It is deeply concerning that Pakistan remains trapped in a persistent cycle of political, economic, social, and cultural crises. It is worth noting that at the time of Pakistan’s creation, there was no well-structured political party with leadership at all levels and a strong nexus to the grassroots.
During those early days, the right to vote was not extended to the general populace; voting rights were reserved for a privileged few. It was only in 1970 that common people were granted the right to vote for the first time.
The final phase for creation of Pakistan was conducted through the 3rd June Plan, overseen by Lord Mountbatten in 1947. During this process, the expected constituent parts of the new country were given the choice to decide which side of the partition they would join.
Subsequently, the Government of India Act of 1947 was enacted on 18th July 1947, officially declaring Pakistan as a dominion, with the Government of India Act 1935 adopted as its first constitution.
The All- India Muslim League and its leadership had to rely heavily on the civil bureaucracy, a remnant of colonial rule, which ensured the continuation of governance from the British Raj to the new country. It can be said that they were heavily dependent on this well-organized and trained colonial bureaucracy.
The bureaucracy was not a political entity, so the decisions made to run the new country were of an administrative nature, often disregarding the local political, economic, social, and cultural realities. The judiciary was in a similar state, with most judges coming from the Indian Civil Service, indoctrinated with the same colonial culture.
General Sir Frank Messervy was the first Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army, serving from 15 August 1947 to 10 February 1948. He was succeeded by General Douglas Gracey, who held the position from 11 February 1948 to 16 January 1951. Following Gracey, General Ayub Khan became the first indigenous Commander-in-Chief, ruling from 17 January 1951 to 25 March 1969.
The British commanders, who had previously dominated the Indian people, did not adhere to the political directives of the Pakistan Muslim League leadership. However, they refrained from ‘interfering in the political sphere’. This dynamic changed significantly with the arrival of Ayub Khan, who quickly began to exert control over the civil bureaucracy, judiciary, and those in power.
The Ayub paradigm:
The mistakes and missteps made by the civil bureaucracy and the so-called political leadership from 1947 to January 1951 can be debated in light of the challenges of establishing a new country. However, once General Ayub Khan assumed power, the country was derailed from its path to becoming a sovereign nation with an independent foreign policy, economic vision, and political journey aimed at uplifting the common people, who remained impoverished and underdeveloped, relying only on trickle-down charity. General Yahya Khan, known for his flamboyant lifestyle even before becoming Commander-in-Chief, replaced General Ayub Khan, and the subsequent history is well-known.
Unfortunately, the paradigm established during Ayub’s rule persists to this day. We lack genuine political parties; the so-called political parties we do have are merely interest groups of individuals or families who compromise due to selfish personal interests and are forced to operate under the umbrella of the so-called establishment, often referred to as the ‘Riasat.’
The ‘Riasat’ signifies the forces wielding guns, and the establishment represents an umbrella under which these interest groups, labeled as political parties, judiciary, bureaucracy, businessmen, tribal and feudal elites, conservative societal forces, and various pressure groups, sit together to seek to maintain the status quo.
The reality described above must be understood by those who currently wield real power in the country if they genuinely intend to improve the nation’s condition. They must recognize that technocratic and bureaucratic governance only exacerbates problems and does not contribute to solutions. It is imperative to understand that the country cannot be governed by uniformed personnel, civil bureaucracy, or technocrats, but only by true representatives of the people, which we still lack.
Furthermore, they must realize that the provinces and the people within them can be the true pillars of the country’s strength, contributing to its power and stability.
How to calm down the discontent:
How can discontentment or even so-called rebellion be calmed in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, or anywhere else in Pakistan? I use the term “calm down” because external forces often not only provoke but also aid such discontentment. This external intervention is not solely due to malevolent intentions; part of the blame lies with us as well. We must recognize and appreciate these realities.
As a techno-economist with a solid grasp of the global economy and its development over the past two centuries and the first two and a half decades of the 21st century, I can confidently assert that we have more than enough resources to transform the lives of Pakistan’s poor. We can lift them from misery, backwardness, poverty, hunger, illiteracy, unemployment, and lack of justice to a better life within a few months. The so-called economists, who are essentially statisticians, fail to understand why Japan has stagnated for 25 years, why Western European economies and other developed capitalist countries are in crisis, and why China and many other developing countries are consistently advancing.
These statisticians and technocrats are entirely oblivious to the scientific and technological revolution ushered in by the Internet, leading us into the age of generative artificial intelligence. Generative AI is poised to provide us with billions of AI agents in our smartphones by the end of 2025 or 2026 at the latest. These AI agents will operate with and without smart phones, assisting in various sectors from agriculture to manufacturing, services, education, healthcare, and energy.
Let’s learn from China:
China was a backward country in 1980, with a per capita GDP even lower than some African countries. Yet, it has multiplied its GDP from a mere $180 billion in 1980 to around $35 trillion in purchasing power parity terms in 2023 (World Bank). Undoubtedly, the reforms introduced by the leadership, the party structure where a village secretary works harder than the bureaucracy to improve local lives, the inclusiveness of their economic and social policies, and their untapped natural resources played crucial roles.
However, without the scientific and technological revolution leading to the globalization of information, knowledge, research, innovation, and development (IKRID), and the Science-technology human power complex phenomenon, their brainpower—or as Western Economists call it, human capital—would not have become the main engine of their economic development. When China began its transformation, there was no generative artificial intelligence.
Future is AI Agents:
Fortunately, we are now living in this age and will continue to do so as AI agents become a reality. The solution lies in a new vision for politics, where genuine political forces with real roots among the people emerge. The current establishment must create this environment if they truly care for the country. Additionally, a new vision for an inclusive economy must flourish under transparent, accountable, and digitalized systems with minimal corruption.
Pakistan must dissociate itself from its colonial foreign policy to become a truly independent and sovereign nation. Real power must be transferred to the people. Total transformation is entirely possible, but this requires the establishment to break away from its problematic past.
However, this task cannot be accomplished by the establishment alone, as it is challenging for them to relinquish power, which is intertwined with many other interests. It is the duty of the youth, pro-people elements, and the populace to awaken and embrace the age of generative artificial intelligence, which has created an objective environment for transformation—indeed, rapid transformation.
Let’s do it:
What has been written in this article is not idealistic; it is actionable. Consider the train, electricity, the internal combustion engine and vehicles based on it, aircraft, television, computers, the Internet, software, smartphones, mobile Internet, and many other remarkable inventions. Are these realities or merely parts of someone’s dream?
No monopoly on Patriotism:
Patriotism is not the monopoly of those who wield guns. In fact, the gun often strips away reason and objectivity from those who hold it. Patriotism belongs to all people. We need to create a new country where people are not treated as ‘Subjects’ but as the true rulers and owners of this nation. The time to act is now—let us seize this moment and make it happen.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
The writer is an Advocate, techno-economist and former civil servant. [email protected]
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