Daily Times

‘I will break your legs’ is a threat that is widely used in Punjab and is very effective in intimidating the ordinary folks. Breaking legs is a bailable offence but it has long term crippling effects. Over the years, we have been crippled as a nation, while the offenders keep getting bail after bail. When the fourth ‘usurper’ was being tried under Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan, he was not only bailed out but also allowed to leave the country. Now the so-called elected viceroy of Pakistan has adopted the same escape route to freedom after financially crippling the nation.

The process of crippling started with the murder of the first elected prime minister (PM) in 1951. What followed was a tussle between the forces of change and the colonial status quo. Rule by brute force took complete control of the republic, turning it into a ‘Vicegerent Dominion’, reporting or being answerable to no one. A chain of self-appointed’viceroys’ started with BabuGhulam Muhammad and Babu Iskander Mirza, and then General Ayub Khan emerged on the scene. The process has continued unabated since then; ‘break legs, cripple the nation and rule’ has been the approach.

As a nation can we recover from this crippled state?

Unfortunately, handicapped individuals cannot put up a good fight back. The handicaps have to be addressed and overcome before building resistance. Several unsuccessful attempts have been made to overcome this shortcoming. Article 25-A of the Constitution declared literacy to be the right of the citizen to be provided within a decade. Viceroy Zia-ul-Haq removed the time clause. After wasting about three decades the right was restored through the 18th Amendment. Every five-year-old child had to be in school by August 2017; that has not happened. Today, my friend, the minister for primary education, announced that the city of Lahore needs 1,000 new schools. Universal primary coverage is the first step in the crusade for literacy.

As breaking of legs is a Punjabi barak (threat), the shifting of capital from the city of Quaid to close to Viceroy Ayub Khan’s village in Haripur was the first widespread effective crippling attack. Karachi was mini Pakistan that reflected the image of the new republic. East Pakistan and the smaller provinces were unhappy with that move to cripple the nation and to enforce ‘dande ki hakumat'(rule by force) by Viceroy III.

My father, a worker of the Pakistan Movement, always believed that one must stand up and fight before being crippled. Unfortunately, there is no one left to fight back for the suffering masses. Despite his popular support, the PM has realised the deep-rooted effects of the crippling process. Only crippled people can be subjected to this blatant abuse.

Agriculture and rural development holds the key to development. Unfortunately, this sector has been widely ignored

In the US, it is widely believed that crippling is worse than death as the suffering is prolonged. There was a high profile case of trespassing in the US. For the purpose of stealing a thief jumped over the fence, an automated bullet hit his him and he was incapacitated. He went to the court to claim damages as the fence had no warning signs. The lifelong injury was much beyond the crime he had committed. The court decided in his favour. Now warning signs are posted on all fences and protected areas. Even thieves have rights in civilised societies while in an autocratic set-up like ours neither people nor courts matter.

The self-appointed viceroys of Pakistan have played a pivotal role in crippling the nation. The country has experienced very short periods of democracy and growth. The list of Viceroys include: (I) Ghulam Muhammad, (II) Iskander Mirza, (III) Ayub Khan, (IV) Yahya Khan, (V) Zia-ul-Haq, (VI) Ghulam Ishaq Khan, (VII) Mian Nawaz Sharif (Viceroy-in-waiting), (VIII) Asif Zardari (Viceroy-in-waiting), and (IX) Pervez Musharraf. These nine individuals have been responsible for crippling the nation. Some of them have built family empires that are now being investigated.

Both Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the first governor-general, and Khawaja Nazimuddin, served the nation well. Jinnah built property through his flourishing law practice. After his death his sister lived in the Jinnah House, Karachi, while the serving Corps Commander occupies his house in Lahore. The Jinnah House in Bombay is a highly priced property and is being litigated for ownership by the governments of India and Pakistan and Jinnah’s heirs.

A crippled nation that cannot stand on its own feet has no future. Recently, the PM has issued a statement that half of the tax collection of the country is consumed by debt servicing. Up until 1958 Pakistan was debt-free; this trap was laid during the regime of Viceroy III and has continued since then to touch heights during the regimes of the Viceroys-in-waiting.

Development of nuclear capability and strong, battle-hardened forces has ensured the nation’s external security, but internally, there is a state of collapse. Very few individuals have the capacity to stand up and demand their rights.

Agriculture and rural development holds the key to development. Unfortunately, this sector has been widely ignored. Focus has been on developing a few mega cities. Instead of an agro-based industry, focus has been on low value added exports. Mafias continue to exploit the growers to their own advantage while the state helplessly watches.

Genghis Khan conquered the world on the strength of his horse driven cavalry. It was his speed and movement that was unstoppable. The Chinese had to build a wall to protect themselves. Alexander conquered the world with his ability to move. He overcame the Elephants of Porus that trampled their own army out of fear of his charge. As a nation we have to get organised and prepare to take on these ‘white elephants’ that have ruled over us. Lessons of history should be reviewed and analysed to overcome our handicaps. For the future of our coming generations this phenomenon of crippling has to be overcome and reversed. Only able and healthy nations that can move with speed rise;the rest remain crippled and eventually perish.

The writer is the former chairman of the Pakistan Science Foundation