(Translated from Urdu)
Chaos can only be brought under control by empowered “mediators.” Unfortunately, we do not see “mediators” from journalism to high courts.
The “mind-makers” and politicians who stir up excitement about “deployment” have forgotten that Pakistan is also a nuclear power. In this regard, our capability and program have been failing in the eyes of our so-called “friends.” They could not stop us from becoming a nuclear power. They started spreading this story through “researchers” in a very organized manner that our program is “Insecure.” “Religious extremists” are eager to access it. If they succeed in their goal, there will be a lot of destruction in the world.
We had to painstakingly craft a counter-narrative to refute the above impression. Even our staunchest critics now admit that our program is in the same safe hands as the nuclear assets of the world’s most powerful nations due to varying levels of security.
In the context mentioned above, the excitement that has arisen for the past few days regarding the appointment is giving the message to the world that despite having a “written constitution,” the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is unable to appoint the new Army Chief according to the established rules and regulations.
While celebrating the decade of “merit,” our most popular politician i.e. Imran Khan, is making the possible appointment controversial. He wants the Prime Minister’s Office to consult President Arif Alvi before signing the received summary. If the president of the country follows his wish in a devoted manner, at least for the next 25 days, there will be a storm of speculation about one of the most important state institutions. This storm would present Pakistan as a “defective state” in front of the world.
Keeping this possibility in mind, a simple wish arose in me that during his farewell address on Wednesday, General Bajwa should also pay attention to the above aspect. He, however, preferred to mention Pakistan’s severe economic problems. He reminded the politicians that finding a solution to our economic crisis is not in the hands of any single political party. All these together will create a workable strategy.
Shahbaz Sharif has been demanding a “covenant on the economy” since 2018. Mr. Imran Khan is not ready to shake hands with “thieves and looters.” He is aggressively insisting that new elections be held immediately. He is sure that these elections will give him a two-thirds majority. Applying it, he is also referring to the revival of the “presidential system.” He believes that without it, political and economic stability will not be provided to the dear country.
Expressing his desire to get himself elected as the most powerful president, he is not even hinting at a strategy that will provide prosperity and stability to our economy. For several months, he hoped that if he returned to power, he would attract Pakistanis living abroad to invest heavily in projects at Ravi in Lahore and Bundal Island in Sindh. Two days ago, he called the businessmen related to “real estate” as “mafia.” No new plan was introduced to replace it.
The recent record-breaking rains wreaked havoc in the wider areas of Sindh and Balochistan, rendering 33.3 million Pakistanis homeless. International organizations are frequently expressing the fear that our region, which has been called “agricultural” for centuries, is heading towards a food crisis.
It is heartbreaking that our agricultural production will be reduced to 50% by 2050. Imran Khan does not even pay attention to this serious problem. His needle is stuck on the demand for new elections. If a leader of high stature like Imran Khan ignores the food crisis, then the rest of the world will be willing to help us in this regard. Our “mind makers” are not paying any attention to this.
When I think of the 33.3 million Pakistanis of Sindh and Balochistan, I remember the year 1970. This year, the first election based on adult voting was to be held in Pakistan. Today’s Bangladesh was called East Pakistan in those days. A few weeks before the elections there, a cyclone wreaked havoc. Our Bengali brothers felt that the calamity that befell them was not being seriously discussed in West Pakistan. Angered, they stood firm with Sheikh Mujib’s party.
These days, when I think about the topics being discussed in traditional and social media in a heated manner, I get an idea of what the thirty three million people of Sindh and Balochistan must be thinking about them. I do not dare to express the thoughts that come to my mind in this context.
I can only plead that attention should be kept on the serious problems being faced by Pakistan. Blind hatred and bigotry will further fuel chaos, which will not be possible to cure even by our most powerful state institutions. Chaos can only be brought under control by empowered “mediators.” Unfortunately, we do not see “mediators” from journalism to high courts. They are considered potential guardians of various parties. How can one bring order to complete chaos in such an environment? At least my poor mind doesn’t see any way in this regard.
