Opinion

Our troubled past and uncertain present – II

Syeda Abida Hussain July 11, 2010

So in one fell swoop India scored above us and the Jewish intelligentsia spun out a cogent strategy of "dual containment" to project India as a counterpoise to China.

The custodians of our ideological frontiers then swung into action and decided to use the jihadis as our very own strategic tools. With US assistance disappearing on us and our economy nose-diving, we kept dissolving one assembly after another, tinkering with the appurtenances of democracy, while our militarised and delusional mindset led us into allowing India to determine the timing of testing our nuclear device, at a moment when our coffers were quite empty.

India had tested when her treasury was brimming with resources achieved through a successful privatisation programme. All this while, Pakistani World Bank pundits, sitting in faraway Washington DC, would scoff at India’s ‘Hindu’ rate of growth of two per cent per annum, since Pakistan’s was said to be six per cent. On top of this, we pulled a military fiasco in Kargil. The failed strategist of that disastrous military engagement then proceeded to intervene and usurp power, ostensibly to clean our Augean stables and to put us back on track. But his greedy circle of sycophants and cronies lured him into malingering and enjoying the trappings of power and he was shallow enough to succumb.

However, after a failed referendum he was at a dead-end, when 9/11 came to his rescue. Therefore, when he was asked by George W, "Are you with us or against us?", he was so relieved that he was being asked that he did not have the wit to add a proviso such as "with you, provided you write off Pakistan's debt". He merely said "with you". So naturally George W fell madly in love with yet another Pakistani ruler offering the US another cheap deal, the same old three billion dollars, the same old thieving and worse, the same old jihadis, this time perpetrating their jihad on the hapless Pakistani citizenry, while American citizens' lives could be secured.

Today, there seems to be a more humane president in the White House and we seem to have a more sensible army chief who does not appear to have a gargantuan appetite for power and appears to be more into soldiering. The citizenry can only hope that he will soldier on to provide security where security is most due, which is to all of us citizens of Pakistan. If any terrorist organisation has been banned, then the ban must not be violated, notwithstanding the chicanery of half-baked lawyers parading as ministers. The disgusting attitudes prevalent in the Pervez Musharraf phase of our dismal recent history must be conclusively buried. And clearly after all that Pakistanis have suffered, there can be no justification whatsoever for any ‘strategic assets’ being maintained by our covert security apparatus that kill and maim our own people.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2010.

COMMENTS (8)

Anoop | 14 years ago | Reply Meekal Ahmed, I am well aware of the massive poverty in India. But, high economic growth is required to combat this and within 5 years India will become the fastest growing country in the world, surpassing China's growth numbers. So,finally, after decades of low growth we are getting rewards of Democracy and stability. And, nobody is even talking about economy over-heating now. India is growing at 9% now and will enter double digits in a couple of years. Over-heating will come into picture after years of such double digit growth. Look at China. Even after years its growing at more than 10%. With favourable demographics and the present youth bulge we can sustain it longer than China.

cmsarwar | 14 years ago | Reply Abida Hussain is a very prominent politicians and an eye-witness to the eventful history of Pakistan.I do not want to interfere with her at this stage and let her finish writing.I would,however,request that after she is done with the diagnosis of our maladies and missteps she should recount,in brief,her own position(s) on various issues as they faced the nation from time to time.A mention of her struggles and sacrifices for the nation would indeed be welcome.

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Meekal Ahmed | 14 years ago | Reply I do appreciate what India has achieved in the economic field. But despite their spectacular growth figures India still has the highest concentration of poverty in the world. To see it, takes your breath away. To bring poverty levels down to the teens as other Asian countries have done will take decades of sustained growth of at least 10% per annum. India is far from being able to do so without their economy over-heating which suggests that there are deep structural impediments to faster growth.

Anoop | 14 years ago | Reply Meekal Ahmed, The only country with higher growth rate than India is China. But, I was under the impression Pakistan,rather its citizens,not the establishment,wants it to be a Democratic country. China's economic rise is because her rulers dont have to answer to anyone. But, I do appreciate the rise of China and there are many lessons for India. India, with its massive population,multi-religious,multi-ethnic and multi-lingual is answerable to its people, just like Pakistan hopes to be(If its Military backs down and allows the Civvies to take control that is). Pakistan will do well to look upto India just because India has lot of problems like Poverty,high-birthrate,etc and even China(Minus High-birthrate).

TAX Payer | 14 years ago | Reply Hi Anoop! Pls give her a chance, and you may see her in a new role in the next Govt.

Maroof | 14 years ago | Reply Dear Meekal Sir, I have great respect for you as an Economist but i sense a derisory tone when referring to India and her economic status. Objectively to me it seems that India has managed her affairs very well. With a not so hospitable neighbourhood she has managed to carve out a space for herself in the world. Right or wrong we have to appreciate it. Also among all this, their greatest success lies in the economic domain. I would advise against you looking for 'higher standards' in the asian region. I too was of a similar mindset until i myself visited India early this year. We need to learn from the good wherever it may be.

Meekal Ahmed | 14 years ago | Reply We LOVE comparing ourselves with India. As suggested, we should compare ourselves with other Asian countries; we should have higher standards. India's "privatization" program? Which one was that? Please enlighten me. India's coffers have always been reasonably full. They had one balance of payments crisis in the 90s when Manmohan was the Finance Minister. They went in for an emergency IMF SBA, implemented it to the letter (including an 18% exchange rate adjustment) and have never looked back since. They paid off the entire SBA in one go. They manage their economy; we mis-manage ours. I don't know about World Bank pundits talking about the "Hindu Rate of Growth". I am sure we coined that phrase because the Bank would not use a pejorative term like "Hindu". As for debt write-off/relief. We did get one from the Paris Club on what is called Naples Terms. Not only debt-relief, but debt write-off and debt-equity swaps. We even rescheduled our Euro-bond. The "fiscal space" was used to raise spending on social programs although a special PAC audit reported in the press yesterday noted that what was earmarked for poverty alleviation actually went to build air-bases in Baluchistan, buy tankers, build fuel storage tanks and concrete bunkers and other military hardware. You give the impression that Pakistan was bought on the cheap. If you look at the cumulative value of aid we received (including highly-concessional IMF money under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility) bilateral and multi-lateral, recorded and more importantly un-recorded, all the reimbursement from the US on mostly phoney claims of monies spent by us and the millions of dollars of "bounties" which went into the deep pockets of the "establishment" ( mention deleted in the US edition of Mush's book), it was certainly not peanuts. Growth was fueled by this aid; certainly not by domestic savings.

Anoop | 14 years ago | Reply Why does the author compare Pakistan with India and not other neighbouring countries? India and Pakistan are completely different countries with completely different set of principles. One is a Secular Republic and a Democracy, another is a Islamic and has been under Military rule for more than half its existence. Not to forget the difference in sizes of the 2 counties. Is it a case for Pakistan's or Pakistani's India envy? If so the '2 Nation Theory' has been defeated, a divisive theory.

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