Square Peg in the Round Hole

Pakistan is a country that claimed to be created in the name of Islam. Islam’s whole edifice stands on two basic principles; social justice and ethics. In contemporary Pakistan, both canons of Islam seem missing. Thus, we may derive that Pakistan was an outcome of an international environment instead of any ideological underpinnings. When Prime minister of Pakistan starts saying, there is no rule of law, exposes he is helpless. If the generals of the military say that Pakistan is under threat, mean they also abandoned. If the Chief Justice of Supreme Court says, there is no justice, means he stranded too.

It is not only Pakistan but also the contemporary world facing injustice because there has been one law of nature since Adam to date, “might is right.” Allah created this world and He is the Omnipotent. We as a creature of Allah is His reflection. We all become gods when having authority. When there are many gods and try to share the power of Allah, the jungle-like world comes into existence. Anarchy becomes evident. Pakistan is facing anarchy owing to a divided central authority. All authoritative power hubs are using their authority beyond their limits time and again.

Judiciary is at the top maligning the system, giving relief to the stronger and punishing the weaker. The executive is engaged more in enjoying the status as President, Governors, Prime Minister, ministers, instead of resolving socio-political and economic issues. Civil and Military bureaucracies are busy strengthening their positions owing to their organizational and hierarchical attributes. Unfortunately, People are pissed off under inflation, and energy crises. Inflation is increasing lacuna between the rich and the poor. Few families in Pakistan are owning eighty percent of the total Pakistani wealth. They accumulated wealth through plundering and getting rewards in the services to the Britishers before partition. Since traditional wealth in Pakistan is made up of money laundering and stealing resources of Pakistan. It needs proper legislation to get money back from those families. Here are the suggestions for the government to act in the prevailing sorry state of affairs:

• The legislation is needed for media

First of all, the government needs to order the media owners not to recruit appoint any person without any fixed salary. Their salaries have to be given in time like other public sector institutions. In Pakistan, unfortunately, media has become unbridled. It needs to be bridled to rescue Pakistan from untrained, ungroomed and ignorant anchors. Information minister needs to standardize Pakistan Information and Media Electronic Regulatory Authority (PIMERA) at the earliest. The media houses need to review their policy regarding the appointment of anchors and producers. Their educational background may be in media studies, political science or international relations instead of any other disciplines. Every new anchor needs to declare his assets in his first appearance. It will assist the authorities to see who is getting prosperous beyond her/his income. We usually see how naively media interview the criminals and try to show them, heroes. The prevailing outcry of media in supporting the old corrupts is clearly to rescue them from NAB cases. The PTI government has stopped funding media. Previous governments used to spend 56 billion rupees annually on media.  Recently, it is observed that media started interviewing a proclaimed offender former four times finance minister, damaged the treasury of Pakistan. Media compared him with an eight months’ finance minister. It demands media ethics are needed to be implemented in letter and spirit.

• Sidesplitting role of Judiciary

The role of the judiciary in Pakistan has become so deplorable. As per Platonic education, Justice is not the result of fear. Justice is not favoring one’s friend and harming the enemy. Justice is not the interest of the stronger. Specialization of functions and division of labor is justice. Iftikhar Chaudhary and Saqib Nisar former Chief Justices have really made the judiciary a laughing stock in the country. Judges are giving more remarks instead of decisions. The judiciary needs to restrict itself for hearing cases which are under their jurisdiction instead of giving remarks on the performance of other institutions. For example, if anyone goes to court on the issue of inflation, the court may give relief to the petitioner not remarks about the executive. Since it may become a practice that all other institutions would start trading allegations upon each other. Apparently, in Pakistan justice has become an interest of the stronger as the judiciary is giving bails to the criminals in an arbitrary manner and promoting selective justice.

Harnessing the Civil and Military Bureaucracies

The present PTI government remains unsuccessful in harnessing civil and military bureaucracies so far. Although the government and military are on the same page yet need to be harmonized on professional grounds. It is a good professional gesture by the inter-services public relations to restrict media for calling retired military officials as defense analysts. The government needs to take this issue on pragmatic grounds and stop former bureaucrats to give their analysis on any political issue. They used to tell a lie in the whole service and after retirement started teaching morality to the politicians and other segments of society. The government needs to harness all professionals under the law. They can write books and get them published if worthy enough instead of media appearances. Only academicians and other educated experts are supposed to appear in media for any analysis. Bureaucrats can be called on any specific kind of diplomatic or another similar issue that needs any professional guidance. We make movies only on armed forces and considering the only liberator in the country will definitely marginalize the other institutions in the country. Sher Dil, Project Ghazi and Parwaaz Hai Junoon were such films that could not win the hearts of the people. On the other hand, performance against India’s recent aggression win laurels for the Pakistan military at national as well as international levels. International media appreciated both the Pakistan government and military strategies. It proves that professional actions speak louder than movies.

The Way Forward

The Prime minister cannot ignore his duties by quoting Hadiths and Sunna. He needs to be proactive in making decisions. The government needs to harmonize its institutions through legislature or Parliament. Both the government and opposition get together for productive and effective legislation that could make the parliament a supreme authority instead of any other institution in Pakistan. It is only possible if the political elite becomes a true political elite and rise above individual, party or family benefits. Parliament has been a missing element in Pakistan since 1947 to date. There is only one way out to be successful for the present government to legislate or quit. It has to tell truth to the people, it is not the parliament but someone else runs the government.