The real work begins now!

Months of frenetic campaigning and weeks of saturated print and electronic advertisement, as well as heated television debates have, thankfully, come to an end. The nation now expects both winners and losers to close the chapter on electioneering frenzy and work together to strengthen the democratic policy. The winners need to show magnanimity in victory; the losers to avoid sulking in defeat. Moreover, both need to recognise that the elections represent a watershed in the country’s political evolution. In coming out in record numbers, the people defied threats hurled by terrorists, while also spurning exhortations of the boycott lobby, proving their abiding faith in the democratic system.

The media, barring a few notable exceptions, played a critical role in arousing a sense of pride in the process, galvanising voters to recognise the value of their votes. Consequently, political leaders had to focus on specific programmes and policies, rather than on vague promises or rhetorical flourishes. This helped to draw in the urban, tech-savvy youth, hitherto sceptical of elections, into the process. This represents a major development that augurs well for the country.

This moment of collective glory repudiates many of the myths about the unsuitability of democracy in poor, impoverished Muslim states and constitutes a rejection of foreign-inspired experiments in democracy.

It is, however, important to reiterate that it is not enough to have elections. They must also result in performance and delivery, which is where we have been historically weak. The challenges confronting the next government will demand leadership of extraordinary abilities, with its feet firmly on the ground. The state of the economy has been perilous, literally at the edge of the abyss, trapped in a trajectory of low growth, high inflation, poor governance and high levels of corruption. These have pushed additional millions into a state of poverty.

These problems would be enough to send any lender or investor scurrying away from our shores. They, however, become frightening when reinforced by the realisation that the country lacks even an understanding of what constitutes national security strategy. The new government has to appreciate the need to evolve a comprehensive national security strategy, given the complexities of globalisation and enormity of challenges confronting the state. It may sound like a cliché, but it is an acknowledged fact that there is an intrinsic linkage between domestic and foreign policies, as well as between foreign and economic policies. These have to be meshed in to produce a smooth, effective and credible national security strategy. The validity of this can be seen in the damage done to the nation’s security and economy, as well as to its image and credibility abroad, because of the scourge of extremism and militancy. The problem has of course, been acknowledged, but not seen as linked to both domestic and foreign policies, which is why our response has been inadequate and half-baked.

All states, even the most powerful, face challenges that have to be met with resolve, flowing from national consensus. In the case of Pakistan, given the neighbourhood that we live in, the emergence of powerful states in our vicinity and the strong interest in and involvement of the global powers in our region, the task of Pakistan’s leaders is even more complex and daunting.

Consequently, the failure to recognise that foreign policy by itself cannot confront external challenges, unless reinforced by an effective and credible domestic policy, would resulted in continuing drift that has already damaged us badly. Moreover, the concessions accorded to foreign actors — both state and non-state — have left us exposed and subject to external pressure and internal blackmail. These challenges are so colossal that they would tax the ingenuity and resources of even stable, well-established polities and Pakistan has to begin addressing them, if we are to survive as a truly independent and sovereign state.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2013.