Democracy in Pakistan has been in a tumultuous state since it’s inception. In last 7 decades, not once has an elected Prime minister been allowed to complete his or her 5 year term due to incessant interference in governance by the Pakistan’s Army. Recently a Pakistani nuclear Physicist, Pervez Hoodbhoy, lashed out at both the founder of the nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and the Pakistan Army, for the landing Pakistan in a quagmire from which the nation is struggling to pull itself out.
“Pakistan is in a state of confusion because it was born in a state of confusion“said Mr Pervez at Adab Festival 2020, held in Karachi on february 1. Mr Pervez opined that Mr Jinnah was not clear about the basis of partition, and ergo the ideology on which the foundation of the nation was laid is very weak. He also confessed that Pakistani Army carried out many atrocities on Bangladeshis, a topic which is sporadically touched upon by the Pakistani citizens. His statement is in congruence with Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina’s statement at the United Nations general assembly that– atleast 3 million innocent Bangladeshis were killed by Pakistan’s army in 1971.
Mr Pervez blamed Jinnah’s ambiguous stance on religious homogeneity that led to Pakistan Army’s intolerance towards diversity, which has now culminated into separatist movement in Baluchistan, and anti-establishment protests in different parts of the country. He also expressed his concerns on the arrest of many sane Pakistanis like Manzoor Pashteen. In recent past myriads of journalists and activists who have stood up against the Pakistan government have ended up facing dire consequences of doing so.
Mr Pervez insisted that– “we need a Pakistan that is built upon the common interests of people, which includes Pahtuns, Balochs, Punjabis, Gilgits and others. This is not a country made for (only) the Armed forces of Pakistan”.
He also penciled in that in order for Pakistan to grow as a country, it must get rid of redundant ideology it is based on. “Countries survive without ideologies–Holland has no ideology nor does Japan. Look at Bangladesh, who were our poor cousins. They are now doing better than us; their foreign reserve is four times our’s; their quality of life index is also better than our’s”.
Mr Pervez Hoodbhoy is one of the very few Pakistanis, who owing to his position as a nuclear scientist, gets the liberty to be vociferous on issues Pakistan is grappling with. Since sometime, Pakistan has been slipping into internal chaos due to the deep state supporting terrorism, which has now taken a toll on the country’s economic development as well as social progress. Financial action task force’s (FATF) plenary is set to start in Paris today. With China’s push Pakistan might be able to elevate itself from the grey list of FATF, but on the domestic front Pakistan’s government and Army are loosing the trust of the populace, as Mr Pervez’s statements have confirmed.
This article is written by Levina