What next?

With each passing day, Pakistan is experiencing more political instability and chaos. After decades of research, it has been established that a state's stability and security depend on five fundamentals which include political stability, economic prosperity, a strong military, an established societal order, and the least climate hazards. All five fundamentals for state stability are exposed at the moment in Pakistan. Vulnerability is a result of ongoing geo-political rivalries, own political follies on the domestic front, and manipulation by hostile agencies to bring Pakistan under pressure. Our prevailing political culture is not inclusive. It does not benefit the common man in any way. It looks after a few who are already in the power corridors and know how to pull the strings. National politics draws its strength from an agrarian society that only looks for short-term gains. The same culture climbs up the ladder and is pervasive in national political discourse. Wholesome policies and their implementation is not a priority but individual benefits remain the sole objective in power corridors of federal and provincial capitals. A recent deal with the IMF for a loan of $6 billion has brought economic wrath for the public in terms of an increase in electricity and gas tariffs. Petrol prices, though not linked to the IMF programme yet, have added fuel to public anxiety. The world must realize that Pakistan is not a state which can be exposed to the threat of such natures for an unforeseeable future. Its geo-strategic location, military strength, and public sentiment and support for the Army are its power base.

Let us evaluate, what went wrong on the domestic front and how? What is in excess and what is deficient? Who manipulates these factors, who ignites them, and what should be done? One cannot comprehend all this in a few paragraphs yet a hint will suffice the requirement. Excess military interventions in the past have been the biggest factor in political instability. The political echelon was neither given an open-ended opportunity nor were they mature enough to handle off-season governments handed over to them from time to time. Come and go, push and pull continued for decades which did not let the political institutions mature. The present political turmoil is the result of political excess and misunderstanding of a political party that was brought in by forces that be.

In the governing process, the Chief Executive miscalculated power...