There cannot be two opinions about President General (retired) Pervez Musharraf’s observation (June 5: National Defence University) that the ‘lack of capable leadership’ has weakened the country. May praise be to Allah that the leaders of the “saviour breed” have finally themselves started making confessions about the deficit in their quality of leadership. It is another thing that the nation had been pronouncing this, loud and clear, since long, but …
The question, however, arises why a nation of 165 million people is facing a crisis of leadership? A simple answer would be due to the adventures of some self-styled saviours who (while charging at windmills) subverted the country’s Constitution, destroyed the national institutions and did not permit political process to take root. This can best be illustrated from the types of governments that have been thrust upon the people to manage the affairs of the state during the last 50 years.
Since October 1958, Pakistan has remained under martial law, except for brief interregnums when, forced by circumstances, the jackboots were constrained to raise the structure of a democratic façade or share powers (distinct as it is from complete transfer of power) with the political leadership. During the post-1958 (50 years) period, the country was under direct martial law rule for 30 years and quasi-civil rule for less than 20 years, with two interruptions even in the semi-civilian set-up.
For the first time, martial law was imposed in the country in October 1958, and it remained in force till 21st April, 1972. (From 12th December, 1971 till April 21st, 1972, the country remained under a civilian martial law administrator) But, after a little over five years, an ambitious despot, under the garb of a Mard-e-Momin, wrapped up the civil rule on 5th July, 1977, imposed martial law, hanged the elected prime minister of the country and started governing the nation with the iron fist of a true despot.
This time, the country remained under martial law till 10th December, 1985 when the despot lifted it and transferred some functions of governance to representatives chosen through a system of non-party elections. However, when the despot felt that even his own hand-picked civilians had started crossing the limits, he dissolved the assemblies and the governments on 29th May, 1988. Finally, divine intervention (via a C-130 aircraft) rescued the nation from his iron hold on 17th August, 1988.
In October 1999, another ambitious person embarked on the self-assumed mission of cleansing the society and leading the country towards progress and development, as articulated by him through a seven-point programme. Taken by rhetoric, the gullible masses welcomed the new-comer, believing that he may be Allah’s chosen person to improve their lot!
But, experience tells that the jackboots had neither the experience nor the vision of managing the state affairs requiring great expertise and prowess in an era marked by professionalism and severe global competition. Instead of leading the country, setting goals for national development and giving guidance/direction to the nation for the achievement of those goals, they started recklessly spending state funds for satisfying their needs and personal desires. Their feats have created a situation where Pakistan can now boast of maintaining the largest official fleet of limousines, for state employees, in the world! Again, the country’s expenditure on official vehicles and their POL expenses is, perhaps, the heftiest at the global level in proportion to its GDP!
At least, the country has succeeded in earning a distinction! The executive branch of the state may like to approach the global record keepers – management of the Guinness Book of Records – to acknowledge their country’s world supremacy by making an entry about her global rating in maintaining the largest pool of cars for the minions of the state, when compared to GDP of states at the global level.
Many more examples can be cited, but one would confine to only one more. It is about free kitchens, with provision to invite unlimited number of guests, a facility that a grateful nation has thoughtfully agreed to provide to the mighty of the land in recognition of their services! This is a facility which the leaders of the earlier periods (neither Quaid-e-Azam nor any leader till Yahya Khan’s time) had not enjoyed, but is now available to innumerable persons in the land. Is it not a sign of the country’s progress and welfare oriented policies being pursued for her leaders?
If after meeting the administrative expenses very little is left for development and public weal, one would only blame the public who do not realize their national obligation to pay taxes/duties commensurate to the country’s needs and requirements! The public needs to be brave and pay taxes at rates at par with their brethren in the West! Here is a golden chance for them to join ranks with the citizens of the developed countries and rub shoulders with those folks by getting a taxpaying status equal to the nationals of the western states.
For want of funds, the country’s infrastructure is in a shambles, GDP growth rate low, human resource development situation dismal, cost of inputs high due to high rates of utilities and heavy administrative expenditure, exports uncompetitive and stagnant, resulting in the widening of trade deficit every year and consequently erosion in the value of currency.
Since the ‘national needs’ outstrip the ‘national resources’ in most of the poor third world countries, the jackboots can easily advance 101 reasons for the imposition of martial law, announcing a pro-development and pro-reform agenda, as they have been doing in earlier cases. But, the fact remains that since October 1958 the jackboots have either directly been running the affairs of the country or in collaboration with their hand-picked politicians. But, still they have frequently trampled upon even on their own initiated nascent/feeble democratic process. Resultantly, the political institutions have not grown into robust entities and these shall remain feeble unless the jackboots completely withdraw and focus in future only upon their original and constitutionally defined duties and roles.
Since the leadership has mostly remained with the jackboots during the last 50 years, it is the self-styled saviours and the deficit in their quality of leadership which has landed the country in a deep morass where food shortages and power outages have become the norm in a resource rich agricultural country, while fleet of official luxury cars, lines of palatial official houses/lodges and liberal perks/privileges for the state minions have continued to grow during the establishment dominated 50 year rule.
Yes, Mr. President you are absolutely right that the ‘lack of capable leadership has weakened the country.’ But, the civil society is clear about one thing that during the last 50 years, except for a brief period of a little over five years in the 1970s, the leadership has remained throughout with the jackboot. In view of this fact, what would one say about the president’s criticism, except that ‘The kettle is calling the pot black”.