Eight well-known intellectuals had just ordered tea.
First: Ask ten Pakistanis and you will get as many solid opinions on which kind of government Pakistan needs. Ask how that will happen and you will either face complete silence or a change of subject. Apparent angst will be there in both cases. Ask a bus driver about the pitfalls of taking loans from IMF and he will give a lecture on macroeconomics. Ask him about the basic traffic rules and he might not know if such a booklet ever existed. Talk to an educated person on the reasons of not establishing Economic Zones and you will appreciate the depth of his knowledge on CPEC. Ask him if he ever went to cast a vote in any of the past general elections and the answer will be ‘none’ as elections in Pakistan are ‘just a formality’.
Second: That is true because the country has not seen any sincere and able leadership after the Quaid. For decades, politics in Pakistan has been equated with winning elections after having the relevant stakeholders on board. Talking about marshal law and military rules, tell me, who provides the generals the required political vacuum to fill-in? Politicians in India fight with each other but they would never wish to see a general taking over as everyone stays within the bounds of specified parameters. Never give the first inch, my friend in the army would always caution me. Now that the joke has gone far enough, it is almost impossible to start from scratch. Hence, I would like the army to take over and keep running the affairs of the State for an indefinite period of time. Period.
Third: That is the most absurd idea I have ever come across. Why don’t you give democracy a chance to flourish and let the government complete its term? Hereditary or not hereditary, educated or illiterate, let them come to Parliament through fair and free elections. But then you will say that such an election was not possible even in the United States. Agreed, a hundred percent fair election is not possible but there has to be a limit to designed rigging. The bigger question is: who will ensure a free and fair election and why? The ‘why’ part is more important to understand.
Fourth: I think all of them know that political stability is the foremost requirement for economic constancy. However, why no one wants to put the house in order is an entirely different debate. Masses have been enmeshed in senseless discussions on increasing or decreasing utility bills or provision of medicines at government hospitals not realizing that what they are demanding is their basic right. A right that any government must respect before announcing the annual budget. Every Pakistani has a right to ask the ruling party to perform as per its pre-election announced party manifesto and have regular intra-party elections. Does anyone even know the points of differentiation in manifestoes of the leading parties? Masses get what they deserve and they have an indirect share in riding the charade of political unrest.
Fifth: Give me a break, please. Come to the point. Let’s face it. Seventy-five years is too short a period of time to deserve a true democracy. By the way, how many of us know what a real democracy stands for? Or, is there a single country in this world that follows the rules of democracy in letter and spirit? The real issue lies in the fast degenerating morals of our society. How many of us like to stand in a queue to buy groceries? To begin with, are there any queues anywhere in Pakistan that are being observed except for the poor? In an ambiance of name-calling and using foul language without being reprimanded or sued, how could you expect society to flourish? My friends, unless we follow the rules of morality, speak truth, respect others’ points of view and know that others also have a right to live, we will keep on moving in circles.
Sixth: Marcus Aurelius didn’t have to face the effects of 9/11 or the war in Ukraine or for that matter a monster called the internet. The moral argument has lost its mojo against guns. All those who are trying to find justice in any sphere of life anywhere in the world should take a sabbatical. Perhaps, they would realize that a moral argument was after all an argument and not reality. The reality is: whoever has guns, rules.
Seventh: But wasn’t it always like that? I mean the logic versus guns? Socrates was never a king and Akbar the Great was a total illiterate. I think the real reason for our slow progress is the collective indecisiveness about the role of religion in politics. Secondly, the conversant people have started looking for jobs or gone into hibernation or have outrightly become indifferent. In the absence of an attentive audience, even pseudo-intellectuals have lost it. No one is listening to anyone. People are just frustrated and certainly don’t know how to go about it. If only some sense could prevail in society. If only we realized that life was the ultimate gift and not money or power.
Eighth: Different party leaders blame each other for all the wrongs being committed under the Sun. The government castigates the opposition and vice versa. Take anyone as right and you will see at least one of the two is absolutely wrong. Isn’t it? The real issue is ………!!
At that point, all of them turned to the tv for some breaking news. The announcer was visibly excited to inform that in view of strong opposition from private school owners, the government had decided to review its policy of ‘One system of Education for all.’ One of them sarcastically uttered ‘Mar--cus Aurelius’ and angrily took off. The others started collecting their cellphones to leave.