The right prescription

It would be hard for a Pakistan watcher to pick holes in his pointed reference to the West’s investment in the military for short-term gains, to the neglect of the people’s social, economic and political interests. Thanks to this policy, the army whose mandated role is to defend the geographical frontiers found the courage to spread its tentacles wide in those sectors that did not come under its purview. It has ruled the country for more than half of its existence, and by virtue of this political hold, succeeded in founding a formidable economic empire of its own. The common man suffered in the process. He had hoped that independence would free him from colonial exploitation but found himself at the mercy of a thriving, self-seeking army. The nascent political forces failed to assert their democratic right to govern since the West continued to pamper the armed forces, first for using them in the Cold War, later in expelling the Soviets from Afghanistan and now in the War On Terror. While this tragic reality stares us in the face, the world persists in its shortsightedness and props up a highly unpopular President in the person of General Musharraf. It must realise that time has come for a reassessment of this distorted approach.

Mr Zardari’s prescription for overpowering the forces of extremism, the bane of not only the West, but also of Pakistan, i.e. economic and social development, finds some resonance in the West but, unfortunately, comes up against a lack of the sense of urgency and will. President Bush’s promise of March 2006 to establish reconstruction opportunity zones, for instance, stands unfulfilled to this day, and the US Congress has only now been approached to pass the required legislation. If the US and its resourceful allies do not want to remain bogged down in the mire of terrorism, notwithstanding the need to improve the force de frappe of the army, they had better invest in the socio-economic development of the country, help build schools and colleges, modernise agriculture and set up industries to bring the benefits of the modern age to the man in the street. These measures would also strengthen democratic forces.