Why Pakistan Is Considered To Be A Failed State? Here Are 9 Major Decisions

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Why Pakistan Is Considered To Be A Failed State? Here Are 9 Major Decisions Which Brought This Reputation To The Country

Maninder Dabas
October 20, 2016
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A 'rogue nuclear state', a 'sanctum sanctorum of global terror', a 'corrupt and beggar state' and many other names have been attributed to Pakistan by its critics around the world. Though it is debatable how true any of these attributions is, it is true that once, well on its way to become a state with considerable power and respect, Pakistan seems to have done it all wrong. But is there a need to rush for a conclusion? Is there no hope left for redemption?

It is not well known that Pakistan wasn't this chaotic, mildewed and broken when it began its journey after partition with India on August 14, 1947.

Reuters

A series of arguably catastrophic decisions made by its rulers turned this once upon a time supposedly 'Asian Tiger' into labyrinth so complex that any audacious attempt now to correct it would die an announced death.

But what were those decisions and who took them?

Here are 10 such decisions which undid an idea called Pakistan:
1. Became US ally, thus couldn't became self dependent
Right from the day 1, Pakistan chose to became an ally to US when it's President Liaqat Ali Khan accepted aid from the US. The US indeed gave lots of money which Pakistan used to build military capability to threaten India. Freebies from US did come at a price and price was so colossal that Pakistan got derailed from the idea of self dependence and development.

pakistantoday

On the contrary, India chose to be neutral from both American as well as the Soviet blocks, it founded Non Align Movement (NAM) and sought assistance from both blocks to became self dependent through policies like Green Revolution, ISRO, White revolution etc. Pakistan chose to be with US, which made it enemy of eastern block, therefore, it never got acknowledgement from nearly half of the world.

And the money it got from US was spent in trivial issues and other pressing concerns like hunger, industrialization and employment which should have been addressed with that money took a backseat.

2. 'Law of Necessity' which legitimized the Coups
On October 24, 1954 the Governor-General of Pakistan, Ghulam Mohammad, dissolved the Constituent Assembly and appointed a new Council of Ministers on the grounds that the existing one no longer represented the people of Pakistan.

Reuters

The President of the Constituent Assembly, Maulvi Tamizuddin, appealed to the Chief Court of Sindh at Karachi to restrain the new Council of Ministers from implementing the dissolution. In response, members of the new Council of Ministers appealed to the court saying that it had no jurisdiction to approve the request of the President to overturn the dissolution and appointments. But the court ruled in favour of Tamizuddin.

But now the new council of ministers, approached Federal Court aka Supreme Court of Pakistan where Chief Justice Muhammad Munir, ruled against the decision of Sindh Court and said that Governor-General's assent was necessary for all legislation to become law. Therefore, the Chief Court of Sind had no jurisdiction to overturn the Governor General's dissolution and it was held as valid.

This was called the 'Law of Necessity' which rested power in one man's hand and legitimize the coups that followed.

In his book, From Jinnah to Zia, Chief Justice Munnir had admitted that his decision changed the destiny of Pakistan.

3- One Unit policies and end of provinces' autonomy
In 1954, Prime Minister, Muhammad Ali Boghra brought One Unit Policy which ended the autonomy of all four provinces in the then West Pakistam by ending their federal rights. Similar strategy was implemented in the East Pakistan, which resulted in the rise of discontent among the masses, Urdu was imposed on everybody including Bengali people who were so proud of their culture.

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As a results both Baluchistan and Pakhtunkhawan movement started because their autonomy and federal rights which guarded their identity and culture were compromised in pursuit of strong centre. Later, when Ayub Khan in early 1960s, too further strengthened this policy to create a strong centre of power to take quick decision against India.

4. 1970 election, denial in transfer to East Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh
Mujeebur Rahman has seized a landslide victory in 1970 elections and it was time to transfer power from West Pakistan to East Pakistan to the end of Bengalis. But West Pakistan's military an political elite including Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who had won majority in West Pakistan never wanted to see Bengalis running the show from East Pakistan.

AFP

Thus, Rahman was denied power and instead a massive crackdown was unleashed by Pakistan army in East Pakistan, which created a refugee crisis in East Indian states, especially West Bengal and Assam. Bengalis consolidated themselves in one force known as Mukti Vahini and with the help of Indian army defeated Pakistan armed forces in East Pakistan. As a result a new natin-Bangladesh came into being.

