A
country seeded by Sir Iqbal, materialised by Jinnah, made religious by Gen Zia,
militarised by America, united by enemy Hindu India and in love with a burning
Kashmir, Pakistan, shows more signs of problems than solutions.
ITS
PROBLEMS
1.
Religious 2. Political 3. Economic 4. Legal 4. Social 5. Kashmir
1.
RELIGIOUS PROBLEMS:
Though
West predicted Pakistan with strong monotheism would progress and polytheist
India would disintegrate, almost airing 'monotheism gone wrong', Pakistan sees
the consequence of mono's 'my way is right'. First the non Semitic minority
Hindus felt the pinch of 'not one of us', then with the rise of Islamic
identity even the people of the book - Christians felt the pinch as 'the
others' or even as 'of decadent West'. And when the purity scale arrived
Ahmadiyyas and then the Shias found themselves on the wrong side of purity. But
then, despite passing the sect test, the safest majority Sunni, couldn't claim
immunity either. The westernised among them, who traced the father of the
nation, and the cricketer Sachin praising reporters were not pure enough, and awaited
persecution. With the coming of drones, however, the ones who felt purest of
the pure, and who dictated who wasn't Muslim enough - the AL-Qaida group -
didn't feel safe either. Feeling the pinch, suddenly, they felt forced to
secretly talk with the state.
In
the triple inherited values of Indian, Islamic and British roots that it
shares, neglecting the first yet almost showing a clash between the 2nd and the
3rd, it finds itself torn between the duty of following Sharia and the
temptation of tracing British philosophies. No wonder, despite freedom, while
the struggle for Ummah isn't seen, that which is seen is an illusion - neither
here nor there assertion, 'Nothing will be passed against Islam'. On the other
hand, almost as monotheism gone wrong, religious Pakistan finds itself
struggling with forced conversions and bombings of temples, churches and
mosques.
2.
POLITICAL PROBLEMS. Like the non-matching of 'Sir' and 'for Muslim' of Sir
Iqbal, and 'for Muslims' and 'secularism' of Jinnah - unless explained by
divide and rule, Pakistan's principle of origin has been on a little shaky
ground. While the lonesome death of the nation's creator, Jinnah, showed the
power struggle at the start, it also heralded the country's future course.
Though united by hostility towards India, almost tracing that end of Jinnah,
there has always been a clash between the civilian and the army. Making
American double standard easy, it has seen more army rule than democracy. And
when democracy did get chances, while powerless ones dint vote as Ms Bhutto
once bitterly found out or voted the same corrupt parties, powerful ones dint
respect the majority verdict of East Pakistan (Seikh Mujib).
Although
internal squabbles haven't benefit it, external ones certainly have. Even airing
opposite poles attract, while China's squabble with India made it China's
buddy, America's squabble with China/ Russia brought an American hug. Enhancing
hostility, these external squabbles, however, lessened internal ones.
3.
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS:
Being
the recipient of cash from USA, China, Saudi and the IMF, Pakistan always had a
good amount of cash in its coffers. In fact, once its currency even boasted
better value than the Indian Rupee. But then, as if following 'What goes up
must come down' its value has fallen. While instead of share prices its rich
and poor gap has skyrocketed, reflecting that, its stock market value total's
less than that of India's Ambani brothers. This is despite the country being
endowed with intelligent hard working people, good natural resources and scenic
beauty. Although it has a fare share of refugee to deal with, almost reminding
global warming, that tragedy is man-made e.g. rampant terrorism and corruption,
ethnic tensions, distinct ruler-commoner split that disregards popular needs
and illiterate populace. While its 'ghost schools' offer no education, its
Madrasa education offers no productive force. And productive ones don't pay
taxes. Although, it receives enormous foreign aid (it is said Britons pay
Pakistani's tax), the army takes most of it, elite's corruption takes most of
the rest and ordinary folks take most of the accompanying troubles!
4.
LEGAL PROBLEMS:
Despite
the apparent disarray in the state, it does have both constitution and the law.
Being used to and in love with the British Laws, like India, it doesn't change
even archaic laws. Despite loyalty to nations not quite asked by Ummah, it
shies away from Sharia with an almost rhetorical, 'Nothing will be passed
against Islam'.
