Pakistan at Dangerous Crossroads

23 Jun, 2000    ·   371

Subhash Kapila points out that Pakistan today is at crossroads because it is a militarized state with aggressive Islamic fundamentalism as its ideology
Subhash Kapila
Pakistan , in its fifty-third year of existence, finds itself at a dangerous crossroads. Harsh realities stare it in the face. Its very existence is in question and it is sliding towards state failure. It would not be wrong to say that Pakistan has to redefine its foreign policies, domestic political milieu and economic policies if it wishes to survive. More importantly, it has to redefine its strategic goals. Its ambition lies at the root of its political, domestic and economic failures.

 

 

Pakistan has based its foreign policy from its inception on a single point agenda, namely Kashmir . Its filtration’s with the United States for 25 years, followed by a strategic nexus with China , were stimulated by hopes of support to somehow wrest Kashmir from India . Pakistan has been the recipient of military largesse from both countries, including nuclear weapons and missile from China . However, Kashmir is still out of its grasp. With the United States having re-defined its South Asian policies and priorities, China too may follow suit. USA has declared that Kashmir is a bilateral issue. China , for its own political compulsions, will not promote the self-determination principle. Pakistan foreign policy, therefore, has reached a critical juncture.

 

 

Pakistan was fought for on the principle of an “independent homeland for Indian Muslims.” This rationale failed at the time of partition itself in 1947, when out of the 40 million Indian Muslims population then, only about eight million opted for Pakistan; the remaining of 32 million were content to be part of the Indian democratic experiment. The eight million who went to Pakistan are still ‘Mohajjirs’ (refugees) after half a century.

 

 

Pakistan has long propagated that it is a modern, moderate, democratic Muslim state. What is the political complexion of Pakistan today?  Democracy has been constantly suppressed due to the Pakistan Army’s political ambitions. Human Rights are non-existent due to the feudal attitudes of military dictators and civilian governments alike. Democracy stands replaced by “Islamic Fundamentalism” as a political state ideology. Islamic Fundamentalism is mushrooming and is seeking political power through the Pakistan Army, which it has not been able to achieve through the electoral process. Pakistan is at the crossroads in terms of identity and ideology.

 

 

Pakistanis of all persuasions unanimously agree that governance in the country stands paralysed. Corruption, ethnic disparities, single ethnic domination and use of absolute powers by military and civilian rulers to enrich themselves has spelt the doom of democratic governance. Mis-governance could ignite domestic fires that even the Pak Army may not be able to control.

 

 

Pakistan ’s economic statistics have been quoted in earlier articles to show that its doomsday lies ahead. The reasons for the failure of Pakistan ’s economy are: 

 

 

·                     Excessive military expenditure at the cost of economic infrastructure and industrial development.

 

 

·                     Funneling of external economic aid into military expenditure

 

 

·                     War waging costs with India

 

 

·                     Nuclear weapons and missile acquisitions

 

 

·                     Exorbitant costs of funding Islamic fundamentalist militant and terrorist organisations in cash and kind for promoting terrorism in Kashmir, Chechnya and Bosnia .

 

 

·                     Costs of creating a Taliban protectorate in Afghanistan .

 

 

Pakistanis suffer from economic miseries and deprivation due to these reasons. Economic breakdown would bring Pakistan to its knees.

 

 

Pakistan suffers from two strategic delusions – Pakistan can achieve strategic symmetry with India ; Pakistan with its nuclear weapons and missiles and Islamic Jehadis’ can attain leadership of the Islamic world. These ambitions have stimulated Pakistani misadventures. Both these strategic ambitions are unattainable.

 

 

In conclusion, Pakistan today is a ‘militarised state’ with aggressive “Islamic militarism” as its ideology. Both these factors have brought Pakistan to a dangerous crossroads. It must either initiate drastic reforms towards creation of a modern democratic state or lapse into Islamic fundamentalism and feudalism.

 

 

 

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