An American diplomat made a significant revelation. He said that diplomats often sat together and discussed whether, in 20 years, Karachi would be more developed than London or New York. According to this diplomat, Karachi was a modern city of that era, rapidly progressing. The world looked upon Pakistan with respect and admiration. Then, Pakistan was struck by the evil eye.
The diplomat said that in the 1960s, India was far behind Pakistan. Indian ambassadors had to wait months to present their credentials, but today the situation is completely reversed. (From the book Zero Point 5)
Pakistan came into existence on the foundation of the Kalima. You may remember that Korean intellectuals and politicians used to visit us to observe our progress. The elite children of Malaysia and Indonesia studied in Pakistani educational institutions, and upon returning home, they would cite Pakistan as an example. You might be surprised to know that in the 1960s, China purchased three aircraft from Pakistan, and one of them was used by Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China.
PIA was the first airline in Southeast Asia. The Soviet Union, for a long time, was eager to include Pakistan in its list of friends. China called Pakistan its gateway. The United States would not extend the hand of friendship to any other country in the region without Pakistan’s approval. We were ahead of India in every respect.
Our fields yielded more produce than Indian fields. Our farmers were strong and prosperous. We had the world’s largest canal irrigation system. At that time, electricity supply projects were being built for India. Onions, garlic, wheat, and lentils were smuggled from Pakistan to India. Powerful institutions like Pakistan Steel Mills existed—today their condition is visible to everyone. Who is responsible for this? No decision has been reached yet. People called each other traitors and dogs. Then General Ayub Khan grew weary and had to relinquish power.
In the past 40 years, everything imaginable—and unimaginable—has happened to the country. All claims and assumptions have turned to dust. The India that once looked at Pakistan with envy—its Prime Minister in 2009 was sitting with the heads of the G20 nations, chatting with Barack Obama, the British Prime Minister, the French President, and the Japanese Prime Minister—while at the same time, our President was negotiating with Afghanistan, a President whose government was confined to a 10-square-kilometer red zone in Kabul.
In those 40 years, India rose from the ground to join the G20 club. We did to our country with our own hands what even our enemies did not need to do. And even today, political parties, decision-makers, and powerful circles remain on the same path that is breaking the backbone of the country’s progress.
Pakistan needs leadership whose promises, oaths, and agreements are as sacred as the Quran and Sunnah. We have imposed incompetent people on the country, and the process continues. The destruction of the national system is blamed on the establishment to escape accountability, yet the most incompetent, dishonest, and uneducated individuals have been placed in high positions. The door to political appointments has been flung open.
Our government office system is among the most corrupt in the world. If you want to ruin or delay any task, assign it to a government department or official—they will turn a lion into a cat and place it in your lap within hours. This is exactly what the powerful want: everyone becomes a cat, while they enjoy themselves and keep their children abroad.
Our politicians, analysts, and economists are often heard saying, “Let the democratic system continue.” Yet for many years now, it has been a democratic system—but those running democracy lack the courage to admit it. Looting has drained their courage. The boldness to speak the truth has vanished.
The damage inflicted in the past 40 years can only be repaired if politicians and powerful circles begin to treat their promises and agreements as sacred. Today, people have been placed in government positions who do not even know the official name of Pakistan—whether it is Pakistan or the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Everything here is done backwards: we import wheat at harvest time, sugar becomes short during the sugarcane crushing season, and importing has become a business. In summer, electricity maintenance work begins. Officials for the Finance Ministry are imported; the same is true for the Prime Minister. In the current government batch, no one knows how to do any work—they cannot even handle official correspondence properly.
In these 40 years, what achievement have we accomplished? The only institution is the army, which works day and night for the country’s security and protection—yet it is the one facing criticism. This is exactly what our movers and shakers want: no powerful institution remains; they alone dominate everywhere.
Political parties must realize that the system cannot continue like this. The old era of shifting responsibility onto others’ shoulders is over. Progress will not come this way—we will only remain developing further. To change the nation’s destiny, leaders of political parties and government institutions must regard the sanctity of their oaths as sacred. Rulers are the nation’s asset; they must prove themselves assets. The time for rapid progress has arrived. False narratives and misuse of law can no longer fix or halt the decline. For this, the public vote must be respected.
