We gained Pakistan in August 1947; we have since been owning a country; we have a sense of belonging to this land, and to a nation of 240 million people with our youth forming 65% of it; we have rich human resources; we enjoy dividends of four seasons in our agrarian society; we have a solid industrial base; we are almost self-sufficient in food, and adequately endowed with natural resources; we have four provinces and as many cultures. These are ancient lands and custodians of old civilizations - Gandhara, texila, Indus and Mehargarh. Our people are simple, humble, content, patient, hardworking, and patriotic; they are committed to their land and nation. They work from dawn to dusk to earn their two meals, and never betray their country.
The country has 36 million hectares of agriculture land; it is owned by only 5-7% of the population; they rule over the lives of landless peasants; keep them in depravity, poverty and bondage; prevent education and concomitant awareness from reaching their huts. They fear the power of this light - knowing that it will end the dark night of bondage, ignorance, superstition. They are sitting everywhere in strategic positions – parliament, bureaucracy, political parties, commissions and Committees; they block legislation, influence decision makers, reduce budget allocations, and slow the dissemination of education and awareness. Our leaders are beholden to them. Our establishment has a strong and abiding partnership with them. They are a special cog in the manipulative governing machinery, and the political system that we have been practicing.
The nation inherited this privileged class from the outgoing British administration. The British Imperialists or their predecessors – Talpurs, Sikhs, Khans of Kalat or Afghan kings created and sustained this so called elite. The colonial administration found them useful in controlling the country. They were given lands, made in charge of regions, and recognized their ancestral spiritual seats. Today we are having the fourth or the fifth generation of these privileged dynasties. They were a pillar of the British rule, and today, they discharge the same duty to the autocrats and dictators. They have welcomed every unconstitutional disruption and become part of every extra-constitutional set-up. They try to remain in the good book of power wielders. They do not recognize any political ideal, principle or moral obligation. They are free in switching across the aisle.
This is a class apart. It is a world unto itself. Their world is filled with thrills of animal baiting, patronizing criminal gangs, intimidating smaller gods in their region, kowtowing to powerful, keeping their darts straight with power wielding bureaucrats, and area commanders –tinged with sweet talk and flattery; they get their sons and nephews into schools and universities of high standard or send them abroad for education. They get them into lucrative and powerful jobs through the political parties they help come into power. For them, the system is bent, the laws are bypassed, merit is relegated to backburner, and justice and fair play are ignored. They have caused rise and fall of leaders. They are in a way indispensable for a political leader or a dictator.
We had three Martial Law Administrator bursting at the seams to take the nation to heights of development. They were failed by this class of people. Ayub Khan’s anger against politicians subsided after disqualifying a few known political leaders and then collecting all landlords, Sardars, tribal chiefs and political aspirants into his Convention Muslim League. What followed was a dictatorial rule gliding over the tides of power with help of this privileged class. They elevated the dictator day in and day out and comparing him with the Muslim historic stalwarts including Sultan Salahuddin Ayubi, Khalid Bin Walid etc.
They were a pillar of the British rule, and today, they discharge the same duty to the autocrats and dictators. They try to remain in the good book of power wielders. They do not recognize any political ideal, principle or moral obligation.
General Zia ul Haq washed his rule with the scented waters of the mosque and spiritual mausoleums keeping the nation riveted with the sermons of Ulema and Mashaikh, religious conferences, talk of Jihad and Mujahidin overlooking the flow of weapons, extremist ideologies, drugs, and dollars. Sooner than later, we had a flourishing Kalashnikov culture, drug business, and a growing number of drug addicts. The Russian weapon was costing just few thousands; we had over a million drug addicts, and over 85,000 trained Mujahidin to fight the Godless communism in Afghanistan in 1985. The withdrawal of Soviets from Afghanistan, and the hasty flight of the USA, left this trained militia without a job.
General Musharraf overthrew an elected government. He was demonstrating signs of modernism tilted towards progressive rule. His 7-point agenda was very promising. The nation was eager to see him implement his agenda. He surrendered to the ultimatum of the General Powell, became partner in the antiterrorist war. He lost the right track to good governance and finally landed at the stable of the Chaudhry dynasty of Gujrat with Pakistan Muslim League (Q) as the king party. His revolutionary instincts took no time to fade away.
This nation had pinned hopes on Z.A. Bhutto. His tacit collaboration with the ruling junta to deny power to the majority party compromised his revolutionary spark he radiated during his electioneering. After the debacle of East Pakistan, he was allowed to govern, repair the broken ship, restore the confidence of the dejected nation, and address the post-war issues. He did this with a mark of aplomb. The Constitution that has survived two Martial Laws, is his gift. His parliamentary form of governance has been transformed into a unique partnership of power between civilians and military euphemistically called Hybrid governance.
His land reforms were an eyewash like those of his predecessor Ayub Khan. His rule can be defined as more dictatorial than democratic with arrests and imprisonment of his political opponents. Notwithstanding his lapses as a political leader, his rule is crowned with many outstanding political and strategic achievements as contrasted with those of his military predecessors, or his successor General Zia at the hands of whom he met a tragic end. This stain remains indelible on the brow of the nation.
We have plundered the country; subjected our people to deprivation denying them their basic human rights; constructed a society like a pyramid having small number of affluent at the top, and millions of helpless, powerless and poverty stricken citizens at the bottom. From the top, they are seen as crawling insects. They are counted as the finest creature of the Creator, and promised to be God’s vicegerents in this world. What we have made of them. Is this sanctioned by any modern social contract? No, this is sheer abuse of power.
We have made this country a laughing stock plundering its resources and keeping its citizens in a chronic state of deprivation denying them their basic rights. The World Bank has rated the country at par with Yemen, Syria, Djibouti, and Sub Saharan African states. Will there a more annoying shameful collective ungratefulness than this? We have been consciously sinning against this nation. God may help us.