Daily Times

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was reflective of aspirations of people of Pakistan and Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control. He stated: “Pakistan fully supports the demand of the Kashmiri people for self-determination, as promised to them by several Security Council resolutions. The people of Kashmir have waited 70 years for implementation of this promise.” Some politicians and commentators have criticised him for not raising the issue of India’s support to terrorists and dissidents to destabilise Pakistan.

Indeed, it would have been better if Sharif had told the international community about India’s alleged state terrorism and the arrest of Kulbushan Yadev, who was allegedly behind terror acts in Pakistan. However, the performance of the foreign affairs advisor, the foreign office and the Pakistani envoy is better as this time around they appear to have intensified efforts to expose India.

In the past, Pakistan government and its functionaries were found wanting in countering Indian propaganda that Pakistan was sponsoring terrorism in Afghanistan and India. Many opportunities to expose India were lost because of lackadaisicalness and ineptness of foreign office as well as our leadership. They have been talking about evidence of Indian agencies’ vile acts, and were satisfied in giving dossiers to the US president and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. On Thursday, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said: “UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was shocked and stunned after seeing pictures of injured Kashmiris and taking a look at evidence of Indian brutalities in the Indian-held Kashmir.” Can anybody imagine how ‘innocent’ or ill-informed the secretary general of the United Nations is? In fact, the UN sees and acts what the US wants it to see and reflect; otherwise, statements are issued in a routine manner.

The Pakistani envoy had forwarded a dossier to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that contained evidence of Indian oppression in the occupied Kashmir. Given the track record of the United Nations, one should not pin any hope on it, as big powers exert influence over its decisions. The misuse of the veto power of the permanent members of the UNSC was the reason for the Security Council’s inability to maintain international peace. The glaring example was the use of veto-power on various resolutions on Kashmir and Palestine by former Soviet Russia and the US respectively. The resolutions passed by the Security Council could not be implemented because superpowers were not serious enough due to India’s size and market of 1.2 billion people. How correct was the perception of the Greek historian Thucidides when he famously said: “The strong do as they can, and the weak suffer as they must.”

Anyhow, what Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said about the root causes of terrorism was indeed appreciable. He said: “We will not win the fight against terrorism and violent extremism so long as we do not address their root causes. These lie in poverty and ignorance, political and social injustice and oppression, foreign intervention and occupation and denial of the legitimate rights of peoples and nations, especially the right to self-determination.” Of course, some of the United Nations’ programmes do help the impoverished sections of people in different countries, but UN’s role in resolving the disputes between the countries has not been satisfactory. In fact, five permanent members of the UNSC decide what is to be done. They have had differences, especially over Iraq when the US formed the “Coalition of the Willing.” In regard to Syria also, they stand divided.

Pakistan is confronted with a myriad of problems, all complex and gigantic. Pakistan faces economic challenges vis-à-vis fiscal deficit, trade deficit, current account deficit, and according to government’s own economic survey, it could not meet the targets. To make up the shortfall, Pakistan has to depend on the US, IMF and the World Bank. And it is the dependency syndrome that has given rise to many problems. To get rid of the dependency syndrome, efforts have to be made to make Pakistan self-reliant. Government will have to fix its priorities as to what needs to be done and what to take up first, and then set out earnestly to pursue those priorities vigorously. Otherwise, government would be overwhelmed by the mind-boggling multiplicity of the problems and get bogged down, ending up solving none.

Improving law and order and overcoming energy crisis are imperative for revival of sagging national economy, which in turn will help create job opportunities. The administration has to tighten up its faltering law-enforcement apparatus not to leave any chinks in its armour for terrorists to resurge to inflict deadly strikes on our innocent citizens. Indeed, the army has successfully destroyed the infrastructure and network of terrorists. However, there is much to be desired on this front, and the administration needs to plug in the holes urgently to make its defence impregnable. The nation has displayed rare unity in rejecting religious shysters, extremists and terrorists, and is determined to eliminate terrorism and extremism in every form and manifestation. Furthermore, the judiciary, media and civil society have to keep a watch in the wake of stunning scams of sleaze and bribery, especially at higher echelons of government and widespread corruption in administrative rungs.

Sallust, the Roman historian, one of the great Latin literary stylists and a great philosopher argues: “By union the smallest states thrive. By discord the greatest are destroyed.” Pakistan has all the ingredients — fertile landmass, four seasons, two deep-sea ports and, above all, hard working people who not only could make it thrive but also make it a great nation. Unfortunately, during the last seven decades, members of the ruling elite ruled the roost and failed to create unity between the federating units. However, it is imperative to take measures to build up confidence of the nation, strengthen our political system and institutions, develop a dynamic and sustainable growth, eradicate corruption, provide timely justice, increase employment opportunities, seek consensus based political solutions, and resolve ethnic, sectarian and religious fault lines. In fact, there is need to bring about a basic change in the system to ensure social justice in society.

The writer is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at mjamil1938@hotmail.com