It is wrong to fashionably sound like an optimist in the face of brute realism and an obvious tragedy. Only a grounded assessment and a cold analysis of situation may possibly lead to some rectifiable steps that may consequentially generate a meaningful hope for the future. Palpably, it has not happened for the first time but yet again the state of Pakistan and her relationship with citizenry stands in utter disarray and complete collapse. In entirety and without ifs and buts. The more the national scenes change the more they look the same. The crystal ball offers a meek deserted and chaotic future for the populous. The daily grind for an ordinary person is now an unimaginable strangulation. This life is simply a complex web of social and economic catastrophes with literally no way out in sight.
So foremost, what does the text book says.
Arguably, the states have always been deaf and dumb. In most of its manifestations they are either brutal and predatory against citizens or grossly inept and neglectful towards them. The welfare states are far and few. A developing state which albeit is a sophisticated modern-day parlance for third world political economy typically has mammoth population size; complex demography; volatile ethnic or religious mix; centralized power structure; rigid interest groups that are unable to let go of their financial streams; unresolved violent conflicts; and is a constantly fledgling democratic order. It is not that all such states are perpetually unable to come out of their dismal condition however to take those mega leaps towards social and economic prosperity require considerable time, massive political capital, at least some unanimity amongst representative groups about rules of power game and a decent degree of stability. There will always be some states whose power structure is so designed that abject poverty is deemed desirable for those in real power and some level of conflict is considered imperative for their mills to keep on flourishing. The political and social appetite to plunge out of such nadir spot then becomes nearly impossible and constitutional frameworks can only be discretionally interpreted.
With due exceptions, states are now no more super concerned about abrupt changes in their territorial boundaries through use of force. The land mass hostilities between states remain a reality however launching military campaigns regularly to alter the known maps are nearly over. This itself is a big transformation in warfare methods from the world that existed during last century. Therefore, the first constant is that this tiny land mass of Pakistan with diverse geography is all we have and it shall continue to remain so without much alterations in coming decades. There could be cross border skirmishes here and there on both eastern and western front however likelihood of full-fledged war is negligible. The mantra of Kashmir must be assumed as a broken record and there is practically nothing that can be done apart from lip service and ceremonial talks every now and then. Essentially, line of control now exists as a permanent border. The internal conflicts and armed violence are a different subject and they shall continue within.
The second constant is the monopolization of power resting with those with whom it has always rested. Ours is a security state and shall remain so with rigid militarized character and outlook in times to come. It will not fundamentally change and the proverbial civil military relationship shall remain heavily skewed in favour of the later. There can be some occasional tactical gains but the apparatus and character of the state simply does not challenge this equation. The changed geo-political environment and nature of traditional hostilities has also extended the role of military into civilian aspects of lives. In addition, their mega economic interests are something that may well be accepted as a constant rather than vainly resisted. All major public policy decisions will find them as a stakeholder. Irrespective if it is right or wrong, legal or illegal – it is what it is. Any civil rights movement if framed without understanding the genre of the state and the ultra-dominant character of military are bound to fail. Some lone human rights voices here and there within a certain bandwidth will obviously exist and can be heroic exceptions.
The third constants are the heavily centralized and prominent character of judicial and civilian bureaucracies that also enjoy substantial power pie of the state. Their financial interests from treasury are also well entrenched considering the permanence they have cherished partly due to their inception legacy and partly due to fact that they are averse to any change and resist political control. The size of the state will continue to expand and regulation prowess of these entities will be on most facets of citizen life with every passing day. As the population gets bigger, the discretion and selective enforcement will also increase. Consequentially, the informal dividends of these permanent office are inherently linked to this enigma.
The fourth constant is the fact that Pakistan will continue to be a weak economy with heavy dependence on foreign powers and global financial institutions in coming decade. Internally, the state does not have any eco-system or qualitative human resource to create incentives beyond rent seeking and real estate. Most local money-making opportunity will only exist in and around public works or sectors that are favored as ad-hoc policy by main interest groups. The recent past tells us that any sectoral incentives that maybe occasionally offered by the state in form of amnesty or tax relief should neither be availed nor trusted. For local and small-scale businesses, the best ways to monetize will be to do middle man commissioning or be in perishable commodities trading and hoarding.
The fifth constant are the old lethargic political parties that are also resistant to any change and are unable to offer any fresh leadership to the public. Their internal structures are rotten and narratives are boring rut without any exception. They will continue to function like student societies in a varsity and will be in competition with each other to win favour from those with actual say. It will help them survive rotational wrath of the state. In all probability some of them will either be in power or in prison. This poker calculus is something that seems to be inherent in these political parties if their leadership gain mass popularity. The belief in constitutional rights and processes will be circumstantial and their existence is imperative even if they are to exist as a veneer.
The sixth constants are conventional pressure groups like nauseating media, nasty religious groups, annoying legal fraternity and high net worth folks from various sectors who sponsor and influence decision making at various levels of the state.
So, what should be the immediate and short-term solution with these constants in mind. It is clear that most obvious rules of game have to be consistently followed. While deviation from constitutional provisions will be convenient and suitable for many – an immediate call upon for mandatory representative system despite its relevance will at least help in quelling uncertainty. In addition, representative politics at least optically help in keeping maximum political consensus amongst major power players. This help to quell unrest, minimize violence and control social mayhem during harsh economic environment and internal conflicts. In addition, the single most challenge for state of Pakistan will be governance and managing lives of inhabitants which is beyond capabilities of existing state apparatus. This will only be possible if there is a localized decision-making process and governments at grass-roots are installed forthwith. In combating, high inflation, the best possibility is to endeavor and promote both high and small scales farming. Instead of excessive regulation, there should be more emphasis on contract performance and enforcements and expeditious disposal of commercial disputes. The property rights regime should be simplified and colossal inheritance battles be taxed. Emphasis be paid to primary and secondary education instead of public universities. Pedestrians be encouraged and public transport investments be further made. The debt recovery role of police should be re-assessed and crime control be incentivized. A population control and marginally better city management will help things significantly. These mini steps even with partial implementation may alleviate situation. Else, it is all darkness and downhill from here. The loss will be colossal and completely common without exception.