United we rule —Andleeb Abbas
Why do we not let go of a past that yielded more damage than benefit? The answer is that we do not want to learn. Flaring up the past to create present and future tensions is the favourite pastime of politicians who are unable to create internal harmony and unity
Sport is a great leveller. It removes colour, class, language and cultural barriers. Mid-2010 holds special significance as far as sporting events are concerned. First there was the FIFA World Cup, then the greatest of tennis grand slams, Wimbledon, taking place and, finally, the Pakistan cricket team facing Australia in England.
Sports bring out the best and worst in many. Physical fitness is stretched to almost inhuman limits, mental toughness is tested in unbearable tension and emotional stability is stretched to unimaginable levels. It is a combination of these that governs the ultimate success of the winner. As we have seen in the FIFA World Cup, the biggest of names and the mightiest of teams have been knocked out due to default in some of these prerequisites of sustainable success.
While football is a game of teamwork, tennis is an individual game. However, where doubles matches are concerned, it does bring in the element of collective effort and synergy. The fact that a pair from South Asia reached the quarterfinals for the first time at Wimbledon is a matter of great pride and honour for us. The Pak-Indian pair of Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Ravi Bopanna made their mark on a game almost monopolised by the Americans and Europeans. While individually they have not been too successful, together they have become a force to be reckoned with. That, perhaps, is the biggest lesson that needs to be spread across the two countries. South Asia is the most vibrant region in terms of a huge and young population, a variety of natural resources, being rich in culture and history and thus, apparently, the region most capable of challenging the Europeans and Americans in terms of consumer markets and growing economies. However, the geographical partition has made dents in the emotional and psychological partition whose legacy both nations have not been able to shake off. Anything that goes wrong in either country is perceived as being instigated by the other. Relationships based on mistrust are counterproductive. If we all know that the seeds of mistrust were deliberately planted by the British under their divide-and-rule policy, why do we choose to play the game under those rules? First it was the British and now the Americans who have been blamed for not wanting the region to become a force to be reckoned with. However, we have seen how the two countries have lost due to their inability to put the past behind them and work towards a future where the combined strengths of this region can outpace all the other regions of the world.
South Asian history and friction are not unique. If we look at Europe in the mid-1940s, we see much greater political and economic erosion. Two world wars, where France, England and Germany were out to devastate each other, are part of an era that is considered as a historical lesson to be learnt. Individually, most countries realised that going alone would not take them far and, if they really wanted to challenge the power of the US, they needed to combine and become a challenge to the superpower. The European integration into the European Union (EU) is a classic example of where they have stopped concentrating on each other's weaknesses and have capitalised on their different strengths. The euro today is stronger than the dollar and the small market size of individual European countries is now neutralised by the combined strength of over 300 million consumers in the EU market. Also how they support each other in times of adversity was visible in this recession when Greece had virtually gone bankrupt and was bailed out by the EU with a package of almost 150 million euros. Compare this with Pakistani bankruptcy two years ago, where we had to beg for and borrow $ 5 billion from the IMF to save us from going under, and one realises how the combined strength of a region truly makes you stronger and more resilient in times unfavourable.
Why do we not learn from these examples and let go of a past that yielded more damage than benefit? The answer is that we do not want to learn. Flaring up the past to create present and future tensions is the favourite pastime of politicians who are unable to create internal harmony and unity. With India it is their inability to harness the Kashmiris into subjugation and with Pakistan it is the inability to harness the Taliban into surrender. These two contentious issues have been used again and again by both governments to justify many of their political postures that make little economic sense. Trade between the two countries, which was around 70 percent after partition, has trickled to a mere one percent due to political tensions, tariff and non-tariff barriers and visa issues. Many of the products can really benefit from each other's markets. Indian pharmaceuticals are much cheaper than Pakistani medicines while Pakistani textiles have a global differentiation to offer. Indian research and skills combined with Pakistani talent and resources can create an unbeatable combination provided both countries achieve political maturity by learning from their mistakes and focusing on solutions rather than harping on about age old problems.
The political maturity process in Pakistan has been greatly retarded by immature and corrupt leadership. These leaders perpetually focus on the divide-and-rule strategy internally as well. Their own lack of vision and integrity makes them blind to the need for a comprehensive internal harmony strategy that prioritises what matters most to us as a nation. They also surround themselves with equally corrupt people who have no notion of or expertise for the task at hand. Whether it is energy, security or foreign affairs, people at the helm are easy to buy or out-negotiate by their more competent Indian counterparts. Thus the stalemate continues.
If our leaders just went back to the Quaid's three core values, most of our problems would be resolved. Unity, faith and discipline are elements missing in this country, hampering us in moving forward. Provincially, emotionally and ethnically we are busy tearing each other apart and thus we really need to put our house in order first before we start looking at regional and global support and harmony.
The writer is a consultant and can be reached at [email protected]