Inspired by his fiery rhetoric, for four days the Maulana’s youthful Lashkar-e-Qadri had occupied D-Chowk, Islamabad’s version of Tahrir Square. The cheering, chanting, flag-waving crowd was joyous at the verdict ordering the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The precise timing owed to another one of Pakistan’s putative saviours — the honourable Chief Justice of Pakistan.
In this age of discontent, assorted demagogues have mastered the art of mobilising the credulous masses. Corruption, say the Maulana and the Cricketer, is Pakistan’s central problem. Utopia will come if honest and pious men — perhaps themselves — are in power. But is crookedness and dishonesty the real issue? Countries which are perfectly viable and livable may still have corrupt governments.
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been convicted of everything from tax fraud to soliciting minors for sex, and yet Italy keeps getting richer and better. No one dares call it a failed state. Mitt Romney — who Barack Obama only barely defeated — parked his assets in the Cayman Islands and paid only a little more tax than Pakistan’s unscrupulous parliamentarians. Corruption in the US is institutionalised to the point that Washington spent 10 trillion dollars of taxpayer money bailing out banks and corporations but no politician or CEO (with one exception) ended up behind the bars. Interestingly, according to the 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), 70 per cent of the world’s people see their countries as more corrupt than good.
So then, what are Pakistan’s real problems today? If the lives of Pakistanis are to be improved, what is it that really needs to be done?
First, address the population problem. Demographers estimate the expected number of Pakistanis in 2030 at a staggering 258 million, which must be compared with 28 million in 1947 as well as the current population of 180 million. This growth is the second highest among major Muslim countries in the world.
Even if we miraculously acquire the most perfect of political systems, it may be impossible to provide most Pakistanis with employment, education, food, housing, electricity, water, and a clean environment. Short of renting another planet, there is no way that the constraints of fixed land and water can be overcome.
This emergency situation demands that population planning must be reinstated and contraceptives be made freely available. Once upon a time, Pakistan had a population planning organisation. But it has essentially folded up in the face of religious opposition. The Jamaat-e-Islami’s party manifesto, and those of other religious parties, specifically forbids family planning. As for the Taliban: they suspect that polio vaccines are designed to reduce Muslim fertility and so have issued dire threats. Last month, the TTP brought the immunisation programme to a halt by murdering five women and a man who were administering the shots in Karachi. So, instead of getting claps and cheers, our messiahs might have to face bullets and bombs should they dare to rally people around this real issue.
Second, the terrorism of religious militias must be confronted head-on. Their daily slaughter of Pakistani soldiers and citizens, and recently the Hazara Shias, elicits only the barest whimper of protest in the media or the public. In shameful surrender, there is talk of negotiating with terrorist groups. The lesson of Swat — where kowtowing to Sufi Mohammed’s ever-escalating demands led to increased ferocity from the other side — is forgotten. The army and the state stand in muddled confusion. They know they should actually negotiate only from a position of strength and not in their present condition of weakness. Unfortunately they cannot summon the courage to do this. The Maulana is silent on this critical matter, but the Cricketer prefers to attack those who might target Pakistan’s enemies. He would rather shoot at the drones than the terrorists.
Third, the promise of the messiahs that they shall bring prosperity to everyone by somehow equalising the distribution of wealth is fake and dishonest, and un-implementable. One would certainly welcome extending the tax net, and doing so would be a huge achievement. But to actually bring prosperity, wealth must be created rather than simply expropriated from somewhere. The only party that seems to give this any consideration is the PML-N. But industrial progress and a post-agricultural economy require cultural change, and so Pakistani society will need to transition from being a progress-unfriendly culture to one that welcomes and promotes progress. From the time of the 19th century German sociologist Max Weber, social scientists have observed that culture and progress go hand-in-hand. Progress-friendly cultures demand planning, punctuality, deferred gratification, belief in rationality, and the rule of law. Without acquiring these features, wealth generation is slow and uncertain.
