But on the whole, the society has reached such a point that I am despairing now more than I had despaired even when Benazir Bhutto was killed. At that time, I thought, the tyranny of the military rule was ending and the new parliament would at least provide at least some sense of participation to people. However, because of too many reasons that is not so. I will leave that discussion for some other time. Right now, it is ‘what needs to be done’.
The answers, to me, are not simple of course. I have thought about many scenarios and came to some conclusions. I admit, mostly in early stages. Some quick thoughts here:
1) Making peace with India at the minimal acceptable level at the earliest possible date.
2) Getting the hell out of WOT and ending dependence on American dollars while, at the same time, ensuring Americans leave Afghanistan and no Al-Qaida takes over there.
3) Giving Pakistan to the UN in a trusteeship to be governed by the UN GA/SC members input, thus dissolving the existing political and military dynasties (and they are not just the usual ‘feudal’ kinds, btw) to be replaced by some foreigners. Perhaps the British Raj again!
4) Breaking up of Pakistan into ‘confederate’ States, something along the line of the Southern Confederacy (no slaves though!) or even Mujib’s 6-points in the then E.Pakistan.
5) Forming of a national govt. with an Ata Turk like strong man, backed by the might of the military, for 2 decades, to be supported international players, to reform the infrastructure in every sense–starting with the education.
Now, I know these are jumbled thoughts. Some of them are in direct opposition to others and that is fine by me. I am thinking out aloud. I am brainstorming everything. But I feel backed up to the wall and know that the ‘evolution’ to democracy approach I espoused barely 3 years ago is not going to work in the hell-hole that Pakistan has become. I mean, if you had only 2-3 outspoken prominent leaders in a country of 170 millions and one of them killed then you know that the battle–nay, the war, should be to salvage what we can to provide something better for the 170 million somehow. What we have is not going to work. Not with what we have to work with.
Drastic measures require equally drastic measures.