By Talat Masood
We pride ourselves, justifiably so, in having made the transition to democracy. But democracy does not mean merely an adoption of the ballot box. Our parliamentarians should take genuine interest in legislation and discuss national issues seriously
The expansion of the federal cabinet was long overdue. One could fault it for being unwieldy, especially at a time when the economy of the country is in distress, but the selection of ministers appears to be on merit and most of them have good political standing.
Regrettably, the government since its inception has not demonstrated a sense of urgency that the current economic and security situation demands. People justifiably expect that with the induction of a new team, this attitude would change and that the government will be more focused, professional, and will work with greater zeal.
Meanwhile, President Asif Zardaris excessively large entourage of over 200 people to Saudi Arabia, from whom we are seeking financial assistance and an oil facility, would not resonate well with them or other multilateral donors. It also sets a poor precedent and sends the wrong signal back home.
The response of our leaders to the tragic earthquake in Balochistan was also disappointing. Surprisingly, neither the president nor the prime minister visited the quake survivors to express their sympathy and solidarity with them. Provincial governments could have ensured the security of the VIPs with assistance from the military. After all, President Bush, President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Brown have all regularly visited the most dangerous areas in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why are our leaders so scared and insensitive to the misery of their people?
A larger question needs to be answered by our leaders as well: for almost all our internal problems, whether these pertain to economy or security, why are we becoming increasingly dependent on foreign help? Instead of finding indigenous solutions to our problems, our success is now based on how much of assistance we can get from abroad.
We have lost our sense of pride and dignity as a people and as a nation. A country that is not economically viable cannot claim to be independent in the true sense. Little effort has been made by the government in the last eight months to improve the quality of the countrys economic institutions.
The highest priority at this point should be given to education. A significant reason for lack of progress is our dysfunctional primary and secondary education. This education fiasco is not because of a failure of our children. In fact, they are as good as any others, if provided the basic facilities. It would be unrealistic to expect growth in major sectors of the economy agriculture, industry and services without first-rate scientific and technical education.
Agriculture is a major sector of our economy, and yet it was grossly neglected during the previous regime and continues to suffer. We also need to widen and deepen our industrial base. Apart from implementing measures necessary for macroeconomic stability, monetary and financial policies should facilitate growth in the agricultural and industrial sectors.
Pakistan has had its share of difficulties more than most countries, mostly due to our own failures but at times forced by external factors. The current situation is indeed very challenging, but also affords an opportunity for us to revisit our destiny. We need to introspect as to what makes nations tick and what makes them fail. How do nations rise from obscurity and what ingredients give them vitality.
Economic dynamism is by far one of the most expressive forms of a nations vitality as we are witnessing in China and to some extent in India, or as we saw in the growth of the tiger economies of East Asia. It takes the form of development of infrastructure in energy, communications and transportation. Investment starts flowing as other countries also develop confidence in economically dynamic countries.
Do we have the ability to bounce back from our present state? What should be done in the short and long term to ensure economic growth, political stability and domestic peace?
We pride ourselves, justifiably so, in having made the transition to democracy. But democracy does not mean merely an adoption of the ballot box. Our parliamentarians should take genuine interest in legislation and discuss national issues seriously, so that the government can formulate sound policies.
It was disappointing to learn that during the security briefing, attendance of parliamentarians was poor. It would be appropriate if the parliament also discussed the state of economy and major foreign policy issues, and made recommendations to the cabinet.
There is no doubt that the power in the country today lies in the hands of collective mediocrity. But our institutions were throttled by the military regime and the country has to go through this transitional phase before a new generation of more capable leaders will emerge. The current weakness or inexperience of our leaders could be partially offset if they draw strength from institutions and refrain from ad-hoc decision-making.
There are some obvious shortcomings in our democratic dispensation. First, the political parties, in power or in the opposition, have to be more democratic and less dynastic. It would be electrifying if leaders are chosen on the basis of merit and not on lineage or feudal power. The rise of Barack Obama to the US Presidency shows how fair play and strong institutions facilitate the emergence of good leaders.
As Pakistan has a parliamentary form of government, the prime minister, and not the president, should be the focal point of executive and political power. The current aberration has to be removed and the president should play the classic role of head of state and be more inclusive. What Pakistan needs is more democracy, not less, to progress.
Development of civil society is also essential for giving vitality to a nation. The lawyers movement and several NGOs have helped in this regard. It is unfortunate that the previous regime suppressed such movements instead of embracing them.
The present government too feels uncomfortable with the lawyers movement, but it has to realise that the issue of judges will not go away until resolved amicably. No country can claim to be civilised or modern until it has a sound and independent judiciary.
The writer is a retired Lieutenant General of the Pakistan Army. He can be reached at
talat@comsats.net.pk
