Happy Ramadan

Ramadan is the holy month of fasting for Muslims. For last few decades fellow Muslims are helping others to fast. They do so by increasing prices of essentials before Ramadan. The month was supposed to bring blessing but instead it is bringing greed and lawlessness in Pakland.

Look at all the concerned authorities, right down from the highest authorities all consider themselves Alladeen but what they don't have his their magic lamp and Jinni. In the morning one comes and say there wont be any problem, in the evening other says that all problems would be fixed. No one knows, how and when??

One thing that our politicians really miss out is that through erection of temporary bazaars the issue of prices hike and lack can not be solved. It would need sacrifice on their behalf and long term planning.

Unfortunately none of the present elite or their chosen successors seem to have the common sense that if a certain commodity is not produced enough to feed all, its shortage can not be finished.

Death of Mehsud

It is now evident that the leader of Pakitsan Taliban Baitullah Mehsud is killed before 10 August 2009. What remains unclear is the future strategy of the banned group. It has widely been believed within the country that Mehsud was working on behalf of his foreign patrons against Pakistan. So could they not save him? Not exactly the real issue was that he came in to too much spot light and Pakistan in its war against terror asked its allies to act which they had to.

Now coming back to the main question about future. If its true that Mehsud's aide Hakimullah is also dead then things could be better other wise not much improvement should be expected. One of major turning points could be re-evaluation of Pakistan Talibans' strategy by themselves. This may lead to their disassociation from blood shed in Pakistan and focus entirely in Afghanistan. If this happens, it could turn in to night mare for NATO led forces in Afghanistan. UK is already taking of staying for 40 years in Afghanistan (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8191018.stm) which could only lead to disaster.

Taliban, is it too late?

The Pakistani news papers of 22 April 2009 made following headlines ‘Buner falls into the hands of Swat Taliban’. Was this a surprise to all, not at all! It was expected and well planned. Those who claimed that Sufi Muhammad from TNSM (Swat) had no hidden agenda and was sincere for peace deal in Swat should reconsider now what they thought from his words saying that barbaric Taliban could not face any trial in Pakistani or Sharia courts. Let’s see where the trouble started.

There were many reasons, many people and many countries to blame but the real problem lied deep in us. Instead of working and relying on our resources we raced to become open market and international player but we ended up as international playing ground. Almost every country can play according to her own rules and teams at this playground. Just land at Islamabad’s so called International Airport and one will notice how the previous ruler is promoting image of Pakistan. While waiting for your luggage you’ll see a big poster portraying a marriage with a lady’s hand knotted in a male hand. It says ‘you are not forced to’. Under it says that British Consulate wants to help you if you are being forced to marry. Yes the issue is a problem but UK government being ally of Pakistan spreads the bad image of Pakistan just where one lands in the country! This was the evident example; others are much more hidden and rude.

Now coming back to our very own problem, when Jinnah founded the country the intention was to provide a safe heaven to the previous rulers of sub-continent. This was needed with the change in international conditions. It was similar to squeeze of size of Ottoman Empire to main land Turkey in 1923. But and a big but was there. Most of our religious leaders as well as common people could never get rid of the past of Muslims in the region. They still considered them the ruler and defender of Islam in the world. The common concept that Pakistan is ‘Castle of Islam’ brought good as well as many bad things to this Pak land.

With the thirst for jubilant past and become defender of Islam the country was converted to defender of the holy religions against communism in 1980s. The flow of aid and cash provided many opportunities to different people and every one created his own sect to get more and more share from this flowing Ganga River. Once the said task was finished these fractions needed to create an atmosphere of chaos so that the rulers or their bosses should see them inevitable. This was what they exactly succeeded in doing.

Unfortunately the country had no leader who can unite the people. The leaders for decades had betrayed their people so no one was trust worthy any more. Lack of leader created factional leaders and opportunists in the country. Each with his own agenda actually personal development agenda and with his own boss be it be western or eastern.

On development front we relied on ready-made cheap or expensive commodities rather than trying to work hard and produce something. No vision was ever created by any political party for the country. The politicians always said that they will do this and that but any measurable promise never came out. Simply no one promised that they will build 2 new airports in next 5 years or 3000 kilometers of roads, 500 km of rail link etc. So just like life of ordinary Pakistani people everything was explained in vague language. Common people were only trying to sustain their day while their upper class and rulers planned everything well. They planned on birth of their child that the new born would be studying abroad, coming back or staying there, establishing his/her own business or taking the political seat of family.

Under such conditions the life of Pakistani people just suffered and suffered. The last nail to the coffin was our legal system. It had always been protecting the stronger and influential. No one ever dared to ask the rulers that in ‘castle of Islam’ why Islamic legal traditions are not followed. This created a vacuum in the system. The people looked to authorities other than the state to ask for justice be it mosque imam or tribal leader. When Taliban in Afghanistan created their own government they declared it to be based upon justice and it was to some sense. While in the government they punished the poppy growers but now when on opposite side they are collaborating with them, what a contrast it is? Now when they are in NWFP, people look for justice to them but they themselves are declared immune to any prosecution for their actions. Are they more sacred than Omar the Caliph who answered in court even about getting two pieces of cloth from government when everyone got only single piece.

