Rebuilding Pakistan’s Institutions
Sabir Khan
Peshawar: Politics is the history, present and future of the sapiens. The story of the world is the story of the political institutions. 20th century drastically changed the politics of the world so as the political institutions.
The course of politics shifted from monarchy and aristocracy to democracy. It challenged the absolute authorities. It is because of the transition of power to the people. It is a long story of struggle to dub the voice of the people as the voice of God. In this complexity, state and its institutions have been chosen as the agents of the people to play the politics.
Before nation states people were considered as the mean while state as the end. However, this philosophy is buried deep under the ground. Now state and its institutions are the mean while general welfare is the end.
Traditionally, state is defined as a political entity having population, territory, government and exercising sovereignty. This definition only considers the physicality of the state rather than the aim of this entity.
However, in modern times, a state is defined in the context of public welfare. State is nothing but a shadow of institutions to channelize the human and material resources in the interest of the community.
Real politics focuses on the end by using any mean. Today, the end of politics and political institutions is public welfare.
The lives of the people are deeply connected with the institutions of the state. If the institutions of a state are extractive and aimed at the suppression of the people then the lives of the people become miserable.
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Take for instance the political institutions of the colonial era and the third world countries. They suppress and squeeze people to extract more. On the other hand the institutions of the true democratic and first world countries are inclusive.
They channelize the human and material resources aiming at the betterment of the lives of the people. They extract power from the consent of the people rather than the suppression of the people.
Consider the city of Nogales. It was formerly the part of Mexico. However, it was divided by a wall between USA and Mexico after the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. The people at both the sides of the wall share common language, ethnicity, culture, climate, religion, ancestors and geography.
Though, the people of Nogales in USA lead a better life. Their life expectancy, education, health, business and safety are quite better. It is due to the extension of inclusive political institutions of USA to Nogales.
But on the other hand the people of Nogales in Mexico are living a miserable life. It is due to the corrupt political institutions of Mexico which are suppressive and aiming at maximum extraction. So, where is the difference? Of course it is in the political institutions driving the same community.
Same is the case with Pakistan.
The institutions of Pakistan are the extension of colonial institutions. They were aimed at the maximum extraction and suppression of the people. It is quite clear that these institutions were not established to facilitate people. It is madness to heal a wound with a poison. The only thing which changed is the ownership of these institutions but not their organizations and objectives.
It is not the inability rather the unwillingness of the state. Pakistan needs to rebuild her institutions and their organizations focusing on the inclusivity and welfare of the people. So far the institutions are not rebuild and reorganized, every formula of change is a waste.
It can only happen when the people will not be dubbed as bloody civilians and common fools. When the people will be considered as the center of power, things will start to change. Because everything living or dead revolves around power.
Sabir Khan serves as a lecturer in political science at GPGC Bannu and can be contacted through: Sabirwaxir007@gmail.com.
The article is the writer’s opinion, it may or may not adhere to the organization’s editorial policy.
