Instability in Pakistan

What is happening in Pakistan today is no secret. It is a country ruled by a shaky coalition of political parties led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The government and judiciary are on a collision course with one Prime Minister (Yousuf Raza Gillani) having had to resign. The Army, the force behind every major decision in Pakistan, is zealously guarding its turf and dominant position in the polity, irrespective of who heads the government and unmindful of the ultimate consequences. The economy of the country is in shambles, thanks to short-sighted policies, excessively disproportionate spending on military, and an elitist approach towards governance. Even nature has played its part in the form of earthquakes and floods in pulling the economy down.

Sectarianism is rampant with the Sunni-Shia divide resulting in frequent clashes almost on a daily basis, causing bloodshed and death. Reports of forced conversions and maltreatment of minorities like Christians, Hindus, Ahmediyas, etc., are a regular feature in the Pakistani media. Fundamentalism appears to have infiltrated all sections of the society as well as the government, including the military. Resultantly, terrorism, which was being used as an instrument of state policy by Pakistan for waging a proxy war against its neighbours, is now menacingly poised to strike at the roots of its creator. However, ironically, a recent survey showed that a majority of Pakistanis continue to consider India rather than terrorism as Pakistan’s enemy number one. While mindsets take time to change, it is to be hoped that it does not happen too late for Pakistan.