Saddam Shah
Pakistan has a federal system to administer the state-affairs for its multicultural and linguistic beauty. The United States has also the same political system but instead of parliamentary democracy, it has been practicing presidential system and Senate as a supreme institution. It indicates that being a federal state does not mean that national integrity is a lifetime suffering, rather it can make all the ethnicities of the country, live together with unity, fraternity, and peace.
Though our history has been more emotionally injected and has been utilized as a countering bullet for its survival in tough crises. The separation of East Pakistan compelled us to reconsider our approach to national integrity, but it became worse and short-term solution was adopted.
Maybe the leaders of time could not sort out an alternative to deal with on-ground circumstances, especially when numerous states have been untiringly struggling to divert it towards anarchical evil, that fortunately our institutions have resisted, and the only way for the country’s survival has been executed. But unfortunately, that has not worked as a long-term stratagem, because of the political instability, we had that time, and yet facing in one way or another.
We have yet not been efficient to come out of the emotional component for national integrity. In fact, that is all due to the over-loaded fears from so many alien states involved here, as their pre-emptive tact of defense, which indulges us merely in defensive deterrence all the time.
The world is not what it was a century before, cyberspace is a paradigm shift in international politics, the modern technology and globalization are serious challenges to face by any nation-state of the world. This intimidation, in a sense that it crosses the border without any visa requirement for a post-national globe, transiting a step ahead than trans-nationalism. This menace is more stimulant to the developing states, as they already are looking for permanent borders around the entire territory and more cautious, but very less for the already great and dominating states of the western world. In fact, the fear of dis-integrity and foreign interference seem more lethal, and not that much easy to be countered.
Rational solution seeks much time to be adopted, but the spread of secularism can’t easily be neglected which confuses the basis of unity and Pakistani nationalism, nor hardly treated in presence of modern social media at the doorstep. Even despite other baffling phenomena, the welfare of citizens is the priority of every welfare-state, and that is what happens, here too. So, one way can be a rational solution of state concept for national integrity. It would not only resolve the challenges of national integrity but can also counter the untiring efforts of foes in ease. Furthermore, it can produce a productive breed of youth, who will be competing the world developed states, and would just move ahead without looking back.
In a dinner hosted by CM Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif for the students of Balochistan with the CM Balochistan, Sanaullah Zehri, at CM house Lahore, a female student from BUITEMS asked, ‘Why don’t, we incept inter-provincial cultural exchange among students within our country to promote national integrity, even though we have been sending our students to the United States for the same purpose”, and same was stated by CM Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, in a conference on ‘National Integrity and Regional Connectivity’, “There should be inter-provincial student exchange programs”, and that is what we really need to overcome the gap and understand each other concerns at public level.
Harsh rivals in the hot wars, Germany and France are today’s staunch supporter of European Union, a perceived ideal of regional connectivity, and that initiated when the idea of an exchange was given a practical shape since nineteen-fifties. When it comes to Pakistan, it has been much reluctant, even being in one country under the green flag, it just needs to go ahead, and then time would be ours. A gradual positive change can be witnessed since last few decades, but that is not enough, it should be raised further and further more.
It is true that almost all the communities in the country have been exclusive rather inclusive, and that is why we have yet not been successful to break the created myths among different communities. But all the segments of society ought to be united and promote a common agenda of one nation, for having rational common interests that citizens would endeavor to achieve collectively within one political entity.
The interest of citizens lies in the interest of their country, and our focus must be to realize this to every citizen for their welfare and well-being. The Pakistani nation, in general, is more emotional, but for the good of all, we need to be rational, at least, in perceiving the basic needs of people and of the country in general.
When it comes to the border-free globalized world, in terms of free market-economy, human rights, international organizations etcetera, it is for all global citizens and not a limited privilege. A logical solution would help us to prevent the nation to be trapped in the name of globalism too, rather globalization would be well understood to go with the world, as the state can no more be traditionally defined.
Being a multi-linguistic nation, our utmost responsibility must be to utilize multiple rational options for uniting the communities under the federal capital, rather implementing a sole instrument for the purpose. We need a good time, where everyone is under the leadership of federal capital and seeks his well-being in the well-being of the country, and that is likely to be accomplished if every individual’s concern is given a space and taken into consideration without any discriminatory approach.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the author and Balochistan Voices not necessarily agrees with them.
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