But
then, implementing Sharia isn't easy. Leaving whip-lashing to the Taliban, it
clings to Hudood laws that seeks 4 witness from a rape victim. Then again,
while implementation of this law doesn't help its rape epidemic, non
implementation of other laws don't help progress. In addition to delay and
corruption in justice delivery as in other nations, as if tracing raped women
fearing humiliation in its courts, its judges fear convicting terrorists.
Though this shows powerlessness, its 'They haven't supplied evidence' to the
alleged terrorism in India, shows the nation’s power. Either way terrorists get
a green light, become untouchable and roam fearlessly. And the killings
continue.
5.
SOCIAL PROBLEMS:
Despite
harbouring famous archaeological sites - Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, it remains divided
on ancestry - Middle Eastern and Indian. Albeit, ME origin does not bring
dividends from Saudi, where Pakistanis aren't treated well, it certainly helps
in the hostility towards India. Ethnic identity is, however, stronger and
governs people's ways. While Punjabis rule the army, and Sindhis rule business,
ungovernable remote NE has been busy with just being 'proud people'. Although,
'no to Pakistani and Indian rule' ones are just silent in Azad Kashmir, the
noisy Baloch who face humiliation as by having few Baloch in 'Baloch Regiment',
simply get persecuted. In general, however, almost like the split in ways of
its founding father and his followers, its social structure is also split into
western ways following elite and conservative rest.
Like
the following of law, not helping rape epidemic, the non following of law on
alcohol prohibition hasn't helped rampant alcoholism either. Distrust of fellow
Pakistani is quite high. While tired of forced conversion of their daughters
the minority Hindus try to flee to the Hindu east (India), tired of the rest
majority Muslims try to flee to the non Islamic West. Almost aired by bombing
of his residence, either way Jinnah's dream has failed.
6.
KASHMIR
It's
not that Kashmir is Pakistan's biggest problem because it has brought wars and
economic hardship, it's because, it has brought a huge amount of benefit. With
the sweet poison thus formed, Pakistan may not live without Kashmir but it
could die because of that sweetie pie.
THE BENEFITS KASHMIR BRINGS:
1.
National unity 2. Misplaced nostalgia 3. Domestic politics 4. The army factor
5. The external factor.
1. NATIONAL UNITY:
Almost
like the British carving out artificial nations in the Middle East, merging
people of different ethnicity, language, religion and culture on the basis of
majority, Muslims leaders artificially carved out Pakistan out of South Asia.
Not brought about by people's revolution like India, its weakest point has been
its unity. It therefore uses all means available towards this goal, and if it
offers benefit, it is loved. To this effect, while it made very few understood,
Persian focused Hindustani derivative Urdu as a common to all national
language, it made Hindu India as a common enemy uniting all. Not being a
Sanskritized derivative of Hindustani like Hindi, which is used in India, Urdu
also adds to hostility and unity through 'we are different'. Though, the use of
anti-Hindu/India text in schools adds to hostility, use of Kashmir struggle
adds more and unites Pakistanis most.
2.
MISPLACED NOSTALGIA
Although
the rulers of parts of India were Muslims, and some were emperors, they were
not local Muslims but foreigners. Leaving the surviving unconverted Hindus to
pay Jijya tax, the ruling foreigners converted many local Hindus to Islam. Far
from being rulers or even in the ruling class, these converts, however, were
not given the respect due to them by the ruling Muslim elite - as Saudi Arabia
does today. Albeit a still standing Hindu India, unlike Zoroastrians less
Persia and Christians less North Africa few decades following Islamic conquest,
has baffled the Islamic world, it does entice the need. Silent on killing of
African Muslims by Christians through Ummah, it, thus is vociferous on the
Kashmiri plight. Furthermore, either by instinct, trick or just nostalgia,
common identity with foreign rulers as Muslims is brought in to invoke 'We
ruled over the Hindus'. Uniting all, this nostalgia even boosts psychology. A
dream is thus strengthened and Kashmir lends the way.
3. DOMESTIC POLITICS:
Being
the only trusted institute that fights against the enemy, the army has prestige
and ego. Being the chosen people, almost like the Jews, politicians don't feel
any less either. While the latter, at times, have outsmarted the former in
taking Pakistan to war to settle that ego, being a voter garner, they have
invoked Kashmir at peace times too. Not realising its effect, while the senior
Bhutto said 'We will eat grass, but get the Atom bomb', possibly unknown to the
West, his Oxford educated sibling - the 'Daughter of the East', openly
supported terrorism in Kashmir. Kashmir simply brought votes, and organiser ISI
was not loved less than by the army.
