Daily Times

With the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215, England set itself on the path to becoming the first country ever to savour a stable society and sustainable growth.

The process that was initiated back then, culminated in the establishment of a parliament in 1265, and reached its apogee with the glorious revolution of 1688. It would take another two hundred years for the Reform Acts to be passed. The foundation of a pluralistic and inclusive political and economic system would eventually lead to the birth of the Industrial revolution in Britain.

The Industrial Revolution joined the Black Death and Trans-Atlantic trade as periods known as critical junctures. These are a point in a country’s history that completely revolutionize its future, either for good or bad. These junctures, combined with little institutional variations have a profound impact on a country’s progress or decline.

Not all effects of such junctures can be called positive. As an example, the Trans-Atlantic trade was of great benefit to Britain, yet it turned out to be West Africa’s curse. It gave rise to the slave trade (the Western coast was even called the Slave Coast) and a transfer of resources from these relatively weak states to the British Empire. The effects of this practice still have an impact on African, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries today, while countries like the US, UK and France etc still benefit from its after-effects.

Now, this article is no way going to compare the magnitude of the above mentioned historical moments with my next point, yet the recent General Elections, and the success of the PTI and Imran Khan can also be construed as a critical juncture in Pakistan’s history. This was the third successive democratic transition and nothing like this has been witnessed in the country ever before. Our politics and economy are at a crossroads and now it is time for our cricketer-turned politician new prime Minister to fulfil his many campaign promises, and steer the country away from the economic instability, political decadence and societal failure prevalent in the country, towards a pluralistic democracy and  sustained economic growth.

There has been a lot of fuss over the role of the Establishment in the success of the PTI in the elections. Local and international media were rife with reports on how the elections were manipulated or rigged in order to make sure Imran Khan emerged as the victor

There has been a lot of fuss over the role of the Establishment in the success of the PTI in the elections. Local and international media were rife with reports on how the elections were manipulated or rigged in order to make sure Imran Khan emerged as the victor in the end. While some are concerned with his alleged ‘soft corner’ for the Taliban, others are more concerned with his abrasive and obstinate personality. India has been especially vocal in their disdain for the Prime Minister elect, considering him a difficult man to deal with.

However, many of these fears were alleviated after Khan’s first address to the nation. He looked and talked like a leader with a vision and goal in mind. He debunked many conspiracies regarding any possible “political vengeance” against his opposing parties, and even offered to approve the requests of the defeated candidates for a vote re-count after allegations of rigging. On the foreign policy front, he made it very clear that he wanted improved relations with the US and Afghanistan, invited India “to sit on the table” and solve problems through dialogue, and also underlined the significance of Pakistan-China friendship.

Until or unless pluralism is infused into the democratic system, there will not be any sustainable and significant alteration to the way governments in Pakistan have functioned since its inception. For example in Zimbabwe, when Mugabe’s forces took over, it was assumed that he would work for the betterment of the people and state. However, the vicious cycle of the extractive institutions swallowed his aims, and he decided to continue with them as they severed his purposes of maintain control and power. The same happened in many other countries worldwide including Sierra Leone and Argentina, and in all these cases, the primary reason for this state of affairs was the unequal distribution of power.

Pakistan has seen somewhat similar circumstances. There are a select number of powerful families and political groups that have made sure to keep power in their own hands, and the only thing to change over the past few years are the faces; the policies and the performance of all these governments and state institutions has been exactly the same. If we are truly determined to live in a Naya Pakistan, we have to change things, and pronto. As Henry Ford once said, “If you always do what you have always done; you will always get what you have always got”.

Imran Khan and his party possess the skills, capabilities and the will to bring about real change in the country. Let’s hope that they can introduce a pluralistic version of democracy in Pakistan that will lead to strong, independent and effective institutions that can, in turn, lead to a sustained period of growth and progress. It is time to seize this critical juncture and make the most of it, while we can.

The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at osamarizvi10@hotmail.com

Published in Daily Times, August 17^th 2018.