Sixty-one years on

As the green and white flags of Pakistan flutter all around us, amid the annual cacophony of motorcycles whizzing through city streets without silencers, it is time also to take a few minutes out and consider where we stand today. In immediate terms of course, we confront yet another political crisis – the outcome of which is still far from certain. Millions of people across the country, devastated by the uncontrolled rate of inflation, fear for a future in which they will simply be unable to acquire food. For them, there is little to celebrate, even though many still bravely hang out the emblems that mark Pakistan's sovereignty on their doorways, on their bicycles and on their donkey carts.

This is also a time to consider what went wrong. It is quite evident something did. It is more patriotic to try and understand what happened, so that wrongs can be righted, rather than to pretend all is well. When we look at other countries that gained independence from colonial rule around the same time as Pakistan, we find many have fared far better – in terms of economic progress, the quality of life they are able to offer citizens and indeed in terms of international image. Indonesia, freed from Dutch colonial rule almost precisely a year before Pakistan, boasts a literacy rate approaching 100 per cent, has made huge strides in terms of human development and has been able to build an image as a popular hub for tourism and business. Much the same holds true for Malaysia, which gained independence a decade after Pakistan. Both Muslim nations boast human development indicators that put them well ahead of Pakistan. Even Kenya, which lowered the Union Jack in 1963, has achieved a literacy rate of over 85 per cent, an infant mortality rate much lower than that of Pakistan and, despite some ups and downs, a quite remarkable degree of democratic freedom. As we mark our 62nd Independence Day, we must ask why we have been left trailing so far behind these nations that started their journey into freedom at the same time or later, were burdened by equally grave issues of ethnic harmony and left crippled by colonial exploitation. There can be no excuse for Pakistan, with its significant mineral, agricultural and water resources to lag so badly in the race. As they sing the anthem and watch the Pakistan Day parade, our leaders, currently locked in their own internal battle, must ponder why they, and their predecessors, have so badly failed their people.

But somewhere we must also find optimism. Pakistan, as a country, has a great deal of potential. Its pool of hardworking people is an asset that must be utilized better. Good economic planning can pull together the country's significant resources so they can be used to benefit people. There is still time to catch up with others, and, in time, perhaps even draw ahead. But there is a need to act quickly and decisively, otherwise the slim window of opportunity that is still open may finally close, leaving behind only darkness.

Posted on: 14-August-2008

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