Fortunately, as it turned out, the ‘million-man march’ turned out to be a damp squib. Its victory would have resulted in indefinite postponement of the forthcoming national elections and Pakistan would have returned to a dreary tradition where no government has successfully completed its term in office. During the occupation, messiah-junior was caught in a dilemma. Eclipsed by his senior and unable to join in the demand for postponement, he now seeks to clamber his way back into the public eye.
Pakistan’s restless young are out on the streets demanding change, but they must not become pawns of fake messiahs. The fist-shaking, rostrum-pounding orations of Maulana Qadri and Cricketer Khan are empty thunder; they offer nothing real. Of course, the D-Chowk youth rightly protested Pakistan’s pseudo-democracy and its venal and incompetent civilian leaders. But the military’s attempt to landscape national politics — which is probably what rocketed the Maulana into his present prominence — could be disastrous and would go the way of the army’s past failed interventions. At a time when Pakistan is seriously threatened by internal terror, the military would do well to perform its real duty which is that of protecting Pakistan’s people.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 19th, 2013.
COMMENTS (197)
Thanks for pointing out that the TWO are not on the right path and also thanks for not pointing who else is. Thus problems are there with no solution. We all are wasting time and resources(?) to achieve nothing!
Judging by the comments you are too intelligent to be educating these ignoramus. Better to let them wallow in their own stupidity.
BTW you are 100% correct.
@a Democrate: You are off mark buddy. Please stop looking for messiahs. Writer is right. These false messiahs are promising the moon. All ways remember the worst democracy is better than the best dictatorship.
Poverty perveils as long world weath is in the hand of 2% of total world population. There is no shortage of food and resources to do productive work to stable any country. As long Mslims aint giving proper zakat of their total wealth every year ppl will die of hunger.
Could you be kind and let the youth know who to follow and see as their leader, a savior ?
excellent article .solution for problems .but pml -n has no potential to meet the challenges.
The writer wrote this article without any reasonable logic and evidence. its poitless .baseless and hence useless
all those agreeing with Mr.Hoodbhoy should vote for zardari once more and have fun over next 5 years while Pakistan is doomed!
Population is a very subjective issue ! other two issues are only becuase of corruption either financial or moral ! Imran khan is the hope right now for millions of youth !!! We are educated, aware and have courage to change Pakistan ! sorry to say your generation's thinking, attitute, ideals, fear all are obsolete ! You can criticize from any to everyone but that doesn't change the fact that our politicians are looters no. 1.
Hoodbhoy has very realistically and rightly pointed out that Quadri and Imran cannot deliver on their promises. But he has not only offered no real solution to our fast ballooning problems, he has failed to condemn the unbridled corruption of the current leaders. On the contrary, he seems to imply that corruption is alright, and nothing can be done about it, comparing it with the misdeeds of Berlusconi and the bailout of the American financial system by the US government. Both these comparisons are untenable. In the case of the US, the bailout is a systemic phenomenon of the capitalist system that prevails there. In Pakistan, it is different. The current crop of leaders are incorrigibly corrupt. They have been indulging in corruption out of their insatiable greed and they have no serious intention of controlling either their acquisition instincts or the religious terrorism that threatens the very foundations of the country. Quadri and Imran may not qualify as messiahs, but at least their talk of change gives hope that politics can move forward in the right direction. Nobody supports military takeovers, but if non-serious, corrupt, incompetent governments like these survive in the name of democracy, it is only the people of Pakistan who lose. He is right, however, in his condemnation of Imran's rather sympathetic view of the militants. Quadri succeeded in attracting large crowd simply because he talked of reformation, strict implementation of the constitution. condemnation of the Taliban insurgency and so on. Cultural change that Hoodbhoy speaks about would come automatically when the people understand that corruption, incompetence and religious militancy are maladies that must be reduced or eliminated.
MIT alumni have formed 25,800 companies, employing more than 3 million people. These firms generate global revenues of more than $1.9 Trillion a year. If MIT was a country, it would have the 11th highest GDP of any nation in the world.
