Pakistan since its inception has a chequered history, as we failed to learn from history. Our leaders never read the saying of "CICERO" who said "to remain ignorant of what happened before, you were born is to remain always a child" how true is this saying, when we find our leadership being exposed by WikiLeaks. The people and media had at large the same perception, which stands now authenticated by WikiLeaks.
The global leadership is now determined to punish the CEO for leaking the truth, as our leaders are reported to have followed the dictates of a Lady Viceroy whilst the exposures have reflected our country as a Banana Republic, but similarly the civilised world is equally following the dictates to punish the web for disclosing the truth.
I can only presume that our leadership has learnt from history its limitation as a guiding signpost and its negative value as a warning sign, whilst history of events does not teach us what to do by showing the most common mistakes that mankind is apt to make and to repeat. The second object lies in the practical value of history "Fools" said Bismarck "say they learn by experience. I prefer to profit by other peoples experience".
There are two roads to the reformation of our present and prospective leaders be it civilian or military-one through misfortunes of their own, the other through misfortunes of others, the former is the most unmistakable, the latter is less painful, the knowledge gained from the study of history/events is the best of all educations for practical life.
The basic remark ascribed to "Pontius Pilate - "what is truth "and often in circumstances that make us wonder why. It is repeatedly used as a smoke screen to mask a manoeuvre, personal or political and to cover an evasion of the issue. Yet the longer I watched the current events of 4 to 5 years in Pakistan, the more I have come to see how many of our troubles arise from the habit, on all sides, of suppressing or distorting what we know quite well is the truth, out of devotion to a cause, an ambition or an institution at bottom, this devotion being inspired by our own interest.
One of our vocal intellectuals Hasan Nisar, made it abundantly clear on media that the trial of CEO of WikiLeaks is nothing but punishing a person who leaked the truth and exposed the big wheels of the global politics. I must also commend the brave Lady Jemima for coming forward to bail a person, who had been well awarded and recognised when it suited the global players.
Loyalty is a noble quality, so long it is not blind and does not exclude the higher loyalty to truth and decency. It pains to see some loyal politicians commenting on the events and terming the leaks as blatant lies, although from the core of their heart, they are aware and convinced of the accuracy described as "a conspirator for mutual inefficiency in governance".
"We use the term power politics as a common usage, but lack of understanding as to where power lies actually and how it is communicated and exercised in our land of the pure. The masses at large blame others for their own misdoings, but partly they are true as leadership and policies are decided abroad due to our economic problems.
The beggars surely cannot be choosers and have to follow the dictates of economic managers, be it RGST or Flood Tax, power rates hike etc. Looking at the situation today, the most disturbing trend in US, Britain and other democratic countries, compared with the past, it seems that, whilst there has been an improvement in some respects, handicaps have increased in other ways and on balance these may be worse.
One factor is an excessive growth of "security mindedness' more bureaucratic often then realistic, so that it is often carried to ludicrous extremes. The issue is causing serious stress on inter-religion harmony and singling out masses on the basis of religion, without discounting the factor that religion has no role at all, but it is exploitation in search of resources by developed nations, thus the under-developed world has to be exploited to control the energy, and mineral resources etc to meet the appetite of developed world.
I am sure that our leaders will be more cautious with powers to be when deliberating on issues of national interest. Let us accept the fact and apologies to the nation for follies committed and now being exposed. There are broadly two schools of thought about leadership.
One has it that leader should lead, the other is he or she should follow. The latter is not as paradoxical as it seems when the government takes careful note of media and public opinion, or scrutinise the views of focus groups, they are adapting themselves to trends and attempting to satisfy demand rather than to direct it.
Sometimes it is the wisest course, what you cannot enforce do not command. We have recently noticed that in our issues of RGST, power hikes, fuel cost etc, public opinion is notoriously resistant to some of the imported brighter ideas of the IMF canvassed by national leaders, who have taken undignified tumbles as result. We are fully aware that in today's world the sovereignty has lost its value due to interdependence of trade and commerce, but self/national dignity is last to be compromised. The living example is how Indians treated Obama on his arrival as there was no line up of President, PM etc. They maintained their dignity, but at the same time, showered the incredible Indian courtesy.
(The Writer is governor world Maritime University Malmao (Sweden) ([email protected])
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