4.
THE ARMY FACTOR:
With
partition seeing a genocide, its army was needed right at the start. When
hostility towards India gained national recognition, its need as defensive
institute enhanced even at peace times. When its cadres sacrificed lives in
war, it added respect, even if the war was lost. And when corruption engulfed
the nation, it became the only trusted institute. And when it put Pakistan
under its (army's) rule with little opposition, it had everything.
The
army’s need for the country is such that, without noise, it silently takes the
lion's share of foreign aid aided budget. While, this itself brings prestige,
irrespective of the joy of kickbacks, its buying of jet brings in the needed
national pride vis-a-vis India.
With
tension through Kashmir thus bringing all the goodies, the temptation would be
to make it a perennial source of conflict - a golden goose. Getting a green
light from politicians, who equally need it, it thus wouldn't mind abetting
Jihadist infiltration in Kashmir - using all supported powerful ISI. And when
additional funds arrive, recycling its Jihadist, it even makes a killing of the
Western heart.
5. THE FOREIGN ARMS SUPPLIERS:
With
'divide and rule' bolstering the weaker, and strategic location bolstering the
front liner, as a product of divide and rule and located strategically,
Pakistan gets a double whammy of interests. This is even from seemingly
opposite poles - USA and China. With Pax Britannica is slicing weaker free
dominion - not a free nation, as a part of divide and rule, and non aligned
India's flirtation with communist Russia irritating Pax America, Pakistan
suddenly felt loved by the great powers. In addition, strangely, while Pax
America still sees it as a frontline nation against Communism - China, China
sees it as a frontline state against India. Though love by the opposite poles
is strange, unless sex is involved, when arms sale is included in the equation,
it isn't. Almost as a win win situation for all, while arms selling states are
happy (not to mention pride in denigrating buying fools), receiving aid, arms
and kickbacks army gets elated. Being bought and not constructed, the formed
pseudo-ego vis-a-vis India adds to bliss. Arms race thus escalates and ego
inflation traces currency inflation. Hot Kashmir is, thus, good for all.
THE PROBLEMS KASHMIR BRINGS:
1. WARS:
The hostility brought by Kashmir is such that
losing precious lives and properties in wars with India, it has even lost East
Pakistan in one. Though, these wars have sent the country back several decades,
its elite remained immune.
2. PEACE TIMES:
It's not that no loss is made in
between the wars- the peace times. Creating a cold war, it is spent on
preparation for the next war- hardware shopping and the rest. Unlike the West
finding cold war enhance science and technology too, being buyer and not
researcher, it finds itself massively spending massive funds alone. Although
this brings 'made fools by big players', the cash back, army's importance and
bolstered pseudo-ego against India disregard it. For a focused mind, hostility
with India matters most. Parallel to swelling of the Pakistani chest, its debt,
foreigners pocket and rich poor gap swell too, and entrepreneurship sees no
light at the end of the tunnel.
2. JIHADI INFILTRATION:
The cold war isn't entirely cold here,
for Kashmir is made perennially hot through infiltration. Like USA not seeing
itself as the 2nd enemy after communism, its westernised elite don't see
themselves as the 3rd enemy of Jihadist after Hindu India and the USA. Seeing,
however, USA's amber light (not against us), it gives green light to its
training facilities in the east. Less known to its convent educated elite,
while its state schools churn out brain washed anti Hindu students, Madrasas
churn out action men to do jihad. These indoctrinated ones, either find their
way to Afghanistan or get sent to Kashmir as freedom fighters, after training.
Supported by politicians - even by the popular 'Daughter of the East', this is
organised by, both army and politicians favoured, ISI. While this keeps both
Kashmir and hostility through it alive, killing of the civilians of 'the other
party' fulfils revenge.
