A New Path

Punjab holds an uncontested significance in Pakistan’s socio-economic and political landscape. It has always retained its domination in the bureaucracy, population, economy and military. In political contestation, control over Punjab can make or break the government and ensure its national hold. However, this provincial prominence has a flip side of weak social fabric and compromised nation-building.

In a national setting and for the sake of national progress, stronger provinces have certain responsibilities. Unfortunately, Punjab has not played its due role expected of a province enjoying exclusive prominence. As the most well-resourced province, it should have ensured collective uplift of the country and egalitarian approach to development. In contrast, where politics remained a strategic game of thrones, geographical focus in favour of one province compromised the national interest and created an unnecessary and unhealthy provincial hierarchy. This exclusive focus only resulted in selective development, selective representation, selective accountability and consequent strengthening of clientelism and elitism. It deepened a sense of deprivation among others and provided impetus for secessionist movements damaging national cohesion.

Provincial disparity has historical traces in Pakistan. They are reminders of parochial structural arrangement resulting in Punjab’s martial superiority and the consequent exploitation and denigration of smaller provinces and their dismissal in national representation. Where political prowess wins a victory in Punjab and establishes a power hold, it reinforces the earlier societal divisions and perpetuates inter-provincial and ethnic differences. In a national arrangement of provincial units, a stronger province is naturally expected to take a lead in ensuring collective prosperity and arresting societal divisions.

One historical manifestation of this lack of cohesion is December 16, 1971. It is indeed disappointing that Pakistan has not learned from its dismemberment which has never been seriously talked about or discussed to draw lessons from. People of my generation have never had the humility to admit the wrongs we did, the truths we concealed, the rights we compromised and the differences we created which divided the country. We were shouldered with the task of safeguarding Pakistan, but we chose to splinter it for political gains. We owe our people and this country a sincere apology. Unfortunately, every time any province is exclusively focused upon for political gains, we end up sowing the same seeds that we earlier sowed and pushed for the creation of Bangladesh.

Today, we have compromised the spirit of nationhood and sidelined the reasons that underpinned the creation of Pakistan. This is to the extent that the very creation of the country is being questioned. This may serve as the call for action and realization that we need to regain our hold on ground. To do so we need:

a) Political re-orientation and a more nationalistic approach to politics to remind ourselves that it is and will always be a struggle for Pakistan.
b) An urgent dialogue for national integration where all provinces need to collectively decide the trajectory we wish to take into the future without compromising the national spirit.
c) A system-wide reconsideration to build administrative structures that are ethically grounded, humanistic in outlook and national in orientation. Since it is the struggle for Pakistan, all provinces need to be taken together on the race course for national progress.

In provincial contestation for power play in Punjab, we also need an acknowledgement that the burden of creating national unity falls more heavily on this province only. It needs to generously assume a leading role to ensure that no other province falls behind. A political victory in a province only to grab power will come at the expense of the entire country. Disregard for this realization can cost the country its existence.

Aayen-e-Nau Se Darna, Tarz-e-Kuhan Pe Urna
Manzil Yehi Kathan Hai Qoumon Ki Zindagi Mein

To be afraid of the new ways, to insist on the old ones
This is the only difficult stage in the life of nations

July 17 of this year was a fateful day in the politics of Punjab. This day the traditional politics of Punjab driven by feudals, clanship and loyalists, state interventions and ideal promises for a better tomorrow, were beaten by the will of the masses who sent home the government of PM-N though it had been entrenched in the politics of Punjab for over four decades.

Almost all the turncoats who joined the PML-N and voted for Hamza Shahbaz Sharif lost to the PTI candidates.

This was a political coup which took all by surprise - a phenomenon which repeated itself after 53 years, when, in the general elections of 1970, the Pakistan People Party (PPP) won a landslide victory by securing 81 general seats and five women's seats, all in West Pakistan, with the majority of votes coming out of Punjab.

The slogan of Roti, Kapra aur Makan and the charisma and mesmerising personality of Oxford-educated Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, seen as the leader of the masses, swayed them from their loyalties to their feudal lord and they stood up against the dictates of the state machinery to vote the PPP into power in Punjab.

This July it was the Oxford-educated and cricket legend Imran Khan whose charisma mesmerized the public.

Punjab politics is likely to move out of feudal and clan influence to more of substance and deliverables on the ground in interest of the masses.