Daily Times

Short cuts have become embedded in our national psyche – both as individuals and at the national level.

We seek expediency to gain wealth, success, or status legitimate or illegal. No one cares whether the chosen path is causing pain to others, everyone is out to grab. Simply put, for nearly three quarters of a century we have willfully chosen the “law of jungle”.

Respect nowadays is measured by wealth, or power that can create nuisance or can harm others. Values have been distorted over time. Grooming through education was the hallmark of respectability. Nameplates would read “BA or MA” at the end. These values have degenerated over time. It is the location and size of your house, the make of your car, the watch you adorn, or the wad of cash you flash around. That determines respectability. This value system goes all the way to the top leaders.

A look at the journey of Pakistan may shed some light on what went wrong. Within 10 years of Partition, our leadership was usurped by a military dictator. Since then, the country has had either dictators or their protégés. Those who opposed them were either brutalized or demolished. The moral trajectory continues to spiral downwards.

To understand better, let us bifurcate the rulers between dictators and their protégés. Ayub, Yahya, Zia and Musharraf usurped power through the barrel of the gun. Barring Ayub, the other three seized power when the civil unrest was at its peak against civilian rulers who happened to be protégés of an earlier dictator. These dictators started out espousing reform and justice, promising a cleanup of the system and return to civilian rule.

Playing musical chairs, the Sharifs came in with a vengeance determined to make a fortune equal to or more than the Saudi royalty

Once in control they all realized how much fun it was. Power is highly addictive. However, the outside world viewed them as usurpers. They needed legitimacy to prolong their rule. So, they searched and found politicians willing to sell their souls to become a part of the power structure. Submission was part of the deal. Without popular support these dictators were vulnerable and international powers would not let them forget it. In return they chose expediency and offered to work for their agendas. National pride and self-respect took a back seat.

However, one would have thought that the protégés who came to power through the ballots would follow a different course. Unfortunately, not. Each time the Bhuttos or the Sharifs came to power it was with the blessings of the establishment, the US and the Arab Kingdoms. Despite popular mandate they could not resist the pressures exerted by the ‘mighty’ because they were severely compromised themselves.

We must bear in mind that every US dollar transacted goes through a clearance house in New York or another American financial hub. They have their lists of “persons of interest” whose transactions are tracked to be used at the right time. When Zardari or Sharif laundered their funds, they left their footprints making them extremely vulnerable to arm twisting.

Bhutto was a product of Ayub Khan, and Sharifs were raised in the nursery of General Zia. ZA Bhutto made a valiant attempt on the international scene to emerge as a statesman and a leader of the Muslim world. He was instrumental in arranging a dialogue between the Americans and the Chinese. He is credited with the launch of our atomic program. Somewhere along the line he faltered and ended being “made an example of …” through the hands of another Pakistani, General Zia.

His huge legacy was inherited by Benazir Bhutto making her the prime minister twice. However, competing with the Sharifs in acquiring wealth by any means tainted her legacy. It was further demolished in the tenure of President Zardari fixated with enriching himself and bowing to international pressures without a qualm. As a smart politician he circled his wagons and withdrew to controlling Sind by bringing in the 18th Amendment.

Playing musical chairs, the Sharifs came in with a vengeance determined to make a fortune equal to or more than the Saudi royalty they spent their exile with. His ability to hold up national prestige and self-respect was a non-starter given their corrupt profile known around the globe. They continue to survive on the inroads they made into the bureaucracy and judiciary. Multitudes of civilians are beneficiaries of their three decades of access to the corridors of power.

However, Providence finally gave a break to Pakistan, an undernourished, anemic and penniless state. It sought a turnaround, when after decades of struggle, PM Imran Khan took office. After three years of repair and reconstruction Pakistan is on track to progress towards a just, equitable society regaining stature and voice on the international scene.

Events in the region have again brought us into the limelight. The US is amidst a withdrawal from the second biggest war theatre after Vietnam. They need a face-saving strategy and want to use Pakistan as a tool as they have done numerous times before.

Pakistan’s response to US demands of “do more” has been met by a stern response from PM IK of “no more”. After a long time, Pakistanis can hold their heads high as a self-respecting nation. This is just the beginning, not the end. We will face severe challenges in the near future. Keeping this stance will require the whole nation to come together. The nation has to stand guard against national and international efforts to destroy our resolve and break away from our subservient ways of the past.

Hafeez Khan The writer is the director of CERF, a non-profit, charitable organisation in Canada