back, Constitution Avenue was blocked for public and access to the Supreme Court (SC) was given to those with special permits. The common man is living without proper services like electricity and gas. He is fighting in the streets for getting a bag of flour. Pakistan is facing a difficult situation despite having a strong army infrastructure that is capable enough to safeguard the boundaries of the country.

Ironically, on his tour to the European countries President Musharraf will be asking his counterparts to continue aid packages, have faith in him and not ask their citizens and businessmen to leave Pakistan due to the law and order situation. Suicide attacks have become a common occurrence. After nine years of his rule, the government’s performance begs critical analysis. As things stand, President Musharraf is busy combating radicalisation in Pakistan. The number of suicide attacks in the last few months has been unprecedented. The fear is that radicalisation may increase while a weaker political set-up runs the country. Only a civilian set-up can absorb these radical ideas by addressing the political issues through dialogue and stopping them from multiplying.

A democracy that provides justice and has a strong military to safeguard the strategic assets can solve half of the problems in Pakistan. In the whole power struggle, the common man is suffering. Middle class conservatives are losing ground and patience too. The West, Britain in particular, must play its role to ensure free and fair elections in Pakistan under a credible caretaker set-up with a fully armed and powerful Election Commissioner and independent monitors. The sooner the nuclear-armed Pakistan starts the process of democratic revival, the better it will be for the rest of the world. The gulf between the rich and the poor is increasing. This portrays a bleak picture of the state of affairs. It shows mal-administration and short-sightedness of the government as the country has been shifting from one crisis to the other.

This is in sharp contrast to what our neighbour is experiencing, safely sailing towards permanent membership of the UNSC. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown topped it all up by declaring India a strong partner in trade and a worthy future member of G8. India’s continuous progress is key to prosperity. Despite all this, our rulers are busy discussing whether Benazir was killed by a sniper, shrapnel or a lever. We are still discussing if the investigation of her killing should be done locally or by the UN. Are we going to shelve it like the way we did it in the case of the murder of Liaquat Ali Khan, President Ziaul Haq or Murtaza Bhutto?

One does not need to go abroad to speak good about a country as actions speak louder than words. Pakistanis are accustomed to clapping on hearing fiery speeches, loud claims and prosperity dreams. However, when crises hit a country, all claims look empty as they are always without a substance, like the very claim that Pakistanis are eating cheapest flour in the whole of South Asia or that there is no crisis at all in Pakistan. I do share the view that these crises may be minor and may not pose any danger to state at all. However, those who came to power to show ‘good governance’ must see the indefinite departure of their financial advisor Mr. Aziz, as I believe those who deliver their promises return to parliament with a two-thirds majority but they do not leave the country overnight for good.

Ex-servicemen have shown courage to share the views of millions of people of Pakistan who are silently witnessing what is being done just to save the Q League. The issue is how the president can contribute in the image building of the country. The options are limited. Experience tells us that in Pakistan we have not seen rulers ever resigning or admitting their mistakes because admitting their faults is not their nature. It is time to develop that culture. We must concentrate on what engulfs us as a nation, as resolving this situation is a critical question begging our attention. We are at a crossroads. We can move forward towards prosperity or backwards towards situations like the one Afghanistan is facing.

We must not forget that Hazrat Omer showed us how to dispense justice, the idea that was followed by the West in making their societies just, equitable and social. The like of Khomeini of Iran showed the simplistic way to serve its people. He used to offer a loaf of bread with simple food to the visiting foreign dignitaries. They would come to see the man who had changed the mindset of an entire nation. How can our rulers, sitting in luxury cars, ever deliver the promise of democracy, accountability and freedom? People may remember our president with good words in future. It will lift our country’s image in the comity of nations if he promotes accountability of our rulers and others. Those who hold that accountability should be properly regulated to perform the task fairly. Our rulers should realise their national obligation without a shred of doubt.

Our rulers say our experience with democracy is new and that we need a few hundred years to come at par with the democratic standards of the Western world. It makes me wonder why there is never a right time or right people available for the promise of democracy to be delivered to the people. The West learnt the tricks of the trade from our ancient rulers — how to share, how to provide justice at the strike of a bell, riding the camel with the servant, and the simplicity of washing and sewing one’s own clothes. We gave the concept of a social welfare state where the rich cater the old and the needy. But in order to achieve that one has to leave the luxurious lifestyle at some point and offer oneself for public accountability where people may ask a question like, “Oh, Omer, answer the people, where did you get your gown?”

The writer is a Solicitor-Advocate of the Supreme Court (England) and a political analyst based in UK

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