Image credit: Islamabad Metblogs
Pakistan has always been a focal point in the news media, but I feel like some pretty hefty stories and statements have surfaced in the last few days. Here are the ones I found most noteworthy:
- David Kilcullen, U.S. CENTCOM adviser to Gen. David Petraeus warned, “The Pakistani state could collapse within six months if immediate steps are not taken to remedy the situation.” Kilcullen told the Washington Post Sunday, “Pakistan has 173 million people, 100 nuclear weapons, an army bigger than the US Army, and al-Qaeda headquarters sitting right there in the two-thirds of the country that the government doesn’t control.”
- Pakistan was also raised in an interview with former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright on Friday’s Real Time with Bill Maher [click to 3:20 in the clip below]. She noted, “For me, Pakistan has everything that gives you an international migraine. It has nuclear weapons, corruption, poverty, extremism…[Bill Maher interjects: “Crazy Muslims”]…well it certainly has enough of those, and also a weak government…”
- Dawn also reported that Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram suggested that Pakistan is “perilously close” to becoming a failed state and that its government is “pretty disfunctional today.”
- Speaking of our government, an article in Friday’s Foreign Policy ranked President Asif Ali Zardari as the world’s fifth biggest loser [just to give some context, Bernie Madoff was number three and Josef Fritzl was first]. The FP’s David J. Rothkopf wrote, “Locked in a bitter struggle with opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, Zardari showed his weakness by capitulating to demands to reinstate Pakistan’s former Chief Justice per Sharif’s demands…He’s on the ropes, his opposition is gaining strength, and meanwhile fraught, dangerous, complex Pakistan is hardly being governed at all.”
Let me just note that none of these statements are very suprising or new. In fact, ever since Newsweek’s infamous cover story deemed Pakistan “The Most Dangerous Place on Earth“, similar labels have been thrown about, sometimes with gleeful abandon. However, maybe because it’s Pakistan Day, maybe because I read the aforementioned stories in quick succession, but I was left feeling especially indignant today. I often wonder if Pakistan would be as singled out by pundits and the media if it wasn’t such a strategic U.S. security issue. It is not that I don’t agree with several of the assertions, [in fact, I was quite amused reading the FP Zardari ranking] – I have acknowledged our weak governance issues, our economic problems, and the danger of rising extremism frequently on this blog.
However, there is a major difference between highlighting the negatives and focusing solely on the negatives. Pakistan is a nation that has many positives – and they pertain mostly to our people. In the past few years, our media has become increasingly influential – and for the most part sees themselves as a check on the establishment. And, despite how you may feel about its outcome, the Long March showed what a stronger civil society can help accomplish in Pakistan. Technology tools like Twitter, Facebook, and the overarching blogosphere have also created a new class of citizen journalists. As for me, I am constantly inspired by the people I have interviewed and the organizations I have spotlighted. What is both amazing and overwhelming is that I really never run out of positive figures or work to highlight. Pakistan is far from perfect, but amid the chaos there are still pockets of light that keep me optimistic. Happy Pakistan Day, everyone.
CHUP! - Changing Up Pakistan 
Kalsoom, I loved this piece. I think it’s because you and I think along the same wavelength. While reading the comments made by key political figures, I thought to myself, “but about the rest of the country?” Yes, we have MAJOR political issues, but as you said, cirumstances like the long march show that we still have the fever and the passion to set things right. We aren’t ready to give up on our country yet. They may call us a failed state, but I know about 173 million people (minus the government) who would beg to differ.
According to you we are close, America and India, but wait a little while before you stamp us a failed state. We have too much of the positive to give up on just yet.
I may sound like I am in denial, but I’m not. I have hope, just like millions of other Pakistanis, and that’s part of the beauty of our country. Despite all our flaws, we still KNOW in our hearts that our country will succeed.
Happy Pakistan Day everyone!
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Nice piece. I think the long march definitely highlighted and exacerbated the situation pointed out in the Dawn article, in regard to the “rogue state within a state.” We heard many reports of government beaurocrats and police officials themselves compliant in the chaos. This is the very reason I commented that the restoration of the CJ should bring mixed feelings based on the methods used by the unelected individuals who demanded it.
