Syndromes of dependence and escapism

Dependence on foreign assistance engenders the serious malaise of escapism from one's responsibilities in the form of intellectual and bureaucratic inertia and the general national tendency to find in foreign capitals ready-made answers to difficult problems confronting the country rather than by exercising our own minds to develop them. A nation given to escapism is prone to living in a fantasy land instead of facing squarely the realities facing it and coming out with viable solutions to difficult problems. It is also likely to fall into the trap of imaginary foreign conspiracies to explain its difficulties instead of realising and overcoming its own shortcomings.

Pakistan presents a classic example of a nation suffering from the twin syndromes of dependence and escapism with all the attendant ills. A few examples from our recent history would illustrate the point. The Musharraf government's responses to the different challenges facing the country during the seven years of its rule after 9/11 were a long story of growing dependence on Washington and escapism from our own responsibilities. Faced with an ultimatum from the US after 9/11 and conscious of the international isolation from which Pakistan suffered because of its flawed pro-Taliban policy, Musharraf promptly surrendered.

Musharraf, who had been treated virtually as an international pariah till that time because of his coup against a democratically-elected government, saw his political survival in reversing the pro-Taliban policy and obtaining the US economic and military assistance. He availed himself of that opportunity and succeeded in prolonging his illegitimate rule. But in the process, the country became too heavily dependent on the US militarily and economically and its sovereignty and territorial integrity were compromised. The frequent violations of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity by the US forces that we have been witnessing during the past few years, sometimes acknowledged by our government and sometimes not, are the direct consequence of the deal into which Musharraf entered with the US. The moral is that heavy dependence on external assistance and national sovereignty and dignity do not go together.

The Musharraf government and its economic planners also failed in utilising the increased foreign economic assistance, which became available after 9/11, for investment in raising the productivity of the economy instead of squandering it on the promotion of consumerism and ostentatious living.