The Pakistan Resolution was passed on March 23, 1940, and paved the way for a separate homeland for the Muslims. Since the 19th century, the obsession with preserving the economic, political, religious, administrative, and cultural rights of the Muslims of the sub-continent remained a predominant feature of the Muslims political struggle. The contemplations of the Muslims of having a separate homeland became a reality on August 14, 1947, when Pakistan came into being after relentless sacrifices. However, some pertinent queries as far as Pakistan’s Resolution Day is concerned still require a serious introspection: Did the vision of the founder of the country really accomplish? What lessons have we learnt from Pakistan’s Resolution Day? The answers are nuanced.
Pakistan regrettably even lags far behind regionally and cannot be matched with the regional countries. The GDP per capita of Bangladesh and India in 2022 was $2,200, and $2,700 respectively while Pakistan’s was only $1,600. The 10-year mean GDP growths of Dhaka and New Delhi were about six per cent but ours was only 4.4pc. Islamabad since 2000 endured seven economic crunches that led the country to IMF. While, India has not met any economic crisis, reflecting our poor foreign investment, exports and reserves flows. The tax-to-GDP ratio of Pakistan is 8 percent whereas India has 20 percent. Even small countries in South Asia like Maldives, and Sri Lanka have $11,000 and $3,000-plus per capita GDP surpassing Pakistan. Ruling elites in South Asia invest 25 per cent in their countries. On the contrary, the Pakistani elite merely invests 15 per cent in their country.
The deteriorating law and order, and political and economic uncertainties and regularly paying extortion money impelled the Pakistani businessmen to invest in Dubai. According to a report of the EU Tax Observatory issued in the middle of 2022, Pakistanis have invested $10.6 billion in Dubai real estate. Given the present situations in the country, expecting foreign investors to invest in Pakistan is a na•ve approach. The common masses of the country must find the answer of question on Pakistan’s Resolution Day: what are the reasons for the underperformance of the proud ‘ideological’ fortress?
The country in its 76th year’s history still grapples with a polycrisis where various overlapping crises like political, economic, security, governance and demographic converge are strengthening each other. Veteran journalist, analyst and diplomat Maleeha Lodhi in her latest book “Pakistan: Search for Stability” argues that in the persuasion of the stability the country is hindered by a lack of good governance, visionless leadership, rule without law, political disruptions and volatile neighbourhood intensified enduring security dilemma. The ruling elites of the country, both past and present, have utterly failed to adapt a long-term perspective and didn’t give a vision or roadmap for the prosperous future of the country.
Presently, the choice the country is either to remain grappled with dysfunctional politics, weak governance, economic stagnation, uncontrolled population growth, internal security threats, an education deficit and eroding public faith in the state institutions or to craft a new course by improving governance, and welfare of the people rather than the interest of the narrow elite. Pakistan’s Resolution Day should be a clarion call for civil-military leadership to get into introspection and ponder over 67 per cent of young Pakistanis abandoning the country. According to the survey of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics PIDE, “67 per cent of Pakistani youngsters want to leave the country”. Ironically, that means that 67 per cent of young Pakistanis do not have trust in state institutions.
The young population instead of an asset is turning out to be a liability for the state. Each year 8 million young people enter into job market. Given the economic crises and political instability in the country, the state is unable to absorb 8 million youth in job markets resulting in frustration and uncertainty among the youths. Over the past three decades, the excessive misuse of religion led to growing societal conservatism. The increased extremism and job uncertainties among the youth are the emerging challenges that the state has to face.
The country’s economic culture has rapidly been contributing to the intensification of extremism. The wide disparity in financial condition between the poor and the ultra-rich, by and large, leads to marginalisation of the young bulge. The ruling class of the country must acknowledge the veracity on Pakistan’s Resolution Day that extremism is a long-term challenge that can be addressed through societal transformation, democratic consolidation, and revisiting the state’s strategic priorities.
The future of the country lies in a robust democracy and the implementation of the 18th Amendment. Arguably, the prevailing hybrid democracy will further weaken democracy, hampering the implementation of the 18th amendment, and ushering the path to the military’s growing influence in an economy that will result in bolstering its political sway. As it was anticipated democracy would reduce the military economic influence but the shift to hybrid democracy is believed to have augmented its role.
The hybrid democracy will compromise the professionalism of the politicians too who instead of working for the welfare of the masses will be interested in making deals to gain power. The politicians’ entering to parliament through deals would be easier for them than living up to the expectations of the people. Against this backdrop, the 2024 elections are regarded as the most rigged elections in the history of the country, thereby, tarnishing the soft image of Pakistan and exacerbating the political and economic crises.
On 23 March, the civil military leaderships should revisit foreign policy as the saying goes “Domestic policy can only defeat us; foreign policy can kill us”. Presently, the diplomatic crises Islamabad confronts is more complex than it has been in the past. These crises give birth to several questions: Where does Pakistan stand in the great power competition between the US and China? Will Islamabad remain neutral in the great power competition with the unprecedented political instability and fragile economy? Why are Pakistan’s ties deteriorating with neighbouring countries? Why has Islamabad so far not promoted regional connectivity under its National Security Policy? Regional countries across the globe promote 40 percent regional trade whereas Pakistan’s regional trade is merely 5 percent. In short, Pakistan cannot afford further blunders. On Pakistan’s Resolution Day, we need to reassess our foreign policy, and should prioritise improving political and economic conditions, controlling over-population, promoting a knowledge economy, coping with extremism, tackling climate change, adopting the 21st century’s demands. Otherwise the nation will head towards a quagmire.
-The author teaches International Relations IR at the University of Balochistan UOB, Quetta. And a former Research Associate of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad ISSI. He can be reached at bareach87@gmail.com
