Pakistan: Natural state, welfare state or failed state?

By T.H Shah

Very recently, the statements from those at the roost of the affairs depict extreme kind
of lukewarm attitude towards the individuals of the state. As per statement of Mr.
Zardari, being a head of the state it is not his responsibility to deal with the issues like
energy and sugar crisis in the country. On back support, Federal Minister of Trade
Mr. Makhdoom Ameen Faheem took the leaf from his book and, instead of taking
necessary action on the sugar crisis, starts admonishing the people to use less sugar.
Following the same course of action, the head of the Executive Mr. Gillani warned the
nation in advance to be ready in future for facing the crisis of gas after energy.

Within the pretext of these statements aired respectively, the true role and objective of
the state seems catapulting into the mist. Under sever economic crisis the state of
Pakistan is plagued with, the individuals are from pillar to post while on the other
hands the insensitive ones in the corridors of powers are engaged in furthering their
interests and attempts being made for keeping the rule of one family as been the case
centuries ago in Greece under oligarchial rule. Nothing is being done to change the
lives below the poverty lines whereas the middle class is vanishing from the society at
the hands of the policies of ruling elites; and even some well-off families find hard to
meet both ends. The men with sagacity remark, whither state?

State is an end and individual is means to this end or state is means and individual is
end in itself. In former case individual is exploited, deprived and subjected to all form
of inhumane treatment to ensure his allegiance to the state; the case before us is of
Bolshevik Regime in former USSR where individuals was the main target to pursue
the means of the state which implied the interests, benefits, welfare, and development
of the ruling elite. In later case, it is not the state but the welfare of the individual
assuming the centrality of all state policies. Granting the right of private property by
the Communist Party of China authenticates this political phenomenon. A lot of
political shifts have occurred and now state is no more an end in itself. Thanks to
democracy, the individual is the major focus of the state and all its activities must be
geared towards the welfare and development of the individuals.

Unfortunately, in Pakistan, since its very inception, the individual has never been the
focal point of state policies. Behind the framing and abrogation of various
constitutions and crumbling down of civil governments and emergence of military
regimes, only the interest of the ruling elite prevailed putting the common people in
limbo. The worst thing is the maintenance of the status quo by those considered to be
equipped with Western style education. Most of the rulers whether military or civil
came with background of western education, but ironically, no one of them tried to
fine-tune the system in lines with western administrative set-up so as to make it
prompt responsive to the public needs.

It is pity on the minds of the people that they are and have been vulnerable to the
demagogues, emotional speeches of charismatic leaders, and never thought out of
subjective way. Slogans like Bhutto zinda hey, roti kepra aur makan (PPP), been no
deal with the military establishment (PML (N)), exploiting the people on the name of
religion by religious political parties have no relevance to the prevailing political and

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economic circumstances in the country. MMA ruled five years in NWFP, what type
of Islam people got under its so-called Islamic rule? Nothing happened except shallow
slogans, lip service and loud trumpets. In so-called Islamic state of Pakistan, women
are being murdered in the name of honour killings, innocent women and children are
being killed in suicidal bombs attacks; in the province of Sindh; women are married to
the Holy Quran which is open insult to the teaching of Holy Prophet Hazrat
Muhammad (PBUH). No Imam (Minister of Religion) raises voice against this
unscarred custom while the homes and temples of minorities are burnt under the cover
of blasphemy laws. Is the marriage of girls with the Holy Quran not blasphemy act in
itself? Such type of situation is maintained and being patronised by those men of
standing (Rulers) whose own sons and daughters are studying in the most expensive
European educational institutions. Those clamouring for the establishment of
Khilafat-e-Rashida (Political system established under Caliphate) forget of the piles
of their own wealth and big chunks of land. In repository of religious political parties,
religion is a precious gimmick enough to play with the people emotions and to keep
their own interests protected.

In natural state, before the state assumed well organised political entity, the life was
brutish, nasty and hard; because there prevailed the interest of the stronger, self-
preservation of a particular tribe instead of collective preservation, to put it briefly,
might was right. In current political scenario in Pakistan, the life of people is going
from bad to worst, human security is entirely absent, hooligans hold the rein of
political power who openly flout the rule of law, post graduates wandering for seeking
jobs but in vain, and rich is becoming rich, poor becoming more poor. Of course it is
the natural state where the life of the people at large is not less than a continuous
anguish.

To my estimation, the test of successful state is human development index (HDI)

which calculate the average development of a country; and protection of the human
rights. From this perspective, as per HD Report of 2008 by UNDP, it stands at rank of
139th out of 197 countries of the world lagged behind even of Bhutan, Congo,
Namibia, and Gabon. In addition, where gone the billions of foreign reserves from the
national economy when General Musharraff ousted from presidency? Not it is strange
to see the state army fighting against it own people? The incumbent government,
instead of boosting inland economic resources, enmeshed the country in foreign loans.

Keeping in view all these factors, any one with a bit common sense can decide what
type of state Pakistan is, natural, welfare or failed?

(The Writer is associated with Press For Peace (PFP) as Director Research. He
could be contacted at: shah@pressforpeace.org.uk )