Daily Times

When the ultimate hiding place of dictators is a hole in the ground, as was the case with Saddam Hussain, or a concrete drainage pipe, as was the case with Colonel Qaddafi, it can be said that the age of authoritarianism is over. In the case of Pakistan, where the military ruled over the country for almost half of the country’s age, if a military dictator seeks refuge in a foreign country to save his life, it can be said that the age of military dictatorship in Pakistan is also over.

The gradual force of evolution is transforming the world. As apparent, the people inhabiting the developing countries are finally getting enamoured of the fruits of democracy, liberty, human rights and social justice. Now these are not considered luxuries available to the citizens of the industrialised world. Instead, these are now deemed needs of the citizens of the oil-rich and agro-based developing countries. A big plus with Pakistan is that democracy is a heritage — a necessary virtue attached to Pakistan since its birth.

In the past, the dictators and monarchs of the Middle East banked on nationalism to establish and perpetuate their rule. In the post-1991 era, however, the science of telecommunication severed this relationship and, by bridging the physical distance, constructed the idea of a global citizen. In this way, the boundaries of nationalism submitted to the forces of internationalism. Further, in the past, anti-imperial slogans made dictators popular in the hearts of their subjects. Now, the idea of individual liberty and rights is taking precedence over all other notions. No country of the world is immune to the sway of globalisation — the world is a village — and no one can refute becoming a global citizen. Hence, the world has entered not only the phase of global oneness but also the era of individualism.

In the case of Pakistan, when General Pervez Musharraf imposed the second martial law of his tenure on November 3, 2007, he failed to garner support even from his western allies. Musharraf and his cronies also tried their best to sell the slogan of ‘national interests’ or ‘Pakistan first’ to Pakistanis but failed miserably. The hue and cry of the Pakistanis reverberated at the international level. The western allies of Musharraf could only offer him refuge in the UK. In fact, Musharraf contrived his own undoing and then fled for his life.

One act of self-immolation done by a young educated Tunisian, Mohammad Bouaziz, who was compelled by circumstances to sell fruit and vegetables instead of having a job, has changed the political landscape of the Middle East. It is individualism that is shaping the politics of the Middle East. Dictators are on the run. The fate of one dictator is a lesson for the others to appreciate what end the future holds for them. Further, it also seems that educated Muslims are fast shedding the fatalistic approach that they would remain poor and deprived because they were predestined to be so. Today’s Muslim youth have become aware of the recompense of their hard work and they demand it as a right.

The act of self-immolation performed by the Tunisian was a reflection of the entrenched frustration of the Tunisians at their system. The ensuing revolution across the Middle East is indicative of the fact that the masses are seething with anger against the incumbent regimes. A revolution cannot be ‘manufactured’ unless reinforced vehemently by its stakeholders: the masses. The Arab Spring is also anti-corruption in nature, as it is targeting those that deceived and fleeced the public and hoarded wealth. The rebels have laid down their lives to make the revolution successful. One gets ready to sacrifice one’s life only when one is certain of the justice of one’s cause. The yearning for change cannot be manipulated from outside unless it is desired ardently by insiders. If free and fair elections are held and corruption is brought under control, Pakistan may become a heaven on earth to live in.

The Arab Spring is a telling reminder that the contours of the social contract forging a citizen-state bond are changing. The concept of global citizenship has made a citizen stronger and a state weaker. In the past, the citizens were treated as subjects. The state was considered the benefactor of all happiness and wealth to a citizen. Further, a citizen had to rely on the munificence of the state for his survival. Now, the situation is in reverse. It is individualism that is making the state subservient to it.

Pakistanis are also being swept along by this phenomenon and have been demanding rightful health and education facilities be made available to them. Expatriate Pakistanis are contributing $ 13 billion annually to the country’s GNP. The forthcoming general elections will be a test case to gauge the quality of effect the Arab Spring has produced on Pakistanis. The election results will also determine whether Pakistanis can stage only long marches and sit-ins or they are capable of bringing about a change through the ballot paper.

Democratically, Pakistan is still older than the countries of the Middle East. Nevertheless, Pakistan has not travelled too far from the starting point. It is just meandering around through tunnels of trial and error. Pakistan has taken time to decide that it cannot be run by a theocracy. Secondly, the presidential form of government cannot be established. Thirdly, the military has no right to govern the country. Fourthly, Pakistanis crave becoming global citizens.

In short, 65 years after its formation, Pakistan has arrived at the conclusion that it has to be a modern democratic country practising the parliamentary form of government. Pakistan should also learn to buy books and not guns for its populace.

The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at qaisarrashid@yahoo.com