Reimagining Pakistan: need for a plausible roadmap

In his well-researched book, Reimagining Pakistan Transforming A Dysfunctional Nuclear State, Husain Haqqani argues, “Pakistan must also overcome archaic notions of national security. Instead of viewing itself as a ‘warrior nation’ it could be a ‘trading nation’ that can take advantage of its location for economic purposes. Pakistan could easily be the trans-shipment route for goods and services between India, the Middle East and Central Asia. It could have oil and gas pipelines running through it, with attending benefits.”

In contemporary Pakistan, the vision to reimagine the country which is economically broke, politically instable and has fragile state institutions is being debated for quite some time, including in a recent series of seminars on ‘Reimaging Pakistan’ hosted by Shahid Khakan Abbasi, Mitfah Ismail and Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar.

Husain Haqqani, a former student leader, politician and ambassador now teaching in an American University, further writes in his book, “India and Afghanistan would be major trading partners instead of being viewed as permanent enemies or strategic threats. High literacy, global connectivity, increased agricultural and industrial productivity and a prosperous citizenry would be the goals of the state in a reimagined Pakistan.”

Can a country which emerged 75 years ago on the map of the world be reimagined? How can re-inventing, restructuring, revitalising, rediscovering and reimagining the state exposed to bad governance, absence of rule of law, lack of accountability, corruption, nepotism, extremism, violence and terrorism help in bettering things? Without a leadership which is visionary, hardworking, intelligent and honest, the country cannot be transformed into a successful state. A close study of successful models of development in the West and also in the developing world would reflect how leadership of such countries through a process of rigorous hardwork, intelligence, integrity and merit was able to excel in human and social development.

Reimagining Pakistan may be a fantasy if viewed in the context of unabated failures in governance, rule of law, accountability, economy and political stability, but a nuclear-armed country of 240 million people with the world’s sixth largest military cannot afford to be at the bottom in human security index, quality of life of people, human rights and governance.

Roadmap to reimage Pakistan is not an impossible task but would require four major conditions to be fulfilled in the coming 25 years. These conditions would require the state actors and people to put an extra time taking damage control measures in order to compensate for the colossal losses caused to Pakistan in the last 75 years because of faulty policies ruining economy, politics, governance and fragility of state institutions particularly bureaucracy, judiciary, parliament and media.

First, articulation of plausible, clear, coherent and doable vision to ensure political stability by adhering to rule of law, giving priority to education, focusing on accountability of public office holders. This would require owning democracy and political parties by inducting professionalism and seriousness in political discourse. Unless Pakistan’s politics is stable and professionally designed, democracy would remain fragile and would continue to damage the country’s economy. In simple terms, unless political parties and their leaders adhere to rule of law and accountability, the roadmap to reimagine Pakistan would remain unaccomplished.

Second, reimagining economy on scientific and professional lines would require enhancing tax base and preventing tax evasion. It’s unfortunate that in a country of 240 million people, there are only 7.1 million tax filers. The government charges 18% GST and imposes taxes on imports, exports and consumer items, but there are millions of people who are earing billion of rupees, particularly in agricultural sector, but remain untaxed.

Third, in order to make a mark globally, the leadership in Pakistan must focus on utilising its human resource as has been done by China, India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. If the bulk of its 240 million population is not an asset but a liability and its human resource does not excel in innovation and creativity in the fields of industrialisation, technology, business, commerce and education, it means mediocre and below mediocre culture. Reimagining Pakistan cannot be done in a superficial manner or by rhetorical statements. Unfortunately, the leadership in Pakistan is in a denial mode as it does not accept that in the last 75 years it has failed to progress or excel in education, technology, industrialisation, modernisation of agriculture, research and development. Without utilising Pakistan’s human resource by augmenting the process of social and human development, the prospects of transforming the country into a powerhouse of economic growth and connectivity would remain dim.

The fourth condition for a plausible roadmap to reimagining Pakistan is adherence to the culture of proper work ethics and sticking to merit. Look at the successful models of development in the world today where those in power focused on meritocracy instead of patronage of mediocre and below mediocre people. Had this not been the case, Pakistan wouldn’t have been at the bottom of social and human development and earned a bad name internationally because of rampant corruption, nepotism, low quality of life, intolerance, extremism, violence and terrorism. The focus of people at the helm of affairs should be to adhere to time management, austerity, preventing wastage of resources and enforcing strict system of reward and punishment.

There is need for hardworking, honest, intelligent and committed leadership to emerge out of the doom and gloom that has been engulfing Pakistan due to political chaos and economic, judicial, administrative and societal erosion. Only then can we expect a positive transformation of the country in the coming 25 years i.e. 100 years of the emergence of the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2023.

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