Articles of the year 2009

The incredible stupidity of our leadership is proved on a daily basis by the human drama unfolding before our eyes. 1.5 million displaced persons - to date. Not because of a foreign invasion, but a handful of misguided fanatics, creating panic in these areas. Our crisis is self-inflicted! The government machinery collapsed, not because of the militants, but by the constant tinkering with the system. A system established by the British that had been working for a hundred years. The civil service eroded gradually, till finally Musharraf's placing General Naqvi in-charge with his Ministry of NRB, destroyed the last vestiges of pride of the officers in their profession.

The Maliks were the rulers who had conquered their lands declaring themselves as the local kings as has happened throughout history. These Maliks were supported by the Political Agents - an extension of the Indian Civil Service. When the Political Agents were completely undermined by the corrupt politicians, they chose plum postings in the plains of the Frontier, or if they could manage it, in the Punjab.

Having whittled down the power of the local elders, it was easy for the Baitullah Mehsud and company to step into the vacuum. This they did easily - and took Swat without a fight. The flag of religion was a ruse and proved very effective - for who could oppose Islam?

The reason for examining the structure of governance is extremely important as the necessity of an administration to take over when there is 'peace'. If and when the army does the cleansing, who will administer the area. By now there is no government officer left nor is he likely to return, so completely has General Naqvi dismantled the Civil Service of Pakistan.

The army should be positioning people in the 'cleansed' areas as they move through. The GOP should already be structuring cadres to move in without the politicians, who are recognised as a corruptive force. The militants are bound to fail, for they have no administrative experience or ability. That is precisely why Afghanistan cannot be a cohesive nation for it has reduced itself to a collection of warlords. Until one man can conquer all the others, they shall continue their drift.

Pakistan is luckier for we have an officer cadre - demoralised, but fully trained, it is there. It has to be bolstered, and repositioned. The militants are a fighting force, without any administrative ability. They lack the ability to manage complex issues of today. We are indeed lucky that Mehsud and company do not have this administrative ability, or else they would have done it already. Conquering land is one thing, hanging on to it is something else. We should count ourselves lucky, and join General Kayani on his triumphs in the north, but also to help him in moving the IDPs back into their homes.

We must also rid ourselves of these leaders, who have brought Pakistan to this sorry state. They ride in bulletproof cars while the poor public, amongst the poorest in the world, stand at the roadside, in awe of the accidents of birth and of death, propelling persons to stations no one, nor they themselves could ever dream of.

The leadership has kept us deprived of a fair chance at progress, while lining their own pockets. To see the assembly members lounging in airconditioned splendour, while 1.5 million displaced persons are living in tents without any facilities, and on handouts, is truly shameful. They are not victims of an earthquake or a flood, but of twenty years of misgovernance. Shame on us for putting up with this leadership. The cost of feeding these people is millions of dollars which we will have to beg for. Our industries are closing down. We have no drinking water. No electricity. And this was before the great banking crash whose devastating effects have not reached us yet. While our already meagre resources are being stretched, due to our own apathy in allowing extremists to hijack first Islam and then a whole province. Driving people from their homes - slitting their throats to spread fear. Isolating Pakistan and Islam from the world. Till today the world is arraigned against us. Our students are discriminated against, denied higher education, our people denied visas, our trade and industry allowed to choke, due to our governments flawed policies. Our international trade drying up - without the support that could have been extended by the EU and the US, on a MFN status already in place for others in the region.

There is no stopping our downward drift unless we shake off the inept and corrupt leaders in charge. And force a change in them. Confront them everywhere, challenge them, use TV and blast them from every station, let your voice be raised so they hear you. Make them listen.