 

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5-Judicial Killing of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Military ruler General Zia-ul-Haq after seizing power from Zulfikar Ali Bhutto via coup hanged him after staging a fake show of judicial trial in 1977. As a result, the era of Martyr Politics began in Pakistan where Pakistan People Party (PPP) became a personal property of Bhuttos, which paved way for the dynasty politics in the country.

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Shahadat-sympathy politics became vote bank of all major parties and political dynasties which emerged based on families contested elections on emotion and not on real issues like development.

6. Afghan Jihad which made Pakistan breeding ground of terrorism
When former Soviet Union entered Afganistan in 1979, Pakistan who was a US Ally was asked by its master to wage a war against Russian by aiding and training terrorist. Thus, the Haqqani network in Peshawar and several other terrorist organisation came into being got nourished under the tender care of Pakistan army.

General Zia exploited religious passion of Pakistan and did Islamization for only jihad in Afghanistan. In the name of Islam, so-called he tried to show his legitimacy. Kalashnikov culture, drug culture, violence, Islamic sectarianism and sects and Jihad were propagated. The extent of radical Islam increased to such levels that Peshawar, the biggest city in Pakistan's frontier province was called 'The University of Jihad'.

Pakistan got huge money from US in the name of aid, but it didn't use that money for developing the country, but instead bought weapons to increase its military strength. Majority of its nuclear programme had got completed in this era only when even despite allegedly knowing that Pakistan is building the bomb didn't object because it wanted to defeat USSR in Afghanistan which wasn't possible without Pakistan. Pakistan also fueled insurgency in Kashmir in this era while using the same Jihadist it had created for Afghan Jihad.
7. Kargil war
With Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's bus diplomacy in February 1999, India and Pakistan were getting closer and even the solution of Kashmir was in sight. But Pakistan army, the de-facto ruler of Pakistan seized heights in Kargil without giving their civilian government led by Nawaz Sharif a hint.

AFP

The move resulted in Kargil war where Pakistan got exposed globally and the US had to intervene to salvage its crumbling reputation. Post war, the depleting relations between army and government resulted in coup and General Pervez Musharraf seizing the powers for next eight years or so.

8. 9/11 and Pakistan's attempt to fool US
Post 9/11, Osama Bin Laden sought refuge in Afghanistan under Talibar ruler Mullah Omer. The US told Pakistan to tell Omar who was Pakistan's stooge, because only three countries Saudi Arabia, UAE and Pakistan had recognised Taliban rule in Afghanistan. But Pakistan played smart as it wanted to cash on the opportunity to seek long term cash and other benefits from US just like it had done during Afghan Jihad.

Reuters

It told Omar not to throw Bin Laden out. Thus, the US attacked Afghanistan and Pakistan once again started reaping fruits of war. But unlike Afghan Jihad, this time Pakistan had to strike balance between the US wanting Pakistan army to act against terror hideout and terror groups who are Pakistan army's own babies.

Reuters

Here Pakistan failed and both the US and fringe terrorist groups thought that Pakistan is cheating on them. Ever since the inception of Afghan war in 2001, Pakistan has lost 35,000 citizens, 4,000 army officials, roughly USD 65 million which has taken a massive toll on its economy.

9. Osama Bin Laden's assassination in Abbottabad
In 2011, American Navy Seal assassinated perpetrator of 9/11, Osama Bin Laden which Pakistan had given refuge too while claiming that they are US' ally in war against terrorism. This exposed Pakistan globally and the West which till date was supporting Pakistan on several issues including Kashmir started alienating itself from it.

Reuters

The Bin Laden episode exposed Pakistan to such levels that the world starting perceiving it as hub for the global terror and the stigma of being a rogue nuclear power became Pakistan's destiny.

http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/why-pakistan-is-considered-to-be-a-failed-state-here-are-9-major-decisions-which-brought-this-reputation-263913.html

 

[Pash]

Living on foreign aid
(Since 9/11 the US has provided Pakistan - or more accurately the Pakistani military - with more than $20bn (£12bn) in aid. It's a huge sum which some believe has prevented the country from slipping into bankruptcy)

Balochistan wants independence

More than one suicide bombing every week, 35,000 Pakistanis have died since 9/11.

The law and order situation in Karachi - is now so dire that there are an average of 4.7 murders every night. Most are politically motivated targeted killings

No democratic development

Pakistan = jihadis

Decades of radicalism nurtured by a state

Pakistan ranks 141 among 182 states included in its Human Development Index

Abysmal track record at building the capacity of women, ranked at 152 of 155 countries assessed

A.Q. Khan’s nuclear black market

Basically, Pakistan lost its identity, when Bangladesh seceded in 1971