Although, USA is blamed for all its
ills, including for spousal splits - as a joke airs, when rightly paid, it
doesn't mind offering a friendly cheek to the Great Satan. Closing its eyes to
the Satan's drone droppings in its western front, baffling both the Great Satan
and the 'greatly' religious, it opens its eyes to its army's sporadic droppings
to target the abetted Jihadists. Although, the latter airs West's dirty work
done, like a doc draining abscesses, it brings the glamour of being part of
'fight against terror'. Additionally, with the recycling of Jihadist (creating
and killing) bringing money, Taliban to the negotiating table, a fulfilment of
revenge in Kashmir, and a playing field to rule over the confused Jihadi and
American minds, it forms a win win scheme. This pawn like use of the pious by
less pious (elite) simply looks brilliant. But then, forget the no receiving of
cash, the rest live and die in pain. In fact, with the routine
hostility/bombings, almost chronologically, enlisting fear in the hearts of
Hindus, Christians, Ahmadiyyas and then Shias, as aired by Jinnah's house
bombing, this playing with fire has brought fear in the hearts of less
practicing Sunni elite too. Suddenly, while inside the country, its citizens
feel more fear than Kashmiris, whom they want to liberate, outside this 'land
of pure' is regarded as exporter of terrorism. While frustration and fear
forces outward migration, as if pluralism is erasing hostility, earning need
forces migrants to baptise restaurants with the enemy- India name.
3. LOSS OF MARKET:
Albeit, gene study's 'Indian's share origin'
includes Pakistanis to solve Indian/ME origin dichotomy isn't certain, banned
Bollywood using Urdu's sanskritized brother Hindi is certainly changing it and
uniting both, at its cost. Forgetting wars that take it decades back, the big
chunk of budget flow to the army and elite, and terrorism at peace times leaves
its economy in tatters and products become few. The few products and
considerably more exportable talent that it has gets no Indian market due to
hostility enticed wars, mutual suspicion and restricted permissions.
4. NO TO SOLVING KASHMIR:
Whereas,
human rights violation from both sides - army and terrorists -in Kashmir is
clear, them voting for parties, enjoying more property rights than other Indians
and living much less fearful lives than terror effected Pakistanis is also
true. With it having scenic beauty and not lucrative 5 rivers as in Punjab or
petrol, large group wanting independent Kashmir and even larger group wanting
to remain Indians, getting Kashmir could just amount to a troublesome
Baluchistan. It may not mind another slice, but solving it fully or even
getting all of Kashmir that adds land but curtails perennial source, isn't an
option. The repeated attempts to solve it, therefore, either could be a game by
both parties or dimness on the part of India. Obama proposing to bargain only
shows innocence of Americans. Sadly, the saga just continues.
SOLUTION
Despite
bringing frustration, migration, wounded pride and a messy economy Kashmir is
still sweet for the elite, and therefore is the biggest problem of Pakistan.
Though gene study can settle 'origin' issue, solving Kashmir that lessens
hostility against India, as a national policy, can alone solve the problems of
Pakistan.
While
humane, pluralistic and non hostile teachings through it could produce
productive students, and cooperation induced inflow of tourist and outflow of
products to SAARC market could bring cash, reduced army budget could save
earned or borrowed cash- even enhance democracy. In the dichotomy of fully
Sharia or fully democratic paths; with Islam vouching for both 'My God is
right' and 'My sects is right out of 71' only Abu Bakr like strong Sharia rule
that brought deserters and Ali's supporters under him can bring internal peace
in Pakistan and help Ummah. 2nd Abbasid period could come. But then,
international outcry won't allow it - as would democracy loving Pakistanis, and
hostility with India won't lessen. Furthermore, the neither here nor there and
deceptive 'nothing will be passed against Islam' hasn't helped its men, much
less women. In this scenario, emphasizing Muslim community identity and not
Islamic religious identity as envisaged by Jinnah that aimed at treating
minority well, could inject pluralism and aid inter sect - faith and - nation
hostilities. Like energy, its present hostility can then be transferred to
sports, products and economic competition that should restore its dignity.
In
relation to this, Nawaz Sharif airing the futility of F16s is a good start.
Amazingly however, even if it is not heeded to, like the cessation of war
between USA & USSR - even making Fukuyama see a warless boring world, its
Atom Bomb that came out of intense hostility, is going to stop war through
international outcry, anyway. Although not quite the Nehru's 'don't need army',
making acquiring F16s futile, this will lessen army's role. Silencing 'They
haven't given us the proof' that absolves it from alleged terrorism, high-tech
aided intelligence could make planning of attack itself futile. Additionally,
addition of night vision cameras could make Kashmir insurgency futile. If India
alone changed as said and burning Kashmir got extinguished, hostility would
follow suit anyway. Either way, even if present is bad, it looks like
Pakistan's future isn't!
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