Whereas Pakistani Professors (just like Pervez Hoodbhoy) and the universities have single-handedly screwed the fate of Pakistan and that is what Lord Macaulay envisioned 160 years ago for Indo-Pak.
Punching Note :-
Pervez Hoodbhoy has studies from MIT.
There is a big difference in 'sitting in your office' and writing about something and going in the field, listen to what people feels and say. Population can only be controlled to some extent and is not that big problem as corruption lawlessness is. So please don't misguide who follow you. you disappoint us today. You don't have good words for any one, ARE YOU BORN TO CRITICIZE ONLY ?
Everything needed to be said against the writer has already been said, so I'm just gonna say......INQALAAB!
My Article; Official reply to Prof. Pervez Hoodbhoy
"Its easier said than done... but change will come. Dr. Qadri is a Hero."
Please read.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/109286564539317093861/posts/CEgN6jngbPA
I didnt know Dr Hoodbhoy like the current PML and PPP so much and he still thinks they have the only right to govern, cricketer and qadri should mind own business! on same basis as a physicist you should be doing what you are best at. How could a tax avoidance of Obama makes him corrupt? Evasion is crime! You are right people personality doesnt count towards a country governance, but only if the correct systems are in place first! very same reason a person like bush junior lead US. In order to start somewhere, we have to opt for a person who is sincere with nation who bring a sincere team to run the country, appoint only good governance team to plan and implement. this will set foundations for a better Pakistan, where people like can thrive in their field and make input towards betterment.
So we do need a change from the past. If zardari had real change of heart, he can also turn around the country by installing a good government - if it was possible, we werent here want to change!
Corruption is the symptom of the disease called as Socio-Economic Inequality that exists everywhere though in various degrees, from least to highest one. Why do Norwegians not tend to settle in another country while Pakistanis wish to settle everywhere except in Pakistan? The answer is up to you to decipher, my friends. Best, Shoaib-
Dear Sir! If you know how to do it right, than why don't you make a political party and make sure to do that is right for Pakistan at this moment. Or you are also an empty thunder.....easy to criticize than act....come on ..what are you waiting for...
It is a thought-provoking article.
Dear Hoodbhoy All fine but you are short in your analysis on addressing the issues of Pakistan's economic salvation. Population growth is an issue but it will not be solved through policies and people hardly listen Maulanas for not having more children. Its the income level which matters and most of the Gulf countries have fertility rate far less than Pakistan. If income increase, people starts thinking in terms of welfare of their children in terms of education, health and recreation. Moreover, economy is more complex than a rocket science. People talk a lot about corruption but its an indicator of bad governance. I shall strongly recommend you to read Planning Commission New Growth Framework document. We need to have creative cities, creative politicians, creative bureaucrats, creative academia, creative work culture etc for moving in the right direction.
I FULLY AGREE YOUR STANCE ON CJ AND IK
yawn my vote for IK
Dear Sir, What you have said is correct but you have forgotten to mention who is right choice for us who should we vote for if it is PML-N, MQM,PPP,ANP,PML-Q than i would disagree with you as i dont want to waste my vote again by voting for the same old parties who have destroyed Pakistan sure PTI is not perfect but they are the better than these old parties who came in power 2 or 3 times each but have done nothing. I believe PTI deserve a chance.
Brilliant! Really you think that by controlling population you can actually solve it... may be on some other planet there is another country where your solution can work. Don't you know how wealth is centred in few hands in Pakistan and the difference between elite and deprived is on the rise and you believe that it's due to growing population!!! JI, IK and Molana Qadri also wanted to end corruption in the society.. can you give our readers the figures, with unlimited 0s, about how much we lose in economy due to corruption. And it was a great insight that you didn't mention any feudalism in your note.. that's not our problem.. Right!
It is appropriate article in given situation of Pakistani politics.
@Riaz Haq: This person who calls himself an 'Alam' made basic mistakes; he lied, which is a kabeera sin, by breaking the agreement. He did not have to go to D square; he distorted the name Rahman into Shaitaan because Rahman Malik exposed his alleged faults and lies. What kind of an Alam is he, I think he is lower than an ordinary man!!.
