Pakistan must step back from its moment of insanity.

Amidst pitched battles between adversaries, communication crackdowns and workarounds, narrative creation in hyper mode, the activation of the diaspora and economic meltdown, a citizen may ask: 'What is the true significance of the present moment for Pakistan?'

Amidst the chaos, what is the persistent question that crops up? It has to be, 'Are we in-charge of the shape and direction of our own destinies, of course under the benevolent guidance of the Almighty?'

If I am blunt, I must say that we are not. In theory, the structure of our nation is a democracy. But the structure is dysfunctional, with the exception of brief relatively democratic stints.

To those readers whose stress levels may be rising after reading thus far, just one second. We are not ascribing blame, or even placing responsibility. We are sizing up the situation, taking stock, registering what is going on. In a calm and cool manner, if that is possible.

We were born as a fragile nation, with weak defences and wafer-thin democratic traditions, in the post Second World War environment, in which the Cold War was fast picking up pace, and weak nations were picked up by one side or the other, as the world divided to confront each other. Our economic weaknesses, fragility of constitutional institutions, and turbulent neighborhood can partially be blamed for our inability to build a robust democratic tradition. But 75 years is a long time, and it is simply not defensible that with our given human and natural resources, we are the bottom of the pack in our region.

What cannot be allowed to happen is clear. Citizens cannot be picked up without warrants, taken to undisclosed places and tortured. The Constitution cannot be implemented in a cherry-picking way, with parts that suit the powers that be followed, while others are not. Lives cannot be taken in encounters on the street, when peaceful protests degenerate into violence through state oppression. Public property, military property, national monuments and critical defence installations cannot be attacked and burnt in violent rages. Military and anti-terrorism courts cannot be used to try civilians, simply because it is expedient and convenient for the government. Communication networks of the nation cannot be shut down to obstruct the right of citizens to know what is happening in the country, and to impede workings of political parties, and take back every citizen's right of political protest.

There are moments of madness that...