A fresh start for Pakistan

In the last 52 years, instead of following the Quaid’s creed of, ‘Unity, Faith, and Discipline’, Pakistan has followed the creed of, ‘Bigotry, Intolerance, and Sectarianism’.

Zia’s creation of separate electorates and politically motivated religiosity has done irreparable harm to Pakistan. By legitimizing the abuse of religion in politics, not only did he debase religion, but he legitimized and nurtured the religious extremism prevalent in Pakistan today, and brought it into the political mainstream. As a result, violence and killings in the name of religion have become commonplace in Pakistan.

Pakistan needs no ideological justification or excuse for its existence. It exists, therefore it is. That is enough. As for the notion that religious ideals are the glue that holds Pakistan together, the only times this supposed ideology of national integration has been put to the test, it has failed miserably - both in 1971, and the Baloch uprising in the 1970s. The truth is that Pakistan was created to ensure the Muslim minority did not suffer economic and religious discrimination in ‘Akhand Bharat’.

Sadly, and ironically, extremists here have institutionalized discrimination against religious minorities as a social, legal and political norm in society.

The Pakistani obsession with the need for religious justification for the existence of the state is a symptom of a national psyche that still harbours an insecurity complex vis-a-vis India. It is time for Pakistanis to shed this insecurity complex especially now that Pakistan has become a nuclear power.

Significantly, Pakistan’s first generally free and fair election after independence resulted in a landslide victory in West Pakistan for Bhutto running on a platform of ‘Roti, Kapra aur Makan’. He did not garner votes by adding the element of religion to the slogan. When he ran out of ideas, he added the fourth tier to placate the opposition.

A theocracy is neither based on the principles of social contract that underlie a true democracy nor on the consent of the governed. Either Pakistan can be a democracy or a theocracy for both cannot co-exist. The choice must be made unambiguously, between Talibanization or the Turkish model.

Will General Musharraf have the courage and foresight of an Ataturk, to lead the way, to face down the relatively small, vocal, unrepresentative, armed religious groups that constantly fan the flames of religious hatred, violence, bigotry, and pose the greatest threat to national security that the state has ever faced?

Pakistan deserves a new deal, and a fresh start on the basis of the principles of tolerance and equality of citizenship, espoused by the Quaid-i-Azam.

OMAR MIRZA

Dar ul Harb, New York