Pakistan: Please let us be

Mir Adnan Aziz

Pakistan then home to one of the greatest civilizations on earth, as majestic as the mountains and peaks it cradles; today a nation of 160 million, literacy closer to 20% with one of the highest infant mortality rates at 74 deaths per 1000 live births and the majority sans access to potable water. Created by the partition of British Colonial India in 1947 and defined since by poor governance.Officially a federal Islamic republic, in reality floundering for it's identity.

The blame, in all fairness to be shared by all of us, logically rests moreso on those who have ruled us for all but 16 years of our existence. Our transfers of power have almost invariably been violent or non-democratic. A strong military influence has dominated Pakistani politics since inception, which may fortunately culminate in the current rule of General Pervez Musharraf.

Though almost entirely Muslim, Pakistan is internally divided by numerous religious sects, ethnic groups and an extreme polarization of wealth. Lacking a strong democratic tradition, both human rights and the civil sector have suffered, with much of the government's attention and resources directed toward military concerns such as the 'War on Terror' and conflicts in Balochistan and Waziristan.

Despite the many challenges that face Pakistan, a number of courageous and committed people are working to effect change in the country where paradoxically what we had was a complete lack of hope that the government could be reformed. Maybe this is the political culture that is bred by 60 years of dictatorial government - a sense of the government as an omnipotent but incompetent father figure which can't be challenged or circumvented.

A lack of democratic traditions, or drastic class stratification-Pakistani society was a quandrom of people completely lacking hope. A nation comprising of two classes: the air conditioned 'elite' and the teeming millions- the over heated masses.

Unfortunately the Pakistani military has had a propensity for intervening in the political process, having ruled this country for most of its life. Military men have an ingrained, institutional contempt for civilian politicians, regarding them as blundering fools. Unfortunately they become a party by doing away with the democratic process of elimination by a fair ballot. They see democracy, with a political majority rule, as a phenomenon described by John Stuart Mill as 'tyranny of the majority'.

The generals have often promised to return to civilian rule after a coup, but try and rule indefinitely, directly or in-directly through military appointed civilians. They also have asserted their traditional, self-defined role as the "arbiter" of Pakistani politics, a function that had been defined as illegitimate by the founding father of the nation.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah's life was a volimunous book on character, integrity and good governance, yet the only leaf read and incessantly quoted is that he was a 'westernized liberal' who dreamt and created Pakistan as a 'secular' entity.

The only popularly drawn up 1973 constitution, has undergone a decapitation by a not too honed scalpel, that is the military fiat. These retreats from democracy have bode ill for Pakistan. Talking about unrepresentative military rule and not their mentor, friend and abettor the US of A would be a fallacy. These propped up figures have been duly and ably assisted, though sans remorse, by these very friends who promise them the exilir of life.

The United States -- sometimes overtly, sometimes covertly -- has funded and encouraged right wing Islamist activism only to find themselves looking down the proverbial barrel of a gun. Discounting the one 'tiny' fact that the governments they helped nurture were unrepresentativeand autocratic never deterred them.

The United States spent decades cultivating Islamists, manipulating and cynically using and misusing them as Cold War allies. General Pervez Musharraf captured power in a coup d'etat in 1999. The Clinton administration had initially cold shouldered him. However, following the September 11 attacks, Musharraf summersaulted to serveUnited States interests. Long standing Pakistani policy in Afghanistan was jettisoned and the Taliban disowned courtesy the miracle longdistance call.

The United States resumed huge amounts of economic aidto Pakistan after a gap of 11 years. It declared Australia, Japan and Pakistan to be "major non-NATO allies". Direct American aid during 2002-2007 amounted to a whopping $9 billion. Out of this $6.39 billion (this amount could almost provide universal access to primary education) is directly or indirectly related to Pakistani military programs. This is an astonishing figure considering that between 1954and 2002 (47 years), the US provided Pakistan a total of $12.6billion in economic and military assistance.

Army equipment delivered or in the pipeline include 26 Bell 412 helicopters; 20 AH-1F Cobra attack helicopters and modernization of Pakistan's existing Cobrafleet, Harris high frequency radios, TOW-2A anti-tank missiles, and115 M-109A5 howitzers. To manage these programs the Office of the Defense Representative, Pakistan(ODRP) has expanded to a complex organization of approximately 40 military personnel headed by a major general.

By a quirk of fate, for once, history today seems to be on the side of the people of Pakistan and against military regimes and their political dominance. Our 'friends' have now to choose as to which sideof history it wishes to stand in relation to Pakistan or better still if they could only but heed a nation's soul call-----please let us be.

( miradnanaziz@gmail.com)