It will be worthwhile to make the effort to assess where we stand as Pakistan marks the completion of three quarters of a century as a sovereign nation. It is difficult to examine, analyse, and make sense of 75 years of turmoil, hardship, and a few victories, but there are some significant concerns that need to be looked at in order to think about the future.
Considering that many had prophesied that Pakistan would collapse within a short period of time during the freedom war, the fact that the nation has endured this long despite the devastating breakup of the erstwhile eastern wing in 1971 is itself no little achievement. But surviving is one thing, and building a prosperous, equal society is quite another.
The country’s founding fathers had envisioned a welfare state in which Muslims from the subcontinent could freely practise their religion, progress economically, and cultivate their cultures, as well as a place where people of different faiths could live as equal citizens. Sadly, given the country’s current status, our founding fathers would find it difficult to recognise the nation they had founded given how diametrically contrary to this lofty goal events over the years have been.
Our dilemma is caused by a variety of factors, many of which are self-inflicted wounds. The fact that the constitutional order has been constantly upset and a democratic culture hasn’t fully taken hold may be at the root of our never-ending crises. The country acquired its first constitution in 1956, nine years after gaining independence, but just two years later would it experience its first and subsequent periods of martial law. The political process has not advanced as quickly as it should have because of recurrent military interventions.
However, while the military has frequently gone beyond its constitutional bounds, neither civil lawmakers nor the general public are innocent. Their inability to implement good governance and their unwillingness to combat cronyism and corruption frequently made it possible for “saviours” in uniform to intervene. Politicians have occasionally encouraged martial law regimes and even asked the generals to “rescue” the country by toppling elected administrations led by their political adversaries. We shall be destined to make the same errors made over the previous 75 years unless the democratic system is given room to expand and change.
Pakistan has endured economic hardships over the past 75 years. Even while there have been some encouraging signs, such as the fact that per capita income has increased significantly since independence and that attempts to reduce poverty have had some success, the economy’s underlying problems have not been resolved, which has led to cyclical financial crises. The humiliating ritual of taking the begging bowl to multilateral lenders and foreign friends and benefactors has been practised far too frequently; the economy has been somewhat dependent on foreign aid, giveaways, and rent.
In turn, this has had an impact on national sovereignty. Pakistan has undergone “growth without development,” as some experts have claimed. Economic benefits haven’t been distributed equally to everyone. The entitled elites of a Third World nation live First World lives while the majority struggle to put food on the table. The establishment of a welfare state will remain an unattainable goal unless economic fairness is maintained.
Reevaluating foreign policy is also necessary. We live in a challenging neighbourhood, and since our independence, relations with India have been strained. In addition, Pakistan has suffered greatly as a result of the way that the international community has used Afghanistan as a geopolitical chessboard. However, we have also made a lot of blunders, including siding with the West during the Cold War and allowing militants to use our turf to destabilise other countries. Our close ties to China have been the lone international success story.
Other issues that impede growth include prejudice against women, the population explosion, our dire educational situation, religious radicalism, which has become more pronounced since the Zia era, discrimination against minorities, sectarianism and terrorism, and more. To find a solution, each of these problems deserves a far more thorough investigation.
However, not everything that has happened during the past 75 years has been bad. We are a strong country, and both domestically and internationally, Pakistanis have made significant contributions to the arts, sports, performing arts, entrepreneurship, and technology sectors. Particularly, our expats have brought honour to Pakistan. While our professionals have scaled new heights on foreign soil, our diligent labourers have contributed to the construction of the dazzling cities of the Gulf.
We are also a charitable people, as seen by Pakistanis’ generous efforts to assist fellow residents during emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic and many natural calamities. If given the proper opportunity and resources to compete with the rest of the world, our young population can transform Pakistan into a fantastic country. While there is no quick fix for our issues, hard work, adherence to the law, a meritocratic system, and justice for all can help Pakistan become the progressive welfare state that its forefathers had envisioned.