Destabilizing of Pakistan is desire of many enemies and so called friends of Pakistan. However what’s wrong with the intellectuals and people of Pakistan (leave the leaders, they are useless). They should either raise their voice now or accept to live in fear for centuries. Don’t forget that many times in history there were moments when a mistake was done and then centuries had to pay for it. We must stand against the Taliban and we must accept to live without aid either from west or Arabs. We must defeat the enforced Sulfi version of Islam and protect our Sufi version. No one other than us should be worried if we are to go to hell for practicing our religion the way we know it. Be it Bulehy Shah or Khuja Ghulam Farid, we always practiced tolerance in sub continent.

A good part of the struggle now depends upon our judiciary. If under the command of my good Lord Iftikhar Chaudry the justice system revives itself and goes under evolution in pro-poor manner then people might not go for Taliban justice system.

This alone won’t help. We used to be proud of our army. Once again army must engage itself in war and this war should not be a battle ground but the war tactic that is used by SSG not ordinary soldiers. Where is our great ISI, can’t it monitor the movement of Taliban? Where is our Air force, are they waiting for time when Taliban gets some sophisticated radar systems and fighter jets? The country must be stabilized by engaging in all out war against Taliban before any other development.

Snake who is against my enemy is not my friend either and especially in this case when we are not sure whose snake is this, we should be more careful and bold. It is now the war of survival.

Year 2047’s Pakistan if…

If the current path of events continues in the way it is happening with corrupt politicians and their families ruling over Pakistan and so called Taliban keeps on gaining control of different parts of the country. Then it is never difficult to imagine the situation of Pakistan in year 2047, the hundredth year of independence.

Politically it can easily be seen that current rulers are preparing the grounds for their heirs to take the seat once they are too old to do so may be after 20 years. So will there be any change? I doubt because those new comers would have been trained by the existing rulers even had worked along them for 10 years or so by then. Therefore when they will be getting all the benefits and blessings of life from existing system why would they like to change the system for any good?

Technologically, Pakistanis have been very proud to have good level of expertise in nuclear physics and mathematics. But will common people have any benefit of this knowledge? Not at all, the military use of this knowledge is essential for our survival due to many reasons but what will it change in life of the masses? Yes it may provide security against external enemies to some extent but it has no way to protect against internal enemies or help to solve logistic problems of people. We won’t be having any mass transport systems in our cities or between our cities. Our proud airline which had the honour to help launch of Emirates and Singapore Airline will go drained due to bad policies and corruption. So at the end people won’t have better travelling facilities to travel inside or outside the country. We won’t be producing any technologic item to sell.

Considering the backbone of economy i.e. agriculture and industry. We should ask ourselves that except for wheat and some rice what else we produce in large quantity and these two commodities also we have to import every other year. Concerning industry, textiles used to be one of major exports but now we do import most of them. What else? In order to see the picture clearly just name 1 brand from Pakistan that can be considered international or even regional.

Coming to the issue of Talibanization, it all started when we were toxicated with the concept that unbelievers or Godless Russians are taking control over the world and the believers of the books should make an alliance to counter them. Hence an alliance with USA was formed. All Pakistanis got flattered with the idea that they were fighting the war of world’s survival, survival of Holy books. The fighters in Afghanistan were supported and finally USSR was defeated. Then those fighters started fighting with each other. At the end when world realized that these fighters are danger to them they simply engaged them in a war against other Muslims. They were lured with the concept to become Amir-al-Momineen and establish Muslim empire. Common people sympathized with them in a hope that they will bring justice and peace with Islamic traditions. BUT at the end common people got crushed from both sides. Now the holy warriors have changed themselves to ruthless warriors who do not have any hope to win against the powerful enemies but only to punish their own people and then pose themselves as saviors of the system.

So unfortunately if the survival war against them is not initiated then do expect, no lady teachers to teach the future generations’ mothers or any lady doctors to attend them. As a result it is not hard to imagine that future mothers won’t have enough knowledge to equip their children to prosper nor they will be physically capable of doing the necessary activities to keep family life in balance.

 

So is there no way out? There is but time is running out.

1.       We leave the judiciary alone and decide that the selection and promotion issues are dealt according to strict merit based regulations.

2.       Armed forces also follow similar approach.

3.       The moderate Muslim groups come straight against the so called Taliban movement.

4.       Political parties come up with their future vision of Pakistan and people decide accordingly.

5.       All of us decide to work and not look for short cuts or pawas to get our work done.

 

Unless we make radical changes we will have people living in fear and just struggling to make it to their death on one hand the rulers and Taliban enjoying the benefits of rule on the other hand.