Am not sure what to say here. But Lets just keep it at all the best for future as a nation.
Kals, you have put it really well here. Lets just hope that sanity prevails soon and things start looking better sooner than later for the people of Pakistan. All the best again.
TTV
Kalsoom,
You know there is something seriously wrong with you when you are in ranking with Fritzl. Can someone please send this link to the president?
I emailed it to him and urge the others to do so.
I’m currently engaged trying to source content from the sub continent in a variety of regional languages for an IPTV free to view station. I came accross a wonderful youtube video the other day.
In a girls school the pupils were debating whether it was right that Pakistan had nuclear weapons. Most spoke of responding to Indian aggression, defending Muslim countries world wide, stopping indian expansion etc with teachers leading furious applause. The counter arguements didn’t get such endorsement.
Then int he following discussion with the reporter the girls said entirely contary things. Bemoaning the waste of money, the diversion of resorces, the adversarial relationship with nieghbours, venal politicians etc. When asked why these views were so different to the debate there was some embarisment followed by one girl piping up that they picked the side that ‘would give us the most points and win’ 🙂 (Seeing the teachers reactions it was understandable.)
Appart from being a hilarious pursuit of marks that reminded me of being in school it in a way reasonates with the above. Its easy to harp on about the negatives because they are so dire as touched on above. Or in the classroom take the easy arguement (says something about people that military solutions are typically seen as so effective and cut and dried, flying in the face of the reality that the the majority of nations have lost wars and confrontations, its not even a 50% sucess rate.) But its not a lost situation. People may say one thing but really hope for another. Often all it takes is for the right set of leaders to be positioned and the country would change radically. For all that is said about faith and belief and entrenched views people change remarkably quickly. The herd mentality is alive and well, it part because of that private/public disconnect (throughout history you can see countries that have gone from secular to religious and back, or say to fascist states with general support to abondonment of those beliefs and condemnation of the activities down under it – obviously the time scales can be quite varied though, I think greece is only now getting round to the condemnation bit).
The day that Pakistan is viewed as lost is probably the day you see the US bringing China in to take control of Pakistans nukes and when that happens I would recomend everyone who hasn’t already left do so if you can. So the situation is by no doubt lost and Pakistan still has a few clever motivated people left to try and change things.
Welcome back! Just a little observation. I didn’t hear the 21 gun salute this time around. Could it be because of the supposedly “austerity” measures that the govt is doing which involved cutting out the National Day parade and march past?
Yawar,
That and also for security reasons?
Chris,
I saw that video! It was really interesting to hear what the little girls had to say. I especially liked the girl who said this is Pakistan after 50 years – we don’t have basic necessities like food or water – why should we think about an atomic bomb? Here’s the link for others: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raGKCFdbavE
Tazeen,
I agree, but the FP rankings were kind of whack – I mean Fritzl is on his own level with what he did – it creeps me out when I even see him on television! The FP also put Gordon Brown and the Pope on there, but didn’t mention any of the African leaders like Bashir or Mugabe, or the South American “losers” like Chavez (debatable according who you talk to). How did you email Zardari btw?
HGW,
I think you make an interesting point, and it’s something I’ve seen debated in the blogosphere. The Long March was a movement by the people but led and hijacked by political figures who were using it for political leverage. Certainly, the movement received a boost following the SC decisions about the Sharif brothers. Moreover (and I think Tazeen, you mentioned this on another blog) but there is merit to the argument that it took U.S. pressure to end the political conflict. I think though that the conflict ended with both – grassroots pressure and foreign involvement by Miliband, Clinton, etc. Those figures may not have come in as soon if the people weren’t out on the streets, and without media outlets reporting about torture, arrests, and beatings – at least I’d argue that. It’s pretty cyclical.
Regardless, it’s good that the CJ went back to work yesterday, but I doubt this actually means rule of law has been restored in Pakistan – rather, it may just be the first step towards an independent judiciary that could eventually mean proper rule of law. We have a long way to go.
