The real threat Pakistan faces is not from the memo or the secrecy behind the president’s visit to Dubai.
Memogate and ‘cardio-gate’ have both been given such extensive coverage by the electronic and print media that it seems that as though the future of our beloved country depends on finding out the truth behind the memo allegedly coined by Mansoor Ijaz/Husain Haqqani and whether President Zardari’s scooting to Dubai is indeed a matter of the heart or something more sinister.
Ever since the two issues came to light, pages upon pages of hard news, editorials and opinion pieces have been inked out, covering any and all possible conspiracy theories, angles and outcomes. From talk of soft coups, to the dreaded Article 6 and, of course, contempt of court, no stone has been left unturned.
This is Pakistan these days and everything else is secondary.
Unimportant is the fact that on December 9, a man named Mangal Bagh, a leader of the banned Lashkar-e-Islam and once a member of the Awami National Party, held an open court, not 40 minutes from Peshawar. Upon finding a murderer guilty, he meted out speedy justice to the accused, which translated into gunshots to the head, in stark violation of the state’s writ and its laws. Why can’t the provincial/federal government rein in these militants and why can’t the state enforce the law of the land across its borders?
There is also the unilateral strike by Nato gunships at a Pakistani checkpost in the Mohmand Agency, which left at least two dozen soldiers dead. Also, the inability to scramble some form of response during the Mohmand incident shows a certain lack of ‘rapid response capability’, which apparently we had. Then there’s the dark side of Abbottabad, where the world’s most-wanted man lay hiding for many years. Was there complicity in where he lay hidden, or complicity in the attack that took his life? The answers to these questions will have a greater impact on the future of this nation than a few BlackBerry messages between Ijaz and Haqqani.
It’s also secondary that Pakistan International Airlines, the state-owned airline, is facing an acute crisis, with several of its jets grounded due to a lack of spare parts. There’s also Pakistan Railways, which has nearly ground to a halt. Then we have Balochistan, which happens to be in the grip of a full-blown insurgency and is also the backyard of gross human rights violations.
In the race for catchy headlines, breaking news and delusional analyses, it seems we’ve forgotten what actually threatens the state and what doesn’t.
The future of Pakistan depends on the writ of the state being enforced throughout the land. It is contingent on the armed forces and the intelligence being on one page with the democratic government and being able to defend the country’s borders against foreign invaders. It is subject to the preservation of human and religious rights for all its citizens and conditional to the state of the economy.
These are the real threats we as Pakistanis face, don’t let any television channel, newspaper or analyst tell you otherwise.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 13th, 2011.
COMMENTS (10)
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I agree, but as you said yourself, the threat isn't just foreign, it is as domestic as the incident that happened 40 kilometers from Peshawar. Just today there is this story on BBC about a Madrassa where 50 students were being held against against their will and trained for "Jihad" by Taliban elements. Southern Punjab is overrun by the fundamentalist sect. But we are most concerned with "Zardarigate".
Then again, given the insane rate of inflation and the seemingly unending list of corruption scandals, one of the lowest literacy rates in the world and natural disasters, maybe this is a welcome distraction.
Well, I slightly disagree. It is often argued that our politicians (or media folks) forget the REAL issues and focus on things which are not directly relevant to the public or the overall stability and well being of the country.
Pakistan's problem is that everything is going in the wrong direction. Drone attacks, Nato attacks, Raymond Davis, Suicide attacks, sectarian voilence, internal threats, situation in Baluchistan and the list would keep on getting bigger and bigger. However, the only thing that is required to deal with this effectively is a clear intent and sincerity. Which unfortunately, our leadership lacks.
Unemployment, law and order, loadshedding -- all these are connected with the memogate and perhaps the Presidents heart conditions.
Now if the media focuses all its attention towards the President is because Pakistan has been run by individuals and never by institutions and collective wisdom. The parliment passed its joint resolution against drones - that should've been enough to give a credible message to the Americans. The APC was convened and all the politicians and the armed forces stood on the same page. Nothing changed, who do we look up to?
We have only one way forward. Building strong and independent institutions which are free from any external or internal pressures and also from the colonial mindset that this nation has been clenched in.
@ramanan: Sir, you are too generous!!
@Arindom,
It is superb. You can be an analyst in Pakistani media. You seem to have a complete grasp of the 'conspiracy'.
@Mirza: Well spoken Mirzaji. The problem with the weak 'nuclear powered Pakistan' is that it may do something drastic to prove it is not weak/ As Jyoti Malhotra's OpEd in the Tribune today mentions " Speaking of Nawaiwaqt, the internet is buzzing with one of its editorials published recently, which translates to English as the following: “India should be forcibly prevented from constructing these dams (in Kashmir). If it fails to constrain itself, we should not hesitate in launching a nuclear war because there is no solution except this.”"
Imagine a widely read newspaper's editorial advocating the use of nuclear force against a country which is also a nuclear power for an issue which despite all TV posturing by Pakistan has not even been considered important enough to schedule secretary level talks. The only time a water issue was taken to the International Court of Justice, it has ruled in India;s favor. The erstwhile water secretary of Pakistan has openly said that there is no evidence that India is denying our share of water and yet this talk of using the 'bums' by an editorial of a widely read newspaper.
I have even noticed the trend in various blog posts where reference to the 'bums' is brought up at the drop of the hat by many Pakistanis. This is very unusual. Even at the peak of cold war, US, USSR, UK or France never uttered the N word. Even today China and India never say this.While the foreogn policy leadership (code word for army) thinks it gets negotiating leverage through getting people riled up against India and US - in the end it cuts down the options it has while reducing its credibility.
CORRUPTION "mother of all evils" has many faces,you have mentioned only about the tip of the iceberg but have put forward the issue rightly
sir, please also write about the uzma ayub rape case. her brother, who staunchly remained at his sisters side demanding justice for her gang rape by policemen, was gunned down by policemen on humans rights day. such is the justice system in our country. and such are the defenders of justice.
excellent! two thumbs up for highlighting the pertinent issues and also underlining what is mere sensationalism. you forgot to mention the veena malik incident which has garnered a lot of space including an editorial by et. truly wow.
No..No..No..!!! The Real Treat is the Global Grand Conspiracy against Pakistan hatched by RAW supported by the CIA, armed by the Mossad, sponsored by the Bania-Jew lobby by using black money generated from the drug trade in Afghanistan run by Indian puppets with the help of Crusaders & Kafirs with the objective of seizing the Islamic 'Bum', thereby subjugating the 'Land of the Pure' and reversing Partition to propagate the Hindu-Rashtra concept of the RSS and thereby damaging for ever the evergreen concept of the Global Islamic Caliphate and thus playing into the hands of the Great Satan Amreeka in checkmating our Deeper-than-Ocean, Higher than Himalayas, Sweeter than honey Chinese thereby stopping the rise of........
A very sensible and scientific analysis, thanks for that! I am sure not too many people are going to read, like or influenced by it. Sorry that is our national character. On the witnes of a snitch who actually wrote and delivered the memo and also demanded ISI be called terrorist organization, we make him ISI and SC's only witness, says a lot about our national character. The nuclear powered Islamic Paksitan is so weak that an American can shake its foundation and any invader can come in and our defenses do not act at all for two long hours. This happened not once but twice recently. Why should any enemy worry about attacking Pakistan when an unsigned piece of paper can do more harm to the govt? There was less outrage on the atrocities of E. Pakistan, Kargil, OBL's presence than the pices of paper.