The Hanging of Mir Quasem Ali

Pakistan has officially chided Bangladesh for hanging aged Mir Quasem Ali, convicted in a war crimes tribunal relating to 1971 war. This criticism seems shallow as Pakistan's own criminal justice system is disorganized and pathetic. The simple reason for such acrimony by foreign office is due to the past events which chains both nations together with pungency and abhorrence.
Foreign office doesn't have time to object to its citizen being beheaded regularly in Saudi Arabia by their courts in questionable circumstances. Bangladesh is already criticized by Amnesty international, Human rights watch and other organizations. The accused are not provided with lawyers and arbitrary limiting of witnesses to call upon. Although such is the state of affairs but Islamabad human rights record in such cases is even more dubious. In Bangladesh the accused are tried by civil courts in open while in Pakistan the accused are tried by military courts behind closed doors with no access to military records.
Mir Quasem matters because he was the head of Al Badr, worked closely with Pak Army to suppress the rebellion in east Pakistan.
Pakistan stands on two nation theory, as taught to us in school textbooks. One factor is that Hindus and Muslims are separate nations that cant coexist together. secondly, Muslims are an Ummah united by faith. There was no distinction of sects, caste, creed and color,
First factor is already irrelevant because Pakistan and India are two separate nations. Second factor begs some attention. The Hindus in Pakistan accounts for less than 2 percent of the total population and are continuously minimizing due to oppression, lack of opportunities and fear. They can not lead their normal life anymore.
Lack of love and concern for the neighbors i.e Iran and Afghanistan and continuous Saudi-Israeli nexus shows that Islamic solidarity and Ummah is also a fragile concept.
Even after paralyzing two nation theory in Pakistan in 1971, Ironically, Pakistan is still surviving and kicking. There is a subconscious push for being rational more and more and we are coming to terms with it. The recent CPEC phenomena is an interesting paradox. While pan Islamism lip service is there, we turn blind eye to communist china's aversion towards organized religions and Islam in particular.
Pakistan needs to push behind the two nation theory simply because a theory can not be the reason for the survival of a nation when we have come such a long way. Okay fine Pakistan is made, we have seen so much in the past and now that we have to move forward we are unable to carry the baggage of the theory and be realistic. After-all Argentina and Netherlands have no ideologies but both countries are flourishing.
We must understand that India only played the anchor role but not the critical role which is our incompatibility with the east Pakistan. This union had to come to an end. And Zulfiqar ali bhutto's famous speech of 'idhar hum udhar tum' dealt a final blow to it.
A piece of advice for Bangladesh, just shun the unfortunate events of the past and move on. The history and circumstances in which it was created was very painful but hanging aged humans connected to that past may not bring democracy, stability or peace.
Pakistan must stop teaching kids in the textbooks about the wrong perspective  of 1971, and kick-start a truth and reconciliation process with Bangladesh on this matter. Time to move on and turn the page for the better.

Source: http://www.dawn.com/news/1283160/the-hanging-of-mir-quasem-ali

Restructuring the state

After independence from British raj, Pakistan has been under achieving its potential as a state. The system needs complete overhaul to achieve the desired goals.  The system currently in place has not been effective and responsive to its citizens. This is the reality at hand. Following suggestions may help overcome some flaws in our system:
 To start with we should have small provinces. Punjab factor is putting strain on the country's weak polity. Some may cite this as a primary reason why east Pakistan separated from west. The postponing of national assembly session was just last nail in the coffin. Alienation and despondency is at rise due to Punjab factor at play. Other smaller provinces needs camaraderie from the big brother. Sense of deprivation needs to be cut short at the soonest.
Punjab, NWFP(Now Khyber Pukhtunkhwa), Sindh, Balochistan, Fata and Northern areas were made part of Pakistan on 14th august 1947 but except NWFP all other units were made part under a special British arrangements. These provinces came as a package therefore it is the need of the hour to reorient itself on new terms with changing circumstances, which they have every right to do so.
Balochistan be made into two administrative units. One is Balochistan states union and other is chief commissioner's province with Kalat and Quetta as its headquarters as it was in 1955. Bahawalpur state be made separate province like it was until 1955 arrangements. FATA be made a separate province. Let Sindh exist as a province with the exception of giving Karachi an elected lt-governor and empowered local government.
The democratic system also needs much needed overhaul. Feudal and corrupt politicians who inject money in politics to achieve their own illegal means. Therefore the proportional system of representation needs to be introduced to accommodate common man who can raise voice for themselves. This will instill feeling of participation and hence help in making strong federation.
The fact that many military regimes in our country had been successful in the beginning but decline with passage of time. Reason is their survival issue indulges them in compromises with the corrupt. Therefore a direct elected leader with every province electing leader on one man one vote basis. This will enable parliamentary system to keep check and balance on leader.
Criminal justice system is pathetic in its current situation. There should be three tier policing system. Federal, provincial and city. The criminal system must be redesigned in a way to provide least expensive, quick and visible justice to aggrieved party against the aggressor. Failing to provide justice will ultimately lower the faith of common masses regarding the state.
Our judicial courts needs to take regular suo moto to expose flaws in criminal justice system and encourage parliamentarians to make reforms.