Somebody whose basic character is unpleasant and false, like other politicians, should be ignored instead of increasing one more into the family of politicians. He lies, he contradicts himself and sits in comfort while the rest of the poor people stay outside to bear the brunt of the cold weather! Please GO BACK.
""Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been convicted of everything from tax fraud to soliciting minors for sex, and yet Italy keeps getting richer and better.""
Stopped reading after this assertion... you must be joking.
Until now I thought you knew some stuff. But not anymore. Unbelieveable!.. Italy keeps getting richer? Do you read any news? Italy defaulting has been big for the past one year... PML-N most likely savior? Have you been living in Pakistan for the past 5 years? Do you want more of the same?... Pakistan needs honest people, with a will to do something for their country. IK is the only one who fits that description... He is not a messiah, just the leader of the most popular political party in Pakistan. So its natural for people to pin their hopes in him... Your generation brought Pakistan to where it is. Let us now fix problems out way, please!
I suggest everyone to take a look at this article to know some factual data about where our country stands today
http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-9-151761-The-worst-is-still-to-come
It's also to shed some light on what the current government has done for us - this is the effect of corruption that you don't think is our biggest problem.
@abid: The fact that you have written such a stupid reply and the fact that 120 people actually liked it speaks well about the future of this country.
Please be our true messiah and lead us, save our nation. Dont bother about others.
Pervez Hoodbhoy for his political convenience ignores to mention few facts i.e (1) Shareef brothers have been dominant on Punjab politics and controlled governments for over 35 years occupying Primeminister’s and Cheif Ministers seat multiple times (2) where is the comparison of current GDP and human development index between Indian Punjab and Pakistani Punjab. How is Indian Punjab as compare to Pakistan’s Punjab much more prosperous ? Why did you forget to mention the connection of Islamization and Shareef brothers in past 3 decades ? What about giving all kind of support ( political, moral, judicial) and providing sanctuaries to extremists and fanatics in Pakistan’s Punjab by Shareefs ? Pervez Hoodbhoy do you think giving another 5 years to already tried, tested and tired Shareef brothers is any favor to Pakistan ?
A wonderful eye opening article by Hoodbhoy. It points out to real problems. The work of Qadri and IK is more about their own politics than improvement of the people.
@tric People shoud not be trying to "rationalise" everything:)
@Hoodbhoy Talking of the attack on Polio Workers; Why didn't you go to the place where Polio workers were attacked and give Polio drops in support of the Anti-Polio Campaign and to challenge the terrorists?-Your "cricketer Messiah" did that
And talking of Hazara Shia Killings; did you go there to express your solidarity with them just like your "criketer Messiah" did?
Or do you just criticise people from your drawing room?
The Author is just babbling and trying to confuse people with his fuzzy logic of why coruption is no problem and birthd control is the only big problem, he doesn't even deserve a proper response. He is factually incorrect on various issues. Probably he is angry too over Imran Khan/ ISF for their stance and work for saving the HEC.
Dear author I thought scientists test before concluding, but looks you do it otherwise. How did you conclude it about IK without having tested him?
Dr Hoodbhoy, when it comes to Imran Khan, no rational argument is accepted by his fans. Very well written article!
Wonderful piece of writing; words worthy of focused attention, especially, "the promise of the messiahs that they shall bring prosperity to everyone by somehow equalising the distribution of wealth is fake and dishonest, and un-implementable. One would certainly welcome extending the tax net, and doing so would be a huge achievement. But to actually bring prosperity, wealth must be created rather than simply expropriated from somewhere. The only party that seems to give this any consideration is the PML-N. But industrial progress and a post-agricultural economy require cultural change, and so Pakistani society will need to transition from being a progress-unfriendly culture to one that welcomes and promotes progress. From the time of the 19th century German sociologist Max Weber, social scientists have observed that culture and progress go hand-in-hand. Progress-friendly cultures demand planning, punctuality, deferred gratification, belief in rationality, and the rule of law. Without acquiring these features, wealth generation is slow and uncertain."
