Visiting Pakistan yet again after a two-year hiatus the question that seemed uppermost in the minds of many Pakistanis, at least among my largely academic and intellectual contacts, is the direction in which the country is headed. Almost everyone is of the opinion that the urgent task of nation-building is not being pursued seriously.
In this country the expatriates I encounter are haunted by the question whether the country will make it as a viable nation-state. In both cases, there and here, the chief concern is the lack of institutions, political, economic and social, to put the country on a sound footing.
During the past fifty-six years hopes were raised many times to turn the country around for a better future. The last two democratically elected governments promised much, the rooting of democracy and the building of a productive economy. In the end, the only economy that was productive was that of the two prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, who systematically pillaged the country to fatten their own coffers.
Meanwhile, in the current one hundred days of democracy the National Assembly has yet to enact a legislation of any national or international significance. The only item brought before the legislative body and debated for 47 days has been the 8th Amendment. The issue represents a naked contest for power to make the parliament supreme whether it helps the nation or not.
Even as a plethora of problems cry out for solution the parliament remains a forum for the highly egocentric, myopic and arrogant individuals who show up, make tedious speeches, and wander the hallways with smug satisfaction. The educational qualification requirement obviously has not made much of a difference.
No MNA (Member National Assembly) has shown any aptitude for drafting a bill to reform the economy, or to institute the rule of law or any of the dozens things that could be done.
It is as though no one understands that the centerpiece of any modern nation is a productive economy through which decent life and wealth can be produced. Or that it serves the public welfare, provides income and employment, and is crucial for livelihood.
One is amazed that well into the 21st century the decision-makers of Pakistan still do not understand the centrality of education for a developing nation. Pakistan cannot be said to have an educational system at the moment. Isolated schools exist here and there but with no real standardized curriculum, and uniformity of standards among them.
A similar situation faces the higher education. However, after much prodding from the president of the country an educational commission is being established. Unfortunately, the proposed list of members does not include any academics.
Just to focus on one sector of the society, it seems that education is an industry waiting to be discovered, tapped and developed. In America it is the central institution for doing almost everything else, in marked contrast to Pakistan where schooling is on the margins of the society.
My Pakistani colleagues were quick to express their frustration at the pace of progress in the country. There is no political will for forward movement. A few individuals like Pervez Musharraf get their hands slapped if they overreach. Almost everyone mentioned that the feudal elements have the country in a stranglehold.
When laws are not being made how can the country function? That is the million-dollar question and one wonders how institutions can be developed without basic rules.
A recent writer has argued, in the Wall Street Journal no less, that the nation-state of Pakistan is a problem. It is a problem that cannot be solved, but needs to be contained. In this writer’s view the onus lies with the national character where parochialism and self-centeredness are the driving characteristics, making the country difficult to govern.
Will Pakistan make it? It will not disappear. It will continue to drift on the verge of being a failed state. As the cartoon character Pogo observed: “The enemy is us.”
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