Transfer of power from one civilian government to another in Pakistan, 65 years after its creation, is being hailed as a big achievement. And so it looks from one side as it is a feat accomplished that remained elusive for so long. But on the other side, it is a crude commentary in itself about Pakistan’s progress as a democratic dispensation. Celebrations aside, some big questions are crying for answers. Can this ‘smooth’ transfer of the reins provide the cure needed for the chronic diseases permeating the body politic of Pakistan and whether the diseases are the result of the (mis)governance of any particular party or the fault lies with the constitution and character of the state? Human society is like the human body. Any ailment of a human body can be cured only by proper treatment at the proper time and for proper treatment, proper diagnosis is essential. If the ailment is addressed at the initial stage it can be cured easily and surely but if is ignored and allowed to deteriorate it would require a big operation and even then the recovery could not be ensured. If a normal democratic process had been initiated at the inception of Pakistan by holding fair and free elections and the ‘smooth’ transfer of power to the true representatives of the people was made mandatory, the country could have been saved from many chronic diseases it is suffering from today. Holding comparatively better elections today and showing relatively positive attitude in the making of governments, especially by the representatives of Punjab, seems encouraging but it is too little too late. It is like treating a malignant disease with the prescription for a benign ailment. Political parties, particularly the PML-N and PPP, since they have ruled Pakistan alternatively, are definitely responsible for the disorder and disarray this country is in and the lethal threats people of this region are facing, such as terrorism, religious extremism, sectarian and ethnic conflicts, war-like situation with neighbours, poverty, and so on. But it is not only for their misgovernance and petty squabbles but for the construction and character of the state. And for this the bureaucracy (civil and military) also bears a big responsibility. Pakistan came into existence on the basis of the 1940 Lahore Resolution, subsequently called the ‘Pakistan Resolution’. This covenant, passed by the General Council of the Muslim League revolved around, and asked for, regional autonomy, not the enforcement of an ‘Islamic System’. In fact, from M A Jinnah’s 14 points before the Simon Commission in 1928 up to 1946, the Muslim League’s campaign (or Tehreek-e-Pakistan) was based on the question of autonomy. The most important part of the 1940 resolution says, “…the constituent units shall be sovereign and autonomous.” But for the last 66 years the Pakistani state has traversed just the opposite direction. It has been turned into a highly centralised and dictatorial regime ruled by the (Punjab-Muhajir dominated) bureaucracy (civil and military) and supported by the feudal and mullah. To achieve this the name of religion was misused, the question of autonomy was replaced by the slogan of Islamisation and the sovereignty of (the people of) the ‘constituent units’ was substituted with ‘sovereignty of God’. And this term ‘sovereignty of God’ has been repeatedly and unscrupulously exploited by the rulers, particularly dictators who all (Ayub Khan, Ziaul Haq and Pervez Musharraf) used the same sentence: ‘God has chosen me to rule you.’ And the result is ‘today’s Pakistan’ being described as ‘one of the most dangerous countries to live in.’ To change all this not superficial; a profound change is needed. Not only a change of party/person at the helm but change of attitude, behaviour and character is required. During the election campaign almost all the leaders of the major political parties of Pakistan boasted about change but none divulged the specifics. Either the comprehension of change was lacking or the will or commitment was not there. If and when you genuinely want to change something, first of all, you have to mention what you want to change and why. Then how and with whose support you want to bring in the change. And finally what you intend to bring instead. Most important of all, before striding on the road of change you have to confess and concede that you have made a mistake, you have done a wrong. Nothing of this sort was seen in Pakistan. No one even dared to mention that we have abandoned the goal enshrined in the founding covenant (of 1940) and we have deviated from the path promised during the campaign for the creation of the country. They are championing change (the current PM even claimed revolution) but at the same time they are trying to appease the forces of the status quo. For them, perhaps, good intentions are a sufficient weapon to win the war and their wishes and whims will play the magic. A very old and famous saying comes to mind: ‘If my horse ran with the speed of my wishes, Delhi is not far away.’ They are victims of subjective thinking, ignorant of the power of objective conditions. This is giving them the benefit of the doubt and belief in their ‘innocent intentions’, keeping aside for the moment the unavoidable class interests and the irresistible imperialist greed. So if you want to make amends and bring real change, change the basic character of the state and the attitude and behaviour of those running the state. Match your words with deeds and prove your intentions with corresponding acts. If you want genuine peace in and around the area called Pakistan, progress and prosperity of the peoples inhabiting it and friendly and cooperative relations between them, then it is imperative to abandon the old course and start afresh on the right path. And the first step in the right direction would be to recognise and declare publicly that: 1) Pakistan is a multi-national state; 2) the constituent units are sovereign and autonomous, and 3) religion, being a personal matter, has nothing to do with the state affairs. The writer is Chairman of Jeay Sindh Mahaz and can be reached at junejolaw@gmail.com