This article is going to be long so please hang on.
I did not post it on PDF magazine because it is too gloomy and does not suit the goody things we want in there. Plus I could not think of any solutions to the problems I mention.
@V. Makarov
Pakistan: The Nation That Never Became Angry.
The likes of Pankaj Mishra say we live in the age of anger, but when I saw this picture, I could not feel anything. I was not at all angry, I'm sure. . I don't care that he lied to our institutions to run out of the country. I dont care he plundered the people of Pakistan. I now strongly believe that he made the best he could of the
system of Pakistan. He is now THE successful man in my eyes. I wish I could be half as calm, contented and satisfied as this man. Indeed he has won the game that is Pakistan's politics.
I have now realized that the only one to be blamed for the ills of this nation is the
overall Established System of Pakistan. Now dont think that the picture of Nawaz has got be all hysterical and emotional. I can't be angry anymore. I think the time for the Pakistani people is to become as calm as The Nawaz and assess the situation in order to best exploit it for their own benefit. In order to properly assess the situation, understand that pictures like this just tell part of the story.
One must realize that the judiciary, the bureaucracy, the army and the political elite are all inevitably in this together. They cannot help but exploit the people of Pakistan. It is becoming more clear, by the day. There can be no justice, safety from terrorists, legislation, representation, peace and equity as long as this system persists.
Each and every institution is working to increase their own power without thinking about the people of Pakistan (judicial activism being the newest effort). PTI might present herself to be a noble and honest party , but
PTI cannot even offer resistance to the already established system of exploitation in Pakistan. I understand the helplessness of Imran Khan and his workers. IK will die with his dream of changing Pakistan within this decade or the next.
I have been thinking a lot about Pakistan's future in the long quarantine that I have placed myself into, and I have realized a few things.
- First, Pakistan is now a permanently failed/stuck state. A stuck state means that the political environment in the country is such, that no progress in economy, welfare and provision of justice justice can be made due to very powerful hurdles. Hurdles being regionalization of national political parties in all provinces, the introduction of the half baked 18th amendment, Battle of power between the judiciary, army and the parliament, amoung many other reasons. There has been no legislation in the country since IK took oath and I dont expect any further legislation even after the next election. The Indian, Afghan and Iranian machinations to hurt Pakistan will also overpower Pakistan because they exploit along the already fragile ethnic and sectarian lines.
- Second, for the young people of this nation, there is no future. They wont be able to generate wealth, raise families happily, get their children good education, and will suffer in this system. I believe that, specially after the COVID-19, every educated person who has a degree is as useless as expecting Pakistan to change for the better. The only people who will survive will be the ones who know skills and craft.
- Third, In the future, I see that the ethnic borders between the provinces will be inflamed due to increased competition of resources, lack of Pakistani action with regard to Indian water terrorism and climate change. The PPP will keep alienating the population of Sindh while they will still keep voting PPP to retain a Bhutto legacy while in Balochistan, India and Iran will continue their cooperation to bleed Pakistan. The chances of a failing Pakistan in the far future have increased specially after the pandemic. Everyone saw the lack of central authority during the pandemic. The pandemic showed that Punjab does not need Sindh, and vice versa. KPK does not need Punjab and Sindh and vice versa. And we don't talk about Balochistan.
- Fourth, If one has to survive the anarchic nation of Pakistan, one has to make his way into one of the four institutions I mentioned above namely: The Army, Bureaucracy, Politics and the Judiciary. With a good position in one of such institutions, one places himself in a good position to exploit and plunder the people of Pakistan. My message to fellow youngsters, if you do not do that, some one else will do it to you. A strong recommendation to the youngsters reading this write-up is to sit for the government exams or try for Army instead of becoming bank managers, engineers and doctors.
- Fifth, I see that in this decade (2020-2030), Pakistan will face a huge brain drain. Every engineer, doctor and service provider will crawl out of Pakistan to have a chance of living a reasonable and respectable life. This is because the lack of industrialization, failing institutions and a failed economy. According to a very recent record from THE top engineering university of Pakistan, 66% of their students (batch 2017 and 2018) have left Pakistan with no intention of working in Pakistan ever.
With all these problems racing towards us, the viability of Pakistan as a state or at least as a functional nation is in grave danger. I do not see any way to avoid the problems as it would require changing perception of different ethnicities, sects and views. How can one do that without breaking the country up? Will all this happen without a war within? Will the people of Pakistan become "Angry" one day? Will that "Anger" break Pakistan into pieces or will it make it into a strong state? The reaction of the people of Pakistan to the failing system in the coming few years will decide whether Pakistan sustains a place on this map, becomes a unified nation under a single authority ( unlike today where everyone is running after power) or a failed state. However, the chances of a fragmented Pakistan have drastically increased after the Pandemic and the 18th amendment.