Source: http://www.dawn.com/news/1282095/restructuring-the-state

The Pakistani state in its 70th year

A state is a proposition of governance bodies providing services to its citizens. A nation is a composition of history, culture, attitudes and beliefs. A functioning state may not mean it is making a nation because it can work for people of a specified region as well. But an effective functioning state is inclusive of all its subjects and therefore helpful ingredient in making a nation. This dilemma is still haunting the 70 year old Pakistan from its inception.
United states is a good example of a working state with tons of diversity but performing well as a nation.  The reasons why different ethnicity, religions and color of skins does not hinder nation making of USA is due to the state providing most of the citizens needs.
Question on hand is why Pakistan has not overcome the factors of ethnic and religious boundaries to make a nation?
Pakistan inherited its system from British raj's era which subjugated its citizens. It was highly undesirable. Some members of indian civil service opted to join Pakistan, the new born state. With this they took the system as well. Same ICS enabled British to consolidate power in India for more than century. Chaudhry Muhammad ali (one of Pakistan's earliest PMs) and Ghulam Muhammad (third gov general of pakistan) came from accounts. Iskander mirza came from Indian political service.  The hold of bureaucracy was strong due to the weakness of political system in Pakistan while neighboring India had strong political system due to which politicians were in full control. Bureaucracy weathered many storms in inception years of Pakistan.
In 1958 General Ayub injected military in administration and this civil-military combination took forward the country through next decade until Zulfiqar ali bhutto, a young promising politician amid some flaws burst on the scene. He failed and ultimately Zia took the reins of power and from there on until 30 years the country revolved around civil and military rules. In 2007, Pakistan version of Arab spring kick-started 4 years prior to real Arab spring of 2011. That enabled democracy to return. Now country is trying to make inclusive political order representative of all regions. This is the need of the hour which will bring us closer to the goal of becoming a nation and fulfilling its needs and requirements.

Source : http://tribune.com.pk/story/1175959/pakistani-state-70th-year/

Re-orienting Pak-US ties

                                 

US cutting of military aid is a blessing in disguise for Pakistan. It is beneficial for both the countries. Pakistan needs to reassess its strategic relations with USA and reorient its ties.
Pakistan's 70 year old flawed policies have failed miserably to deliver. This century is moving the focus from industrial economies to Knowledge economies and vision 2025 is the step in the right direction. But the success of this vision depends on the pillars we build for it in current years. Pakistan badly requires quality scientific and technological workforce.
Asian countries such as china and Korea are continuously expanding its horizons in research and development. The workforce returning to their countries after getting expertise in US institutions are the ones leading innovation and capacity building in those countries. China produces hi tech components as much as USA due to its trained workforce from USA institutes. Koreans are leading patent filers in OECD countries. Annual Chinese flow of students to USA is about 100,000 of total 459,800. India sends 132,000 students yearly out of which 80 percent are enrolled in STEMs programmmes. Indian origin research scientists and faculty members accounts for one million in USA, a growth of 85 percent from 2003 to 2013. They account to 3.3 percent of US research force as compare to 2.5 percent a decade ago. Out of immigrant start up companies at silicon valley, Indian start ups have increased from 26 to 33 percent since 2005, 15 percent of all startups.
Why USA a preferred destination?
Because world's 2/3rd of top 40 institutes lies in USA. Out of world's 870 Nobel award winners 356 had been from USA. 70 percent of all Nobel prize winners works in USA.
Forty percent of all research and technology development spending is based in USA and companies built by Stanford and MIT alumni generated 8.4 million jobs since 1930 and revenues in reach of 4.9 trillion $.
According to RAND the foreign students have enabled USA to develop its engineering and science work to develop faster. Those students returning back to their countries mentor their local countrymen about the current trends in the industry and set up research labs and also guide students to study in programmes at USA.
in 1989-90 students from Pakistan enrolled in US universities were 8158, which dropped to dangerously low level of 5354. If we compare with Indians 132888, the ratio becomes 1:25, (one Pakistani to 25 Indians.). Although population ratio between two countries is 1:7.
Nepal sends 8158, slightly less than 50 percent of total Pakistani students enrolled in US although Nepal's population is 28 million which is seven times less than Pakistan.
The Fulbright program is the world's largest exchange program. If we look at Pakistan's trend we observe that the focus is mostly on non STEM programmes by our students, Mostly do not go for PHD programmes and also to not so highly ranked universities. HEC overseas scholarships are also targeted on universities having no such huge reputation on world level.
The recent announcement of 10000 scholarships to students for USA is a step in the right direction although the drawbacks of past policies should be avoided and example of Asian economies needs to be followed to develop a base for knowledge based economy.
In short the fellowships will help establish the pillars for vision 2025 if focused on STEM programmes which will be mutually beneficial to Pakistan and USA.

Source: http://www.dawn.com/news/1282266/reorienting-pak-us-ties