I agree with you that Population planning, religious extremism and utopean cult-mongering are biggest problems Pakistan faces today. But I do not agree with you that an upright politician like Imran Khan is worthy of redicule. In my opinion (you have every right to disagree) his agenda of focus on implementing quality education, justice, self-governance (local bodies) systems on the domestic side and foreign/ defence policy based on peace and reconciliation is the only hope for positive change in the next 10-15 years for our motherland. The problems that you have identified can best be attacked by these strategic measures of focus rather than by short term, populist and family-politics, campaign oriented policies which other parties adopt. I would sincerely request valuable brains like you (which unfortunately Pakistan has very few due to long neglect of education sector) to please support the great CHANGE which is knocking at Pakistan's door, INSHALLAH.
I have read most of the comments given, I strongly feel the country should be patterned more towards the guidance of Islam and to lay down its bylaws, which should not be moulded by our mullanas for their own interest. Good principle of life is our religion one should not complicate it.
To say he is a Professor - is a disgrace in itself. I live in Denmark and nations everyone is concerned in EU are PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain) and the primary reason for this is high debt and major tax evasion. Mr Pervez, not Musharaf, Hoodbhoy - its quite evident your area of expertise is certainly not Economics - and certainly International politics.
With due respect, i just wanna inform u that during last 5 years Pakistan has taken loan of Rs. 7000 billion, which is around twice we had in precedding 50 yaers...further around 1000 billion hv been spent on Pakistan development n rest went on corruption, n u still think corruption is not a big issue ???? no industry no jobs n no law n order n u still think Pakistan is on a ryt track by these corrupt mafias ... One MNA in entitled to hv 51 cars, one day expenditure of President, CM house n Governor house is around 25 to 35 lac each .... n u blv that mashALLAH Pakistani nation is healthy n wealthy .... i just feel sorry by reading these kind of words n columns from a well educated person ... i guess u nvr visited the 80 % of population which is going below the poverty line ... n around 20 % of elite class like u r enjoying lavish life n criticizing the Evens....
Very disappointing article from someome who used to make sense. Italy keeps growing richer...ha! The only reason the EC is saving Italy is because it is too big to fail.
The problem with Pakistan is the culture. As this article shows quite plainly....
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jan/15/oxford-gang-girls-prostitutes-bailey
mr hoodh sir, i know u r a brilliant person in the field of science. but why do people think that they r master of all trades.sir hoodh i respect u as a scientist but please u need some more skills to b a political anaylist. i respect u a lot and admire u too but plz sir we need u to restrict urself in the field of education and not in the world of political analysis. Thanks
That's just criticism for the sake of criticism..!! Ik is not good Qadri is useless,the two major parties are most corrupt,army is the root of every problem...... Then my dear should we elect you?
I have nothing to reply to you.. just read the comments above. Remember that its 2013 not your era. its our. Khan is not alone and we are there to answer you back.
Do you think an elected government can architecture a social change? Can it induce punctuality and get a superstitious nation to accept contraception. I don't think our population is growing because birth control pills are inaccessible. It is growing because even college educated women are superstitious about using them.
Social change is brought about through education and yea you are one of the few that have successfully helped people think differently. However we can't place this responsibility on to the elected govt whichever leader it forms under.
REDUCED corruption if not elimination of it, will have a trickle down effect on social culture and attitudes. It will bring greater respect for the due process of law, for punctuality, for standing in a queue, for filling forms accurately, for accountability, for clarity of the law and its effectiveness, and eventually greater confidence in investing money in a business at home rather than buying an apartment in Dubai. I think Weber would agree.
My 2 cents on this article:
Firstly, there is an obvious deviation and distortion of facts in this article. Also, in some instances over-simplification is evident and in other cases, undue complication as well as projection of closely inter-twined and inter-dependent issues as having no relevance with each other.
