Pakistan needs to change today in order to survive, what to talk of progress. And any message of change sounds good. Bringing about meaningful changes in the state structure, governance model and social mindset in Pakistan (which are long overdue by all counts) require much more than dharnas, fiery speeches and parliament sessions (or even replacing governments). Such changes call for authentic acts of leadership involving merit-based team-building, defining well-thought-out priorities, developing clear agenda for reforms and developing consensus around it, adopting innovative solutions and practical schemes to implement the agenda, and making diligent efforts to educate, engage and mobilise the people from all walks of life to become the change. Sadly, almost all politicians (including NS, IK and ZAB) of today and the past thought coming into power by engaging and mobilising people anyway is the first step and the other things mentioned above (which define the content of change) can be done after coming into power, if needed to be done at all; in my humble view the real forces of change come into power by educating and engaging people on the basis of a very well-defined policy-based agenda for change. It is a contradiction in terms to think of developing a radical change agenda after coming into power (as power has reasons which heart knows nothing of). We as a nation have not done any solid preparatory work in last several decades (universities, governments, intellectuals, business leaders, agriculturalists, scientists, professionals included) towards that end in education, law, health, transportation, police, civil service, economy, urban planning,.. to name a few fields. I do not see any genuine inclination (even capacity) for such spade work even today. So for the time being all we have are dharnas, fiery speeches and parliament sessions...in the name of change.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 12:05:42 +0000