Kalsoom
I liked your analysis of the situation, and I definitely agree with the fact that US pressure deserves some level of merit). But I tend to think the foreign involvement was more reactionary than premeditated… Surely they could have pressured Zardari earlier if they were actually interested in an “independent judiciary.”
But I still take issue with the claim that Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry represents an “independent” judiciary. Under Article 177 of the Constitution, which concerns the appointment of Supreme Court Judges, it says, “The Chief Justice of Pakistan shall be appointed by the President.” Last time I checked, Zardari was president. The president is appointed by the electoral college, that’s the system. Next time “the people” should not vote PPP if they don’t agree with its Chairman. Pakistani Law does not allow for unauthorized protesting by “the people” (i.e. propagandist politicians, scandal-hungry tabloid media, and uneducated masses). I don’t understand why this is being glorified by some. What’s been achieved?
Pakistan IS basically a rogue state now, a banana republic.
HGW,
I agree with you – I didn’t mean that Ifitikhar Chaudhry = independent judiciary – he was pretty politicized as a judge. I just meant the development may be a step towards an independent judiciary. As I noted though, we have a long way to go. And in some ways you’re right, we are a “banana republic,” but do you think all hope is lost?
Kalsoom,
I would like to say there is hope, but it depends on how you define “hope” in regard to your own personal agenda. Perhaps you could elaborate?
I would personally like to see Pakistan adopt a limited government structure as advised by the great minds of the Austrian school of economics, such as Murray Rothbard, Henry Hazlitt, and Ludwig von Mises. So for those who advocate free markets, sound-money, and personal liberty, there is little hope for any improvement. Virtually every politician here believes in statism, they’re only interested in growing the power of government. I feel that Pakistan will most likely remain in poverty for at least the next century.
Hope that situation will get better – i.e. eventually there will be less political infighting (I won’t say none, since absolutes never seem to come true), security improves, and the economy gets better. And what do you mean by Pakistan will “remain in poverty”? That the maj. of our people will be under the poverty line or the country itself remains bankrupt?
Yes I think the people will remain under the poverty line and the country will also continue its failed financial policies. Pakistan is a poor choice of location for foreign industrial enterprises, compared to China. And a poor choice of location for banking compared to Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, Switzerland, etc. The fundamental policies in Pakistan need to be changed to be competitive on a global scale. My opinion is all direct taxes should be eliminated and many wasteful government departments should be shut down. Government should shrink itself to bare essentials to reduce its burden on society, for starters.
Moving somewhat off topic here but anyway
No country that has done that (shrink itself to basically a security providing role) has prospered. Typically inequality massively shoots up and rival centres of governance form.
I agree there is a delicate balance between too much centralised government and too little but typically what is really needed is both massive transparency and accountability – normally manefested by an active and enquiring civil society that can hold officials to account.
If you ever have the misfortune to work with the US gov you will see one of the most bizarre, laberinth and massively rambling system of government that also costs a fortune.
Can you name any country that has done the above and prospered? All the european countries have massive state sectors, Austria for instance has 10% of the workforce directly employed by the state (and its nigh impossible to get fired).
The US under Ronald Regan prospered. The entire history of the US until the 20th century (notably 1913) was founded in limited government principles. That drove the industrial revolution. It was the Federal Reserve’s manipulation of interest rates that created malinvestment that led to the great depression. Free markets work, large government “labyrinths” such as those in the US are causing it to fail in ways described by George Soros as a collapse, “similar to the collapse of the Soviet system.”
What the far left doesn’t understand is that government has no wealth, it only the power to redistribute it from one to another. Where do you think wealth comes from? Government taxing/borrowing/spending is not wealth, it’s taking from one to give to another, based on the opinion of a few. The government can do nothing but hurt the economy, it has no power to “stimulate” it. Only free markets can efficiently allocate capital based on the desire for maximum returns. Governments only hinder the economy, and large budgets give opportunity for corruption. The current economic troubles are a direct result of far-left statist regulations you are encouraging. Regulators in the US are no smarter than those in Zimbabwe, as we’re seeing now. We don’t need more transparency, we need fewer things to be transparent ABOUT. We need fewer things to be accountable FOR. The free market regulates itself. The market will provide its own private regulations in ways the government can not.
