The bulldozing and demolishing nation

A hegemon always seeks deference — respect and submission. No society has ever existed without an established hegemon. The world always had a hegemon and in International Relations, hegemonic centuries are clearly defined and attributed to the great powers that demanded respect and submission by lesser powers. It was the political, military and economic dominance that they executed that made them the great hegemons. Portugal in the 15^th century, Spain in the 16^th century, the Dutch in the 17^th century, France in the 18^th century, Britain in the 19^th century and the US in the 20^th century have all been the great hegemonic powers of the respective centuries. But my column today is not about a global hegemon. It is about the state of Pakistan and how one state institution is trying to become the new hegemon in the political landscape of a country that is in dire need of political reforms and stability.

When politicians accuse the military of political interference, it is never news. But when the judiciary starts giving judgements that encroach upon the military’s sphere of influence that runs as big and breaking news in Pakistan. The latest news in this regard is that the Islamabad High Court ordered the demolition of all constructions on naval farms and the naval sailing club in Islamabad. I have no knowledge about the technicalities involved in the case but as a common citizen of this country I fail to understand why we have become a “bulldozing and demolishing nation”. Be it the Nasla Towers or the huge catch of foreign liquor bottles bulldozed by Customs in Karachi, the visuals that we send out to the world are poor. Soft power is all about being able to project your country in a favourable and likeable manner. Are we managing our soft power appropriately? If not, can we learn something from our great strategic and defence partner China and our ideological godfather Saudi Arabia?

“China is spending billions to make the world love it” was a headline in The Economist in 2017. Today China continues to execute extraordinary developments to impress tourists and the wider world. It is building theme parks, zoos, theatres, concert halls, libraries and universities. It is even building miniature cities devoted to its culture astride big cities like Beijing. China is also bringing down its ‘Nasla Towers’, but we must understand why that is so. Its ‘Three Gorges Dam’ project, which aims to create the world’s biggest hydroelectric power station, necessitated the inundation of 140 towns and 1,600 villages and required the relocation of 1.25 million people. All this was done to achieve a greater national cause. China is building eight new airports per year with plans to complete over two hundred by 2035. China is initiating reforms not through judicial verdicts but through strict state control.

We must also see what Saudi Arabia, our ideological godfather, is doing. It is heavily investing in the tourism, the entertainment, the movies and the sports sector. Just last month, Saudi Arabia held a four-day MDL Beast sound storm music festival. Over 700,000 people attended this event, which is being termed the largest music festival in the world. The young generation living in Pakistan has similar aspirations of any young generation living anywhere in the world. Like the young generation all over the world, the young generation of Pakistan too prefers spending more time on their mobile phones rather than interacting with their parents and teachers. So, is it a surprise that they too are thirsty for music, entertainment, movies, outings and some laughter?

How can we aspire to become a great tourist destination if we keep bulldozing liquor bottles instead of keeping them at their respective stores from where tourists can buy them? Are they not being kept at such stores all over the Arab world? Is our faith so weak that merely witnessing the presence of such a store will jump-start our desire to visit it and buy a bottle? Where I live in Karachi there are three liquor shops selling products of our local Murree Brewery. I witness people thronging them every day. This actually reflects our true image abroad that it is alright to buy and consume liquor from local stores but important to bulldoze the ones smuggled from abroad. This poor and hypocritical image-building goes hand in hand with our recent political trend of feeling no remorse or shame in telling lies and being untruthful.

Moreover, no foreigner would like to visit this country in the fragrant spring time where instead of witnessing the military parade on 23^rd March, which brings with it the impressive display of grandeur and splendor of the military, all they get to witness is a long march by our untiring Maulana who together with other political parties only create filth, pollution, garbage and unnecessary political noise in the capital city.

Shouldn’t the courts in Pakistan be calling politicians and asking them what is it that they built in all these years that they were in power? And at what cost? In a way I am glad that the High Court’s judgement has come at a time when the Pakistan Navy is involved in huge flood control relief efforts in Balochistan. But before this, it was the Supreme Court that questioned the building of residential structure on military lands at a time when the military is out fighting the ongoing war on terror on our borders. What is it that our soldiers get to look back and hear and see? Court orders for demolition of places of their settlements and relief?

I am reminded of how, in Greece, when sons were out fighting against Xerxes invasions, Athens built long walls to prevent those left behind against foreign invasion. Twenty years later, the building of these walls continued even when Athens was at war with Sparta. What created the fine balance of power in Athens at that time was that Athens had its democracy and its Pericles, but it also had its military and its great general Themistocles. Today, our young men fighting at the borders also have a wish and that is to have a Themistocles who, if he cannot build new walls to protect their families and interests, can at least prevent the existing ones from falling down.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9^th, 2022.

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