IDEA OF PAKISTAN NEED ALTERATION

Bikash Choudhury

Genesis of Pakistan was backed by sectarian violence in British India and its inception carried a gigantic human tragedy in both sides of the borders of India & Pakistan. In last sixty plus years India has accepted inevitable but sad partition of the country on religious line and focused on socio, economic and political development of its people with creation of robust institutions and made peace with itself. Now, after getting a State and Territory for majority Muslim Population of British India; why Pakistan still remain a very volatile region in South Asia? Recent massacre of tiny school students at Peshawar has drawn Global attention to fratricidal war within Pakistan. It remain unanswered why Muslims slaughtering people pursuing Islamic faith in such large numbers and in such an organized manner. Obama administration has chosen to reward Pakistan with one billion dollar aid to control terrorism; however, it has been observed violence has generated more violence and terror groups get more recruits. Terrorism can be managed or controlled when we eradicate the mindset that propels young people from offering themselves as ‘suicide bombers’ to kill innocent people. We should create environment where life & lives gets celebrated not death & dead bodies. Pakistan has turned into a ‘confused state’ and that remain the main stumbling block against its consolidation and growth. In one side it consider itself as ‘Islamic Republic’ and in other side it hold on to its liberal and secular ethos of ‘Hindustan’. Terrorism and violence in Pakistan is the manifestations of deeper conflict that exist about the genesis and more profoundly ‘the idea of Pakistan’.

                                                It has become an ‘a priori’ globally that Pakistan has become the fountain head of terror all across the world as the 9/11 in New York and 26/11 at Mumbai was conceived and executed from Pakistani soil and dreaded Osama Bin Laden was eventually found in the luxurious shelter of Pakistan Army & its spy agency-ISI. That is not all; ISI was credited with the murder of its own Army Chief & then President of Pakistan Ziaul Haq and American Ambassador to Pakistan. Pak Army still sponsor terror group to conduct murderous attack on Indian soil of Jammu & Kashmir. Pakistan claims to be the victim of Global terror while it also aid terrorism from its soil. It is not an irony; but, hard reality that ‘violence’ as the State policy of Pakistan has also consumed many a tall political leaders in its grip at different points of time in its history; however, no attempt has been made to resolve its ‘conflict inside’ that continue to take a heavy toll of its institutions that now make Pakistan one of the dangerous place on earth and a ‘Rogue Nation’ that does not function as per its rule of law. 

                                                Idea of Pakistan needs little alteration to become a vibrant Nation once again on the back of its creative and hard working people. It has to first drop its tag and pretensions of a ‘Islamic’ Nation which it is not in spite of its majority of people pursuing Islamic faith as its founding fathers designed a Muslim majority secular Nation for better Governance & Development of its people. Pakistan should come out of its Identity crisis and concede its century old ‘Hindustan’ identity in which it would find Mogul emperor Akbar a secular King ruling over entire Indian continent for over half a century having a majority of its people following ‘Hindu’ religion. Emperor Akbar was equally admired by his Hindu & Muslim subjects then and even at present; as the Monarchy State had no religion of its own and both faith prospered economically and culturally on their respective merit; which needs to be emulated by Pakistan to have a tryst with its destiny and nip the global terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism in its bud. Once this is done, the three top Institutions of Pakistan Viz., Civilian Government, its Armed Forces and Judiciary would function as per their respective objectives in the rule of law while clipping the wings of its spy agency-ISI from meddling in politics and thus bringing much needed peace and prosperity for people of Pakistan sooner than later. This is easier said than done; however, if the Diaspora of Indian Sub-continent and Obama led USA administration make a common cause on this issue then before long Pakistan could walk firmly on a new path towards real progress & development and our World could become much safer to live in. Shall we?     

(Author socio-economic-political activist from India)

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