Pakistan at 60!

I think it is important to celebrate the 60 years of Pakistan's nationhood. Pakistan has been able to survive a multitude of disasters, political turmoils, martial laws, civil wars and is now in the midst of the war against extremism. The 2005 earthquake witnessed the resolve of a nation to help ease the pains and sufferings of fellow Pakistanis. The country was also brought, at several occasions, close to bankruptcy due to ill-advised economic policies or corruption of successive governments. In its short history Pakistan also faced several wars and was a key US-ally during the cold war. And yet, despite all these odds Pakistanis have remained resilient. But to consider mere survival as an indicator of success would be akin to keeping the bar very low and short-changing the vision of Mr. Jinnah. Frankly, the record of Pakistan's achievements pales when compared with other young nations, like China, Malaysia or India.

The cherished vision of nationhood rests in the 'two nations theory' which argues that Hindus and Muslim are two distinct nations with different religions, attitudes and customs and possess irreconcilable differences. The vision purported by this theory culminated in carving-out the Muslim majority areas of India into a separate country for Muslims. While the premise of the two nations theory rested mainly on the fears of religious persecution, however it is inconceivable to think that the all-inclusive independence package did not include economic uplift promises for the poverty-ridden Muslim masses of India.

No doubt the force of religion is deeply divisive and it must have played well when viewed in the context of fears confronted by Muslims prior to partition. However Pakistan's overly zealous politicians have dealt this card far too often, and have deliberately pushed aside other key objectives conceived by its founders. As a result, today's Pakistan is confronted with complex challenges: confused national identity which is neither Arab, Indian nor Persian; extreme poverty; low education; and limited enlightenment. Today we are divided into several sub-nations or groups. Amongst us are non-state actors (Taliban, etc.), different ethnic groups and sects.

The objectives of creating an egalitarian society, removal of poverty and corruption have proven elusive. Recent events are forcing us to take a closer look at what sort of Pakistan we want. Do we want a Pakistan where non-state actors hijack the state's remit and enforce their own version of Shari'a? Do we want an indefinite war with India instead of reaching a compromise and capitalizing on our neighbor's economic success? Or, do we want a Pakistan with widespread poverty, corrupt and incapable leadership?

If the past six decades could be characterized as the decades of struggle for survival and search for a Pakistani identity, then I consider the staging-ground is now set for a vibrant Pakistan to take-off.

Last few months' events were very encouraging. It might sound like a cliche, but we have all but ransacked Mr. Jinnah's vision of a modern and enlightened Pakistan. The success recipe, it could be argued, is to strike the right balance between our nationhood concept, Pakistan's religious sensitivities and economic development objectives.

The re-instatement of the Chief Justice and a head-on struggle with local non-state actors who profess to violent tactics could be considered two important steps towards defining the improvisation of Pakistan's nationhood.

The re-instatement of the Chief Justice must have helped Mr. Musharraf determine the boundaries of his power. The struggle against non-state actors, and its endorsement by moderate, peace-loving Pakistanis must have strengthened Mr. Musharraf's resolve of making Pakistan a strong country. As Samuel Huntington states in 'State and Soldier', we do need a bit of Sparta in the heart of Babylonia, but lets re-define our Babylon first.

Happy birthday Pakistan!