Pakistan’s Endless Night Continues: Can Collective Wisdom Light the Path Forward?
Pakistan has been grappling with its challenges for the past 76 years, and there seems to be no end in sight. As the country’s struggles persist, hopes are pinned on the power of collective wisdom to bring about a brighter future. However, this remains a mere hope at present.
Drawing a parallel to the fantasy world of Game of Thrones, where the Long Night brought darkness upon Westeros, one cannot rely on a mythical hero like Azor Ahai and his sword Lightbringer to emerge and rescue Pakistan. Instead, it is up to the common people of Pakistan to awaken from their slumber and put an end to this prolonged night.
Pakistan’s current predicament is characterized by a lack of rule of law and a blatant disregard for the constitution. The nation finds itself entangled in a web of political, constitutional, economic, and security crises. The prevailing governance model, if one can even call it that, has utterly failed. Neither military rule nor civilian rule has steered the country towards stability. It is crucial to end the continuous experimentation with governance models and empower the people to voice what matters most to them.
Collective wisdom offers the most effective means of tackling these seemingly insurmountable challenges. It refers to the shared knowledge and problem-solving abilities of individuals and groups. Harnessing collective wisdom requires an honest assessment of Pakistan’s current operating environment, which can be described as follows:
Since April 2022, Pakistan has experienced a disastrous turn of events that has laid bare the weaknesses of the existing system. Never before has the nation’s decay been so evident. The absence of a long-term vision and the crumbling of societal morals and social fabric raise pressing concerns. Have psychopathic leaders and their sycophantic followers governed Pakistan for decades?
Delving into realpolitik, one notices shifts in power dynamics among the system’s stakeholders. Unfortunately, ordinary citizens have rarely been regarded as stakeholders in a system governed by elites. Their influence has been limited to casting votes. As for the key players in recent power struggles, all institutions, including parliament, judiciary, bureaucracy, and police, have lost credibility. No single entity or political party can extricate Pakistan from its current predicament. Only through collective wisdom and united action by all stakeholders, with the support of the people, can the foundation for long-term sustainable economic growth be laid. This necessitates the establishment of robust, efficient institutions operating within the confines of their mandates. Technocratic governments and foreign investments alone cannot achieve this. It is essential for all powerbrokers to realize that no one is above the law.
Resolving matters through dialogue and negotiation yields long-lasting outcomes compared to heavy-handed approaches. The use of force will only weaken the country further. Pakistan’s problems can only be addressed by Pakistanis themselves. Given the extensive deterioration over decades, reversing these challenges may take at least a decade. Only then can the nation embark on a path towards progress.
The ultimate question remains: Will collective wisdom prevail, driven by a resolute determination to break free from the status quo? Or will Pakistan stumble through life until it ultimately tumbles out of existence? As the historian Stanley Lane-Poole eloquently wrote about Emperor Humayun, Pakistan must avoid such a fate and seek to overcome its struggles for the sake of its people and future generations.
