Daily Times

Hurling abuse and invective have long served as substitutes for reason and reality in India-Pakistan relations. For Pakistan, India is the mortal enemy and existential threat. To advocate otherwise invites criticism or worse. The enormous national cost of maintaining the military deterrence against India receives scant attention. Arguably, the 70 years unremitting hostility with India has stunted Pakistan’s social and economic development.

Pakistan’s response to its obsession with India is that it has no choice. The country is responding to Indian hostility. It is worth considering, however, that perhaps for its part, India is pursuing a ‘tit-for-tat’ strategy for Pakistani provocations. Furthermore, it could be that four pointless wars, terrorist attacks on Indian Parliament, the subsequent attacks in India, including Mumbai and their linkages to Pakistan-based terrorist organisations has hardened India’s position towards Pakistan. India has its share of blame for the mutual enmity. Regrettably, of late, India’s defence buildup and diplomatic pressure have heightened Pakistan’s insecurities. Indian policies have helped embolden the hardliners and chauvinists on both sides.

That said, India’s growing diplomatic, economic and military influence is weighing on Pakistan; clearly, the cost of maintaining parity with India is high and untenable. Pakistan’s effort to internationalise the Kashmir issue has largely failed. But India’s attempt to brand Pakistan as a terror-sponsoring state has gained traction. After 9/11, the international focus shifted from fostering human rights to fighting terrorism. Pakistan has failed to adjust its policies to conform to this new reality. It has acquired the dubious reputation of being a victim of terrorism but also, importantly, a safe-haven for cross-border terrorist groups.

In its bid to counter India, Pakistan has turned into an ideological Islamic state. It doesn’t look like the democratic welfare state it was originally intended to be. The Islamic identity manufactured to counter India has turned into a liability

Moreover, in its bid to counter India, Pakistan has turned into an ideological Islamic state. It doesn’t look like the democratic welfare state for Indian Muslims as intended. The Islamic identity manufactured to counter India has turned into a liability. A good example is Pakistan’s notorious blasphemy laws, passed during the Islamisation drive. These laws are a tool used in the appalling treatment of religious minorities in the country. Pakistan’s ideology concocted by the religious lobby and the Punjab dominated military-civilian establishment has irreparably damaged the multi-ethnic and multi-sectarian polity in the country. In contrast, India’s firm democratic credentials and secular roots are appealing to the international community. However, the impact of Hindu fundamentalism could alter this opinion.

Political adversaries, Jinnah and Nehru agreed on collaboration. Sadly, today the sane counsel offered by these leaders is of little use. Jinnah said,”Our object should be peace within and peace without. It is of vital importance to Pakistan and India as independent, sovereign states to collaborate in a friendly way to jointly defend their frontiers, both on land and sea against any aggression. If we can put our house in order internally, then we may be able to play a very great part externally in all international affairs.”

Nehru said,” Their geographical position being what it is, India and Pakistan cannot help playing an important role in Asia. If India and Pakistan follow more or less a common policy, it will make a big difference today. If India and Pakistan follow a contrary policy and are opposed to each other, they will obviously be neutralising each other and cannot play that role. Any common sense approach to the matter shows that India and Pakistan can only do great harm to both.”

Some questions: Can Pakistan, with over 60 million people living below the poverty line sustain an annual defence budget against India) of $9 billion (official)? Can the economy afford chronic power shortages, which cost the country 6 per cent of its GDP a year? Can the country continue to live with some of the worst global ibndicators for health, literacy and population growth? In fact, these abysmal statistics continue to sap the foundations of Pakistani society. They underscore the need for Pakistan to address the issues that millions of its citizens face in their day-to-day life. Historically, a certain road to ruin is using scarce resources to expand military power to fight costly wars.

Instead, Pakistan must address abject poverty and religious fanaticism pushing the region towards a conflagration. The country should focus on economic growth, human security, and good governance. This should improve the quality of life for its citizens. Also, Pakistan desperately needs sound economic management. It has to reduce the investment gap through major foreign direct investment required to spur high growth rates. Obviously, these measures are better implemented through peace rather than war or the threat of conflict. An economically thriving Pakistan with a prosperous population and strong democratic institutions is the best guarantee for the continued existence of the country. This outcome requires finding common ground and getting over the unhealthy national obsession with India.

The writer can be reached at shgcci@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, September 23^rd 2017.