YOU ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS YOUR WEAKEST LINK

STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan

Pakistan is in deep trouble. Everyone realizes it except those in control who are power drunk. We are on a downward trajectory on all fronts. Politically we are fractured, economically we are devasted and terrorism is on the rise. Courts have been neutered, incapable of delivering justice and police have become a band of hoodlums. All our international friends are avoiding us because we carry a begging bowl each time there is any interaction. Shunned as beggars, we have frittered away any clout that we had. Our borders are not safe and now we have been hit by a tsunami from the Eastern front.

The unfortunate event of Pahalgam has unleashed a series of damning announcements by the Indian Government. They have taken a drastic measure of unilaterally rescinding Indus Water Treaty signed in 1960. This did not even happen during the two wars between India and Pakistan and all prior conflicts. Pundits are predicting various forms of confrontation; an all–out military assault, air strikes, naval blockades and some havepredicted surgical strikes. We have to realize it has already happened. Without both countries abiding by the water treaty, it will spell disaster for the 250 million Pakistanis.

Water is a lifeline for human existence. Out of the six rivers starting in Himalayas, running north to south, the waters of Beas, Sutlej and Ravi rivers were in India’s use. Indus, Chenab and Jhelum were destined for Pakistan. India has done a great job of building dams and reservoirs to utilize their waters to feed their agricultural needs and meet human requirements. Pakistanis failed miserably in harnessing these valuable resources post Ayub Khan era. PTI’s Government under Imran Khan had re-focussed on dam building to generate cheap electricity and conserve these water assets. The whole effort fell apart after his manipulated exit in April 2022.

Without the constraints of adhering to the water treaty, India will embark on setting up dams upriver, choking the water available to Pakistanis. It will be a human tragedy as we look on helplessly. Our incompetent rulers, after some sabre-rattling in their NSC meeting, announced some meaningless measures that will have little impact.

While we have been fluctuating between military’s direct rule and military rule by proxy with sprinklings of democracy; India has emerged amongst the top 5 largest economies in the world. Pakistan is languishing somewhere at the bottom. India’s influence and clout wasborne out by the escort provided by Saudi Airforce jets to the plane carrying Prime Minister to Jeddah.

India is a practising democracy. Despite all its failings andcorruption, its voters get to express their will every five years. Democratically elected leaders get an opportunity to rule without a general breathing down their necks. After initially flirting with socialism, their homegrown pragmatic and democratically elected leaders opened their economy in 1991. Since then, there has been no looking back. Recently India has reportedly signed a 100 billion dollarsdeal with Saudi Arabia in Petrochemical, green energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, defense, security, technology, culture and tourism. Progress in real terms.

In comparison what is happening in Pakistan? Our SIFC is nothing more than a pipe-dream to be ridiculed. In the sixties we were viewed with envy as a developing economy. After Ayub’s departure, Bhutto ruined the economy through his experimentation with socialism anddestroyed the private sector. He was followed by dictator Zia whose decade long rule gave Pakistan two gifts. Introduction of gun culture and the Sharif family that continues to hound us till today. Democratic dispensationwas ruined. Since then, army chiefs have dominated all the levers of power.  

Where has this slippery slope led us? We are in doldrums without any wind in our sails. We are choking on our debts. This Government has broken all records of expensive borrowing. The Judges are paralysed. They are unable to deliver any decisions; if they do, they are not worth the paper they are written on. Just view the circus happening in the contempt of court application of denying meetings with IK. Army is dutybound to guard the borders. Their enforcers have conveniently moved those borders to Adiala Jail or Dr Yasmin’s clinic or Alia Hamza’s bail release papers. It is an unending list of reprehensible acts of injustice.  

It is disgusting how the rule of law and civil liberties are being openly trampled. Fortunately, the censorship is limited to mainstream media. Kudos to social media, the shenanigans of these usurpers are exposed at lightening speed, frustrating them further. The entire edifice is based on lies. The ruling Junta’s drama serials are all bombing at the box office. The recent overseas event gave zero results.

These blindfolded rulers lack any comprehension. Every act of theirs is pushing the masses further and further away from them. The wedge between Pakistanis and this illegitimate regime is getting deeper and deeper. Army that was revered till three years ago has lost all credibility and respect. In this environment the Government’s ability to rally the masses is severely compromised. Hence the title “you are only as strong as your weakest link”. No force can win a conflict without public support. At this time the nation sorely misses their leader Imran Khan. The previous false flag operation by India during his term had a swift retribution and yielded Abhinandan, the downed pilot. Is there anybody else who can stand up to the latest bullying by India?