Daily Times

Like most countries, Pakistan also suffers from ‘Instant Results Syndrome’ (IRS). Deliverers are the ones who suffer most from this misgiving. In the end, short term greed prevails over long drawn gains of the nation. Since October 1958 when the first usurper took control of the country in the name of development, common good became uncommon. Nation building came to a grinding halt. It was through his political outfit, Pakistan Muslim League (Convention) that greed was institutionalized in politics. The Chaudhrys of Gujrat, Wattoos of Okara etc. were introduced during this period. The phenomena continued unabated. Then came PML(N), PML(Q), MMA etc. through which greed driven political leadership was propelled into power through GHQ of its time.

Ground realities remain grim. Either its stranglehold is not fully understood or compromises take place, reforms remain a pipe dream. There is a list of evergreen cabinet members, those individuals who have managed to remain in the corridors of power forever. I am sure they are fully aware of the ground conditions. The big question being, Is there any motivation for change and what planning has been done for this purpose?

Today (April 04, 2019) is the 40th death anniversary of the first post independence elected Prime Minister (PM) of the country. Early morning this day in 1979 he was hanged to death at the Chaklala jail in Rawalpindi. Now the entire structure has been demolished, the area has been turned into a public park, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) came prepared to build ‘Awami Pakistan’ his government was called ‘Awami Hakumat’. When the police in Punjab and KPK protested against his pro people and open door policies, they were dealt with an iron hand. Under threat of dismissal from service they retained back to duty much before the deadline. People believe that he tried to do too much in too little time, opening too many fronts as such all the anti-people forces got together to get rid of the Quaid-e-Awam. As he was financially clean he had to be physically eliminated from the political arena while the Sharif brothers were allowed to live in asylum in Jeddah.

In 1950 when Pakistan was under an elected PM, there was no debt. State expenses were contained. Focus was to serve the people. Against the Pakistani Rupee, the worth of Indian currency was 11 Anna 2 Paisa. The slide started with the assassination of the founder PM. Finally when the first usurper took reigns of the country in October 1958 he promised instant results. Instead of nation building the focus shifted to empire building which has continued unabated since then. In the words of the revered economist Dr. Mahbub-ul-Haq, “With the rising tide all boats big or small should rise”. Unfortunately in the land of the pure the rich got richer leaving the poor behind. Today a vast majority is in a survival mode, unwilling and unable to suffer for long term common good.

Scholars in the Islamic World differ on the concept of ‘Mashala’ or ‘Mashalat’. In the absence of ‘Ijtehad’ to cover new and changed situations ‘Mashala’ is exercised for wider common good to protect life, property and freedom of the people. In Iran while most religious leaders compromised with the Shah, Imam Khomeini did not. He believed only in black and white, grey areas were unacceptable to him. Finally he was able to topple the policeman of the Middle East. Today the country is an Islamic Republic (Islamic Republic of Iran) where the entire political leadership in elected.

Men are stupid ungrateful, loyal to neither good sense or wisdom. They will tolerate tyrants for years and generations without so much as a whimper. But from their deliverers they expect instant results, instant miracles. Men can only be controlled by unchecked greed spaced thinly not common sense liberally spoken, says Niccolo Machiavelli, Adviser to the Prince His Master

After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the country went through a transition. Due to the Iran-Iraq war the republic had piled up an external debt of about $20 billion which they decided to pay off after the hostilities were stopped and their currency was grossly devalued. While ensuring that the needs of the common man are met, across the board austerity measures were introduced. Iranian officials who travel abroad do not incur expenses in foreign currency. They are required to travel on Iran Air and stay at the embassy without spending a single dollar, TA, Da is all in local money.

Imran Khan is indeed a deliverer. He has no personal interests to pursue or empire to build like his predecessors. He does not even have an heir apparent, perhaps his nephew and founder of the Insaf Students Wing comes closest. In pursuit of long term common good the man in the street is hurt. He is unwilling and unable to sacrifice for long term gains. There is definitely an instant result syndrome as his basic survival is threatened with the rising costs of essential commodities. Everyone agrees that the PM means well but the downtrodden are unwilling to carry the additional burden. They feel that they are being burdened for the sins of the past rulers who were inducted into power against their wisdom in the first place. Now they feel that the PM represents them, he is duty bound to protect their both short and long term interests. The road map to ‘Naya Pakistan’ needs a serious review as the burden is being shared unevenly. Those who plundered must be punished and the looted bounty recovered from them. Till that time the common man has to survive to see the new dawn of a prosperous and debt free Pakistan as it was till the fifties. Like ZAB, Imran has massive public support, people now expect to be served not cornered by unbearable rising prices of basic commodities needed for day to day survival. With the prevailing sufferings the light at the end of the tunnel is getting dimmer by the day, immediate relief is awaited. As always I am confident that Kaptaan will rise to the occasion and deliver on his promises to the suffering people of the republic, they look forward to his benevolence not additional burden that they cannot bear.

The writer is Ex-Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation