For many years now, Pakistan has had its doomsday specialists: those who warn the world that religious extremists are on the verge of taking over the country's nuclear assets, and indeed the country itself. This was music to the ears of most people in India and many in the West as well.In November 2000 I was one of two Pakistanis invited to a conference in Moscow on non-proliferation, organised by the Carnegie Endowment. I was surprised to hear my fellow countryman's presentation, in which he predicted the immediacy of doom, while I tried to suggest that things weren't that bad.
I was never again invited to a conference by the Carnegie Endowment. My co-speaker, a renowned analyst, continues to receive invitations, and still prophesies doom – and it's still just round the corner.I quote this as an example of so many analysts who have long depicted Pakistan as being on the edge of the abyss. I am not imputing intellectual dishonesty; many of them genuinely believe what they say. And recently some of the doom-mongering has been toned down, which may be because of the international acknowledgement Pakistan is receiving for its efforts.
Admittedly, there was a period, under General Pervez Musharraf, when the danger of the system crumbling under the pressure of extremists loomed large on the horizon. The question really is: where does the country stand now?But first, a brief recap of history: Pakistan is a country with a tradition of military coups, and even when the army was not running the country, its political power was an ominous presence. The first military ruler, Muhammad Ayub Khan, began well when he became president in 1958, until he led the nation into an unnecessary war in 1965, which Pakistan was fortunate not to lose; his successor, Yahya Khan, didn't initiate a war but he created the conditions for the nation's dismemberment; General Zia ul Haq gave birth to religious extremism and the drug/Kalashnikov culture; and Musharraf went farther than all the rest – he permitted terrorists to flower in places such as the Red Mosque, even nurtured them until there was no option left but to use force, which caused the death of hundreds of children.
document.write('');
Genuinely democratic army chiefs have been a rarity. In fact, during Musharraf's era the military's image reached its nadir, and people began to state openly that the only thing the army was good for was to conquer its own citizens and murder their children. Indeed, Musharraf has the most to answer for; regretfully, he will never be called to account. The president, Asif Ali Zardari, has finally disclosed that Musharraf stepped down after a deal had been negotiated, which included amnesty.
So, finally, where is Pakistan now? It has a democratically elected government in place, however questionable may be the antecedents of some of its leading representatives. It has an opposition that is in agreement with government policy on the war on terrorism and has expressed its determination to help that government to complete its tenure. Government and opposition are also agreed on redressing the genuine grievances of the people of Balochistan. The army leadership is demonstrating not only that it is apolitical, but also that it wants to establish the principle of civilian supremacy.
The nation is united in its desire to win the war against terrorists; which is not to say that religious extremism is dying out – on the contrary, it is still growing. But, most significantly, the army is demonstrating its ability to win the most difficult of wars – against well armed insurgents/terrorists, in terrain that favours guerrilla warfare. The measure of their success is that not only are residents of recently troubled areas taking up arms against the Taliban, they are also providing information to the army, which led to the capture this month of the Taliban's chief spokesman, Muslim Khan, and some of his supporters. I gather he is singing like a bird, which might lead to further arrests.
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document.write(''); It’s time the doom-mongers of Pakistan saw the light
Shaukat Qadir
Last Updated: September 28. 2009 10:25PM UAE / September 28. 2009 6:25PM GMT
For many years now, Pakistan has had its doomsday specialists: those who warn the world that religious extremists are on the verge of taking over the country's nuclear assets, and indeed the country itself. This was music to the ears of most people in India and many in the West as well.In November 2000 I was one of two Pakistanis invited to a conference in Moscow on non-proliferation, organised by the Carnegie Endowment. I was surprised to hear my fellow countryman's presentation, in which he predicted the immediacy of doom, while I tried to suggest that things weren't that bad.
I was never again invited to a conference by the Carnegie Endowment. My co-speaker, a renowned analyst, continues to receive invitations, and still prophesies doom – and it's still just round the corner.I quote this as an example of so many analysts who have long depicted Pakistan as being on the edge of the abyss. I am not imputing intellectual dishonesty; many of them genuinely believe what they say. And recently some of the doom-mongering has been toned down, which may be because of the international acknowledgement Pakistan is receiving for its efforts.
Admittedly, there was a period, under General Pervez Musharraf, when the danger of the system crumbling under the pressure of extremists loomed large on the horizon. The question really is: where does the country stand now?But first, a brief recap of history: Pakistan is a country with a tradition of military coups, and even when the army was not running the country, its political power was an ominous presence. The first military ruler, Muhammad Ayub Khan, began well when he became president in 1958, until he led the nation into an unnecessary war in 1965, which Pakistan was fortunate not to lose; his successor, Yahya Khan, didn't initiate a war but he created the conditions for the nation's dismemberment; General Zia ul Haq gave birth to religious extremism and the drug/Kalashnikov culture; and Musharraf went farther than all the rest – he permitted terrorists to flower in places such as the Red Mosque, even nurtured them until there was no option left but to use force, which caused the death of hundreds of children.
document.write('');
Genuinely democratic army chiefs have been a rarity. In fact, during Musharraf's era the military's image reached its nadir, and people began to state openly that the only thing the army was good for was to conquer its own citizens and murder their children. Indeed, Musharraf has the most to answer for; regretfully, he will never be called to account. The president, Asif Ali Zardari, has finally disclosed that Musharraf stepped down after a deal had been negotiated, which included amnesty.
So, finally, where is Pakistan now? It has a democratically elected government in place, however questionable may be the antecedents of some of its leading representatives. It has an opposition that is in agreement with government policy on the war on terrorism and has expressed its determination to help that government to complete its tenure. Government and opposition are also agreed on redressing the genuine grievances of the people of Balochistan. The army leadership is demonstrating not only that it is apolitical, but also that it wants to establish the principle of civilian supremacy.
The nation is united in its desire to win the war against terrorists; which is not to say that religious extremism is dying out – on the contrary, it is still growing. But, most significantly, the army is demonstrating its ability to win the most difficult of wars – against well armed insurgents/terrorists, in terrain that favours guerrilla warfare. The measure of their success is that not only are residents of recently troubled areas taking up arms against the Taliban, they are also providing information to the army, which led to the capture this month of the Taliban's chief spokesman, Muslim Khan, and some of his supporters. I gather he is singing like a bird, which might lead to further arrests.
The army's success within a few months is remarkable, especially when compared with the progress of armed forces engaged in guerrilla warfare elsewhere. But it is not without co-ordinated support from the Pakistan Air Force; for once, even the oft forgotten Pakistan Navy is being kept abreast of developments, even where it has no role to play. For the first time in the nation's history there was complete co-ordination between the three services when the Indian armed forces grew belligerent after the attack on Mumbai. Given Pakistan's history, that is a unique development.
On the downside, the country is still dependent on aid. Corruption is still rampant, so much so that many donors are not prepared to entrust their cash to Pakistan's political leadership. There is a massive energy deficit. Water shortage is around the corner, with India violating the Indus Water Treaty at will. Hoarders can still create artificial shortages of essential food commodities, such as sugar, during the month of Ramadan, and get away with it.
The number of people living below the poverty line has increased. Women continue to be treated like animals. The administration are still indifferent to their duties as employees of the people and the government continues to fail to provide good governance. The war against terrorism is far from over, and the war against religious extremism has not even begun. Minorities continue to live under daily threat; at any moment a mob could be mobilised through religious hatred to exterminate them.
No, all is far from well with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. If one were to take the three guidelines enunciated by the Quaid e Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah; unity, faith (and he certainly was not talking about religious faith, as many religious leaders continue erroneously to imply) and discipline – Pakistan can still claim none of them. However, more light is visible behind the looming clouds than was the case in the past decade or so. Perhaps there is scope for hope; at the very least, Pakistan as a nation has begun to stop the downslide.
Brig Gen Shaukat Qadir is a retired Pakistani infantry officer
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For many years now, Pakistan has had its doomsday specialists: those who warn the world that religious extremists are on the verge of taking over the country's nuclear assets, and indeed the country itself. This was music to the ears of most people in India and many in the West as well.In November 2000 I was one of two Pakistanis invited to a conference in Moscow on non-proliferation, organised by the Carnegie Endowment. I was surprised to hear my fellow countryman's presentation, in which he predicted the immediacy of doom, while I tried to suggest that things weren't that bad.
I was never again invited to a conference by the Carnegie Endowment. My co-speaker, a renowned analyst, continues to receive invitations, and still prophesies doom – and it's still just round the corner.I quote this as an example of so many analysts who have long depicted Pakistan as being on the edge of the abyss. I am not imputing intellectual dishonesty; many of them genuinely believe what they say. And recently some of the doom-mongering has been toned down, which may be because of the international acknowledgement Pakistan is receiving for its efforts.
Admittedly, there was a period, under General Pervez Musharraf, when the danger of the system crumbling under the pressure of extremists loomed large on the horizon. The question really is: where does the country stand now?But first, a brief recap of history: Pakistan is a country with a tradition of military coups, and even when the army was not running the country, its political power was an ominous presence. The first military ruler, Muhammad Ayub Khan, began well when he became president in 1958, until he led the nation into an unnecessary war in 1965, which Pakistan was fortunate not to lose; his successor, Yahya Khan, didn't initiate a war but he created the conditions for the nation's dismemberment; General Zia ul Haq gave birth to religious extremism and the drug/Kalashnikov culture; and Musharraf went farther than all the rest – he permitted terrorists to flower in places such as the Red Mosque, even nurtured them until there was no option left but to use force, which caused the death of hundreds of children.