Never has a country prospered with too much government involvement with the means of production. Do you think the Cayman Islands has one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world because they over-regulated their banking system? The statist ideas that far-left people such as yourself espouse are the very reasons why EU and the USA have extremely negative fundamentals at the moment. Their ponzi style borrow-and-consume economies will inevitably rot into inflationary depressions, say many credible economists. The only motor pumping water out of their sinking vessels is China’s purchase of treasuries. But just wait until the return on the investment equation changes for China, wait until the dollar loses 40% of its value over the next few years. Propping up US assets to achieve a trade surplus will no longer be rational for China given that kind of negative real interest rate. Far left thinking such as yours are the root cause of runaway government spending and the inflation tax we all suffer from.
And I didn’t site economic policies followed by Austria, I sited the “Austrian School,” which is a specific school of economic thought (not practiced in Austria). Enjoy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_School
“The Austrian School is a school of economics that emphasizes the spontaneous organizing power of the price mechanism, holds that the complexity of subjective human choices makes mathematical modelling of the evolving market extremely difficult (or impossible) and therefore advocates a laissez faire approach to the economy. Austrian School economists advocate the enforcement of voluntary contractual agreements between economic agents, but otherwise the smallest imposition of coercive force (especially government-imposed) on commercial transactions.”
You are picking the US under Reagan as an example of limited government? One of the biggest expansions of public spending (and debt) ever seen by the world? Or the US itself which has a famous history of protectionism and massive subsidy for industry? Up to the point where it comes to the average citizen the US has been more statist than most of the countries on the earth. The US talks the talk but where its ideas got implemented in the real world it didn’t go so well (though economist point out they were implemented imperfectly, sadly thats a future any system must face – markets often do well by working round such problems in a million small ways).
And your other example is the Caymen Islands? A place that is wealthy solely because it built on its nice environment for expats to relocate to with a banking system which simply takes advantage of other countries and allows the very rich to escape taxation in the countries where they made their money? Hell why not say Monaco as well. Any actual countries come to mind?
And my above arguement for transparency in government amounts to an extreme socialist view?
So, where is your country that has stripped away government and done well? (I pointed out Austria simply because you mentioned it, its a quite good case study for a rich middle class country that populates some of Europe.)
And you advocate this for Pakistan? A country grappling with a myriad of social problems including a universally percieved weak government with firm control of perhaps 1-2/3’s of its territory. Can you image what upheaval this would bring? (For a cue see what reforms have done in other poor countries, hell event he UK had IMF riots.) But instead of rioting on the streets you would have the already armed insurgents gaining ground and running amuck feeding on the desires and dissapointments of the majority who are to a large extent already suffering somewhat from the state the country finds itself in.
Anyway tis the wrong thread for such comments, maybe there should be a post for what economic system Pakistan should adopt.
@ Kalsoom,
on the occasion of Pakistan day I have written
a short story of refugees in 1947 on the following
website
http://pakistaniwomen786.wordpress.com/rafays-
voyage-to-pakistanlitrature/#-362
on the blogg ‘ bloggingwomenpakistan ‘
pages side ‘ Rafay’s voyage to Pakistan ( litrature)
please go thru it and if you wish, you can comment
and give your views !
cheers
Rafay
It is a kind of hutzpah to place Pope Benedict XVI on the list of “The world’s
biggest losers.” David Rothkopf should read the following article explaining how powerful and dangerous enemies Catholic Church is used to face:
http://www.polpatriot.com/html/in__english.html
(“Holocaust quasi-religion as an instrument of ideological war”)
Stanley Sas
(stanisas@hotmail.com)
Hi,
I want to highlight the resilience of people of Pakistan in spite of the extenuating circumstances. Is it okay with you if I use some of your thoughts from this post in my article- How people of Pakistan keep going?
Thanks
Nikki,
Yes that would be fine, but would you mind citing the site?
Thx!
Kalsoom