FAULT LINES IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF PAKISTAN

FAULT LINES IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF PAKISTAN

Abdul Rasool Syed

Ever since its emergence on the map of the world, Pakistan has witnessed myriad hurdles in the way of its socioeconomic development. Our adversaries left no stone unturned to weaken the very foundation of our country at its embryonic stage. The process of national cohesion, considered vital to fighting the divisive forces, unfortunately, could not go unhampered in our country. Therefore, the national integration, which is sine qua non for the progress and invincibility of a nation, still seems a distant dream.

There are a host of factors that have engendered fault lines in socioeconomic development of Pakistan. These fault lines are chronic in nature, and they have contributed, directly or indirectly, towards the lack of cohesion and integration in our country. They can, broadly, be covered under political, social and economic dimensions. This piece is aimed at highlighting some of those fault lines which Pakistan is faced with even at present.

Colonial legacy

The colonial masters, imbued with their vested interests, never heeded to the integration of society. They rather took it as detrimental to their interests. They, therefore, created cleavages to further their interests – for doing so, they demarcated the individuals into two distinct groups, i.e. the rulers and the subjects. The conditions they created were such that the ruling class continued to nurture and nourish at the expense of their compatriots, without any pang of conscious. Pakistan inherited this particular class at the time of the partition of the Indian Subcontinent, and they ruled the country in the manner and style which was imbibed in them by their British masters. This very class has left deep imprints on our social edifice, and has divided the society into two distinct groups, i.e. haves and have-nots. This syndrome seems to be not having an end and as such continues to further disintegrate our society.

Feudalism

One of the major fault lines that our country is faced with is the existence of feudalism. Despite three land reforms; it is still a burning issue. The feudal class was created due to their loyalty to the British Raj. This class believes in autocracy and is, therefore, opposed to political enlightenment of their surfs. Due to large landholdings and affluence, this class is politically very active, fully conscious of its own interests and dominates the political parties, directly or indirectly. Their only aim is to perpetuate their ages-old oppressive hold over their surfs and, therefore, have greater stake in the status quo. Hence, during election, they coerce their surfs to vote in their favour. Consequently, the power continues to remain within the feudalistic order rather than broad base of popular support. Thus, the root of democratic dispensation at its very genesis, in this way, is corrupted to the core.

Education

Education, for sure, is of paramount importance for economic and social development. It is also a basic component of social cohesion and national identity. Unfortunately, the country’s system of education tends to produce classes within the society. Majority of the children do not have an access to quality education, and are gaining education in schools that do not equip them with abilities and skills that they necessarily require to compete with their counterparts in elite private schools. Resultantly, the system renders opportunities only to few who rise and continue to rule this country. The sense of deprivation as such gets embedded in the minds of the children of the poor, right from the beginning. As these children grow up, their sense of deprivation transforms into antipathy for the rich and those who continue to exploit them. This unfair system of education, thus, breeds disintegration within society by producing distinct classes.

English as official language

Though majority of our children are studying in Urdu-medium schools, still English remains to be our official language – not realizing that the children of the poor studying in Urdu medium schools will never be able to compete with the children who get education in English-medium schools. Resultantly, it is only a few privileged people that are rising in the society, and continue to rule and control the poor. This particular phenomenon is producing an extreme frustration and anxiety amongst the downtrodden section of society, and it has also given rise to a feeling of hatred and animosity for those who are depriving them of their basic rights.

Exploitation of religion

The poverty, lack of education, unemployment and some other socio-economic factors allow people to be used by certain elements in the name of religion. Due to lack of requisite knowledge, people fail to understand Islam in true perspective, and blindly follow the preaching of the mullah. The ramifications of such exploitation are amply visible in our country. Apart from this, religious seminaries, whose primary aim is to provide religious education, are also used for political ambitions. The religious leaders in the name of religion and with the excuse of providing free education, boarding and lodging are able to attract the wards of poor people—who otherwise are not in a position to provide education to their children. The children from this segment of the society become an easy tool in the hands of those who tend to exploit them for fulfilling their nefarious designs.

Sectarianism, caused by religious exploitation, is another major contributing factor that severely damages our unity and hinders the progress of our country. After independence, there was hardly any concern for sectarianism. However, with the introduction of politico-religious parties, and exploitation of religion by various governments to legitimize their rule, offered various political expectations and aspirations to different religious factions. Resultantly, the menace of sectarianism emerged – today; it acts as main source of conflict within the country engendering all types of violence, with ability to break the society for serving their vested interests.

Corruption

Currently, the biggest problem that our country is mired in is corruption. It has shaken the very foundations of our country. Ruling elite has abused the public offices to multiply their affluence. Billions have been siphoned off by these public office-holders to their foreign bank accounts. Resultantly, our country is going through a severe socioeconomic ordeal. The ongoing clampdown on corrupt elements to hold them accountable for their misdeeds is, for sure, a good step forward, and definitely deserves our heart-felt kudos. This would, definitely, improve the image of the country nationally and internationally, and would also boost up the confidence of foreign investors in Pakistan.

Poor leadership

The leadership that rules our country emerges from highly-privileged segment of society– being from a different class, they cannot feel the pulse of an ordinary man and as such remain oblivious to the miseries being faced by the poor. Globalization and exposure to mass media are creating awareness amongst the have-nots of the society, because of which a sense of disillusionment and dejection is fast pervading within the people, and is leading to further polarization – a fact which is eroding the very edifice of the bondage existing within the leaders and the led, thus causing an extreme fault line in the integration and cohesion of the country.

Unemployment

This particular factor is the root cause of most of the negative factors prevailing in our society. Unless sincere efforts are made to curb unemployment, this menace would erode the very foundations of our society. The unemployed youth due to their frustration and a deep sense of disillusionment would remain a convenient tool of manipulation in the hands of our adversaries.

Poor management of resources

Pakistan is endowed with abundant, diverse resources. But, somehow, the leadership of this country has not been able to exploit these resources to effect substantial change in the national economy. Even the resources at hand are not being utilized properly due to rampant corruption and total neglect. Proper and timely utilization of resources might bring about an economic revolution in our country.

To encapsulate, to correct the fault lines that our country is grappling with require sincerity, integrity and collective will of the whole nation. Since our country is surrounded by both internal and external foes, we need to cast our parochial interests aside, and work diligently and devotedly for national cohesion and integration. Unity is, no doubt, a great strength and under given circumstances, an indispensible need of the hour for our country. As “By union” remarked: Sallust “the smallest state thrive and by discord the greatest are destroyed”.