Now, while population growth might be a huge problem and maybe even amongst the biggest, it all links back to the corruption that is etched in the very fabric of this country. While most have equated corruption with kickbacks and filling pockets, I think there's more serious corruption that prevails which is only indirectly linked with financials. Not having the right intent to fix things, rulers filling up their cabinets with nincompoops who don't have the competence or the skill set to be in those positions (in addition to lack of intent) - (with lifelong farmers/ feudals responsible for Information technology, convicts being law ministers, jokers responsible for the interior, etc), not letting the competent ones within their parties rise are all forms of corruption which affect us equally.
If your education budget goes into personal accounts, how do you expect your nation to be educated enough to understand family planning and its benefits along with the equally important “what is the right choice for them in the elections” which ofcourse, also links back to why the education budget goes into pockets and not spent on what its meant for - doesnt that link your identified biggest problem in the country with corruption.
In short, concurring with the mighty khan, corruption is Pakistan's "central problem".
As for the only party who, in your opinion gives two hoots about bringing economic prosperity by wealth generation, could you enlighten us with what they have done within Punjab, where they have been the "all-powerful" in these last 5 years. If you cant think of even one such project (which you quite probably wont be able to), could you instead comment on the governance reforms they've brought, law and order improvement, social justice - or anything else that really matters?
Lastly, I agree with you about culture and progress going hand in hand and that "Progress-friendly cultures demand planning, punctuality, deferred gratification, belief in rationality, and the rule of law" however, as corruption is not limited to the rulers anymore, it has seeped through to the very fabric, these attributes will remain non-existant until you fix the fabric. How can you even expect deferred gratification or planning from those who only believe in and care about what’s available to pocket today only !
Italy is getting richer & better? Get your facts rights professor
Excellent .... But I think militancy and extremism should on no 1 and then political stability..
Sir, salute to your political wisdom and thanks GOD, your are not in politics. You would have been an educated and enhanced version of Zardari, 'Khul k khao, corruption doesn't hurt a country'.
I see no difference between Hoodbhoy and Ali Moeen Nawazish. Both make irrational arguments and expect people to follow them because of their fancy degrees.
The problems before Pakistan though quite complex can be tackled by persons who understand the complexities.When the army,the ISI and the religious organizations have the real power it is immaterial which civilian party wins.If the thinking of the military does not change, the prognosis for Pakistan looks bleak.From outside, looking at the current crop of Pakistani leaders, the problems look unsolvable.
Face the reality! Patient is on ventilator and doctor has asked to pray since they did everything which they could do. I find very weird about we Pakistanis that he loves to live in denial mode. Till such time we are not going to face the facts and reality, nothing would change. They say if problem is identified its 90% solved but sadly we are living on emotional slogans since 65 years. Sadly, it’s too late!
What a sorry piece. What have the other parties done to address the 'real' issues? Is Khi violence sectarian? What is the solution? Drones in Khi?
If we will ask Mr. O boy of who should be leader of Pakistan other than himself, I bet he will take his lifetime to think because he just know how to critisize.
Problem with huobuoy is that he assumes if one is good in quantum physics, one is good in everything. Problem with researchers is that that are never satisfied. It is good for profession, may not be good habit in every other case. Qadri was not pretending to be messiah and calimed he had answers of everyhing. He just pointed couple of crucial problems which should have priority (could be solved in few months). Huoboy is talkng of problems which needs decades. Mr. Theoratical, we need to start somewhere here and now.
In a nutshell you have said the problem lies with the military and the mullahs. Why ? because the politicians being inept and corrupt have granted them this space. The answer is to slowly recover this space through honest good governance in which the people would benefit and thus strengthen the civilian rule. Its not rocket science..........and I am sure many understand this.
Wonder why this old well-meaning professor hasn't been able to bring change in Pakistan? Any ideas? Can anybody help?
i am very happy that you pointed out a exact picture but you missed many thing one is eredication of lordship from pakistan in the form of feudal, military,industrial beaucratic one who are the great menace for pakistan sustainable progress and development