Good Cop, Bad Cop

Consequently, irrespective of the type of government, the public has mostly remained deprived, ignored, and barely surviving in a humiliating environment.

In one of my earlier published articles titled “Pakistani Politics: A Review,” it was opined that “On 10 April 2022, the coalition succeeded to oust the PTI government / PM Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion, after which the thirteen parties un-natural coalition named PDM formed its government, choosing the opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif as the country’s prime minister (as IJI had enabled his elder brother Nawaz Sharif to become CM in 1988 and PM in 1990). Therefore, suffice it to say that the democratic process in Pakistan has been repeating the same experiments repeatedly, expecting different results in vain. It has remained one step forward and two steps backward or the same old wine in new bottles.

The PDM government and allies (especially the PML-N and the PPP) are more prone to break away from the PDM coalition-like predecessors and resort to the same old unsparing competition as soon as general elections are announced with PTI probably out of the game, and Nawaz Sharif and other convicted politicians getting reprieve by due amendments in the national laws to return to national politics - a beaten track of course. The sale and purchase of so-called electable cum turncoats continues unabated and unashamedly, with most fair-weather birds joining the newly created runaway Tareen group followed by the PPP, which is bound to upset PML-N”.

So, as always, the powerful ruling elite always looks above the law. The executive and especially the military establishment and judiciary remain targets of harsh criticism for conforming to the exploitation of the powerful ruling elite, blowing hot and cold, and playing good cop/ bad cop against the establishment, including the judiciary. Most tragically, the public is continuously getting crushed, gasping for basic human needs like affordable food, energy, shelter, health facilities, clean air and water, justice, education, suitable job opportunities, etc. The land of the pure keeps teetering on the brink of economic collapse and severe security crises from within and outside.

The fact remains that a robust and stable Pakistan under bold and dynamic leadership seems a distant dream, seeing the fate of Liaqat Ali Khan, Fatima Jinnah, Z.A. Bhutto, General Zia-ul-Haq, Benazir Bhutto, and now Imran Khan facing similar circumstances, thanks to external desires, internal conspiracies, and connivance. The examples of Umar Mukhtar, Haider Ali, Tipu Sultan, King Faisal, Saddam Hussain, and Muammar Qaddafi also need to be remembered; however, Bashar-al-Assad, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Mahathir Muhammad provide a glimmer of hope.

The only national hope is if the apex courts/ judges could ensure the supremacy of the Constitution and speak reasonably through their timely decisions, and if the establishment could ensure holding free and fair elections by the apolitical Election Commission without further delay with equal playing field for all; a wish hard to fancy.

I am compelled to conclude that having tried all possible political systems globally in vogue, we cannot afford to repeat the same experiments repeatedly and expect different results until and unless we focus on removing the bugs that failed all governments. In my view, without upsetting the apple cart, we have to follow a long-term and a short-term approach to run our political system with ‘two main political parties’ resembling the one in the USA (Democrats and Republicans) or as just demonstrated in Pakistan from 2022 to 2023, i.e., PTI versus PTM (a thirteen-parties coalition), while still following the parliamentary system under stricter checks and balances and with much higher specified criterion for becoming a politician/ member of the legislature.

It is a foregone conclusion that the semi-literate and corruption-fed human resources can make any system of governance miserably fail, as experienced time and again. Therefore, as a long-term approach, we have to groom the institutions of our mothers and teachers with higher social and government status, who would give us much improved generations in 20 to 30 years and so on, as experienced in Germany and Japan after complete devastation in the Second World War.

Meanwhile, in the short term, a strong constitutional reform committee including heads of all political parties, members of the National Security Committee, and required technocrats should have closed-door deliberations to form two major political parties (by voluntary merger or banning unwilling others with less than 20% votes record in the last three elections) and undertake due legislation for laying down the criterion for participation in national politics. The minimum qualification, eligibility, and training criterion should be par with the Executives and the Judiciary.

Since such a proposal is bound to disqualify the majority of the so-called politicians cum plunderers thriving on black money and ever blackmailing smaller parties/ characters, an enormous uproar, and political mayhem with external hands immediately coming in to exploit is unavoidable. For the realisation of this challenging national cleansing plan, which is bound to be opposed vehemently by the vultures in the political arena and paid associates in every walk of life, Pakistan Armed Forces will have to play a due role in keeping it a controlled affair short of Ayub khan like a takeover. Suppose Pakistan has to rise among the comity of nations. In that case, we need to commence the process immediately so that the next general elections assure Pakistan a better governance system and real patriotic Pakistani and efficient public representatives.

Finally, a few words about the Center of Gravity of Pakistan, i.e., the Armed Forces, including its Nuclear Deterrence Capability, which is again under the foes’ sharp focus due to the shaped environment. The ominous and well-choreographed redux of terrorism in Pakistan and the US engagement of the incumbent ruling elite and civil/ military bureaucracy in the worst-ever politico-economic situation rings alarm bells; are we headed back to square one?

As per my assessment, in the big power competition, there is no reason for the US and its allies to change their aims and objectives or desires associated with a Nuclear Pakistan. The resurgence of terrorism in Pakistan in the last almost one year is too ominous and precarious to be dealt with alone. It needs immediate strategic regional cooperation, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, China, Russia, Central Asian Republics, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.

Apropos, the Armed Forces should remain aware of the more lavish designs of the foes and the perils of once again getting embroiled in the same rut as was the case for the last four decades…that is what the enemy wants us to do. The real success will be to turn the table on the enemies rather than reacting and firefighting being thin on the unfamiliar grounds. The 13 parties’ alliance, PDM, and opposition PTI must demonstrate political sagacity and foresight to save national integrity.

The military institution should let the politicians and the civil armed forces handle the internal chaos and avoid getting unwittingly dragged into the political quagmire again. Let each pillar of the state perform its constitutional role rather than unduly leaning on the Army, which already has its plate full of security challenges besides restoring the fundamental apolitical function and image that got tainted, especially in the last two years. The wisdom lies in learning from history and not repeating it!