Side-effect

"You have to be born in Pakistan to understand what the country is about. No less." One lamented and others seconded him with so much conviction that I couldn't disagree. There were nine of us lounging in Waheed Noor Baloch's flat in Ghas Mandi in the old and historic neighbourhood of Lyari, Karachi. I met this group of friends whom I really cherish, after quite some time, but nothing personal or light about our lives was discussed. After an exchange of pleasantries, we hurriedly moved on to politics and the economic downturn in the country. On the one hand they sounded helpless when talking about their own neighbourhood being ruled by godfathers and on the other hand, everyone was cowed down with the state of affairs, nationally and internationally.

The clouds of war are looming large on our frontiers with India, the increasing alienation of Baloch youths with the Pakistani state is alarming, the military action in the North-West against Islamic extremists continues unabated, the hostility of the MQM towards Pashtuns in Karachi in the name of confronting Talibanisation is taking new turns and the construction of the enemy in Pakistani society finding new proponents in the shape of warmongering television commentators and jingoist columnists with a limited sense of history, economics and global affairs. The security doctrine of the Pakistani military remains unshaken even after losing legitimacy on various counts internally, but ironically finding its validation by the acts of their counterparts and expedient politicians in India. For instance, through incidents like the pulling down of the Babri Mosque, the Gujarat pogroms, Samjhota Express being set ablaze by a fanatic military officer, Christians killed indiscriminately in some places by Hindu zealots. Such happenings in India always lend a new life to the bigots in Pakistan. Finally, the incompetence of our upper classes, including politicians, is becoming more blatant with each passing day.

I

have witnessed such conversations grow in all parts of the country. The crisis has never been over since I was born and we have seen bad, less bad and worse times, both politically and economically. But things are coming to a head now. Veteran journalist and intellectual Ghazi Salahuddin fails to conceal the sadness in his eyes when saying that December 2008 is somewhat similar to March 1971 when the country is faced with fatal choices. Are we ready to redefine the state of Pakistan in modern terms and are Indian leaderships of all hues and colours mature enough to let that happen? Would we continue to let extremist outfits survive or dismantle them without differentiating between those fighting in FATA and the NWFP and those who fought in Kashmir? On another note, we remember how India and other outside powers intervened in 1971 when we were unable to resolve our internal issues due to the same insensitivity and incompetence that is being displayed by the powers that be towards the oppressed people living in different parts of the republic, belonging to different national, ethnic and linguistic groups. There is neither a sense of urgency in clearing up the mess within nor a level of seriousness that makes the onlooker believe in what one is claiming. Before it is too late, we should concentrate on making the country stronger from within through addressing the unresolved questions of economy and decent livelihoods, complete provincial autonomy and strengthening democratic institutions and dispensation of justice, which unbelievably is a long haul. Even a peacenik faced with the realities of the world today would not undermine the importance of a professional and technologically superior army to create a military and political deterrence. But that is the only role they should play.

The rational citizens are seriously worried about where the country is being led by both national and international decision-makers. They are not as ignorant and simple as before and recognise where the economic, technological, military and political prowess of the country stands when a large part of the dominant forces in the world have decided to put a squeeze on Pakistan.



The writer is an Islamabad-based poet and rights campaigner. Email: harris@spopk.org