Genuinely democratic army chiefs have been a rarity. In fact, during Musharraf's era the military's image reached its nadir, and people began to state openly that the only thing the army was good for was to conquer its own citizens and murder their children. Indeed, Musharraf has the most to answer for; regretfully, he will never be called to account. The president, Asif Ali Zardari, has finally disclosed that Musharraf stepped down after a deal had been negotiated, which included amnesty.
So, finally, where is Pakistan now? It has a democratically elected government in place, however questionable may be the antecedents of some of its leading representatives. It has an opposition that is in agreement with government policy on the war on terrorism and has expressed its determination to help that government to complete its tenure. Government and opposition are also agreed on redressing the genuine grievances of the people of Balochistan. The army leadership is demonstrating not only that it is apolitical, but also that it wants to establish the principle of civilian supremacy.
The nation is united in its desire to win the war against terrorists; which is not to say that religious extremism is dying out – on the contrary, it is still growing. But, most significantly, the army is demonstrating its ability to win the most difficult of wars – against well armed insurgents/terrorists, in terrain that favours guerrilla warfare. The measure of their success is that not only are residents of recently troubled areas taking up arms against the Taliban, they are also providing information to the army, which led to the capture this month of the Taliban's chief spokesman, Muslim Khan, and some of his supporters. I gather he is singing like a bird, which might lead to further arrests.
The army's success within a few months is remarkable, especially when compared with the progress of armed forces engaged in guerrilla warfare elsewhere. But it is not without co-ordinated support from the Pakistan Air Force; for once, even the oft forgotten Pakistan Navy is being kept abreast of developments, even where it has no role to play. For the first time in the nation's history there was complete co-ordination between the three services when the Indian armed forces grew belligerent after the attack on Mumbai. Given Pakistan's history, that is a unique development.
On the downside, the country is still dependent on aid. Corruption is still rampant, so much so that many donors are not prepared to entrust their cash to Pakistan's political leadership. There is a massive energy deficit. Water shortage is around the corner, with India violating the Indus Water Treaty at will. Hoarders can still create artificial shortages of essential food commodities, such as sugar, during the month of Ramadan, and get away with it.
The number of people living below the poverty line has increased. Women continue to be treated like animals. The administration are still indifferent to their duties as employees of the people and the government continues to fail to provide good governance. The war against terrorism is far from over, and the war against religious extremism has not even begun. Minorities continue to live under daily threat; at any moment a mob could be mobilised through religious hatred to exterminate them.
No, all is far from well with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. If one were to take the three guidelines enunciated by the Quaid e Azam, Mohammad Ali Jinnah; unity, faith (and he certainly was not talking about religious faith, as many religious leaders continue erroneously to imply) and discipline – Pakistan can still claim none of them. However, more light is visible behind the looming clouds than was the case in the past decade or so. Perhaps there is scope for hope; at the very least, Pakistan as a nation has begun to stop the downslide.
Brig Gen Shaukat Qadir is a retired Pakistani infantry officer
Have your say
Top stories Return to monetary union unlikely Capital tackles its traffic nightmare Russia calls for restraint over Iran Abu Dhabi revs up for F1 carnival Consumers more health conscious Unesco list has few Arab entries A champion in his own right Your View Have you paid unusually high prices for your children's textbooks?What are the worst examples of driving you have seen?Have your children had their return to school delayed?Are you getting more for your rent?Tell us your thoughts about spirituality and Ramadan. Most popular stories Most read Most e-mailed Metro passengers top one million Drilling deep for green energy Saudi royal in talks to buy stake in Liverpool Israeli drive to prevent Jewish girls dating Arabs Fast start to Grand Prix volunteer search GCC may have role in nuclear negotiations UN rights monitors invited to visit UAE Arab countries need to protect traditions Former national football team coach among group charged in break-in Officials meet in Abu Dhabi to discuss saving endangered traditions Beyonc� and Aerosmith to perform during F1 weekend Israeli drive to prevent Jewish girls dating Arabs New world currency order starts to unfold Arabs bear brunt of gene disorders Fitch downgrades seven UAE banks Empty churches, full mosques Country cooking New window to the defence sector Tenants trade up as rents decline Counterlives var countries=new ddtabcontent("countrytabs") countries.setpersist(true) countries.setselectedClassTarget("link") //"link" or "linkparent" countries.init() Products & Services Your View e-polls e-Paper RSS Feeds Home UAE World Business Sport About us Contact us Terms & Conditions FAQ Site map
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