Muhammad Ijaz,
In world politics, states faced traditional security threats over the borders by the neighboring rivalry countries as well as regional and super powers in previous century. But these threats were minimized due to un-tire able efforts of the world community on the platform of international politics with the perspective of international organizations like UNO and ICJ and regional organizations like SAARC, SCO, NAM, ARAB League and EU etc. In spite of all these, other major factor that was and also is “the nuclear politics” along with the slogan of “Atoms for peace” with dual way. Historically due to nuclear politics, since 1945, we can observe that the traditional security threats for nuclear countries reduced even equal to none. During this whole time period, war history is deprived even from a single example of a major war between two nuclear countries except Kargil war 1999 between India and Pakistan. But contentions between rivalry countries remained constant and output was over there in the form of different shape of threat known as non-traditional security threats and result of these threats were the same as the earlier ones. This new shape of threats named as Proxy war in which state was suffering through society and non-militarily mostly. During the cold war era, Proxy wars remained dominant in bipolar politics where third countries remained victims of it initially like division of Korean Peninsula through Korean society in the form of 38th parallel line, USA-Vietnam war and Soviet-Afghan war finally in Asia. To concludethe excellent result of proxy war was experienced at that time when world politics changed from bipolar to unipolar politics. So this war methodology was also adopted by unipolar politics evenin 21st century. After a careful study of its characteristics, political scientists told us that two types of countries are involved in it. One of them are those who have a strong nationalism and patriotism supported ideologically and have a strong bond of unity, such type of countries can become designer of the proxy war like USA, Russia, Iran and KSA and second one are those who are weak with the perspective of nationalistic and patriotic approach, such type of states become victim of proxy wars such as Afghanistan, Maghreb countries in Africa, Yemen and Syria now a days.
Pakistan is a major country due to its geographic and geostrategic importance with the perspective of regional as well as international politics. Almost five major regions (South Asia, Central Asia, Middle East, China and Indian Ocean) of Asia are directly attached geographically with our beloved state therefore we can’t isolate or detach ourselves from the Asian politics that leads to international politics. Due to this reason, we have to study all the major international political events being student of social science since our birth as a nation. In those events we were considered as a direct and indirect part like Vietnam war, U-2 incident, China-USA handshake, Soviet-Afghan war, Middle East crisis and 9/11 incident finally. Due to this reason Pakistan remainedsignificantpolitically, geographically and as a front line state along with hidden facts in all these above mentioned incidents. So all these events, adventures and politics have also counter effects and after-shocks over Pakistani society in different way. Our society, government and state beard it in the form of non-traditional security threat because traditional security threat for us like other nuclear states was zero. The most effected part of Pakistan is Unity. Unity is a major ingredient of proxy war that is mostly concerned with our existence and directly proportional to our stability. But unfortunately our rulers and political leadership gave a full fledge chance regarding unity to the designer states of Proxy war. Our potentate introduced different types of doctrines and ideologies to our people during their tenure but all were imported and unable to meet the native social requirements. Therefore their doctrines and ideologies remained temporary and overthrown by the Pakistani people along with them except the “Ideology of Pakistan” which was sole indigenous doctrine and gave the solutions of the problems of Indian Muslims and finally got the target of that doctrine. But unluckily due to early death of Quaid the second phase of “ideology of Pakistan” became controversial into the hands of clergy. Most shocking and interesting as well that clergy class was the same mostly which was opposed it on the base of religion before the independence and after the independence they became champions to interpret it through religious glasses and still they (legacy of that class) are going on. While rest of all doctrines after that like Ayub’s Capitalistic approach v/s Communism, Bhutto’s Socialist doctrine that was wrapped with the slogan of “rotti, kapra and makan”, Zia’s Islamization with the slogan of “Islam first” and last but not least was “liberal and secular Pakistan” wrapped with the slogan of “Pakistan first” were imported and imposed by the rulers over us to achieve the targets of personal, institutional and international interest.While in true sense no one was for the social and national interest. Due to this reason, these imported doctrines mostly hit our unity because each slogan divided us in the form of capitalist and communist during Ayub period. Ayub’s doctrine was attractive for the colonial mindset and colonial social structure in the form of landlordism, feudalism, industrialists, bureaucracy and even fiefdom also remained beneficiary of it while due to his thoughts Ayub succeeded to suppress the emerging elements of communism and socialism. So society introduced only with the capitalistic approach owned country like USA. Next one was Bhutto’s doctrine of socialism, influenced by the Chinese approach that widened the gap between elite and poor class due to his land reforms and nationalization of industries, banks and insurance companies. Again this one also like predecessor’s doctrine fail to meet the native social requirements of society and still the slogan of it is going to be misused for the personal interest of 2nd generation of Bhutto and poor man of our society is failed to overthrow Bhutto’s charisma from his home (Her gher say Bhutto nekalyga). Zia’s slogan gave the gift of sectarianism to our society behind the strategy of Islamization and divided us in the form of Shia and Sunni backed by regional politics of Iran and KSA respectively and finally Musharaf’s approach unyoked us with the name of liberal and orthodox. Politically and religiously, Zia’s doctrine was more lethal, fabricated and baleful for Pakistan’s unity.Because during his era, we were problematic with the perspective of national political class versus regional political class, for example he promoted the regional political parties to oppose and weak the PPP which was national political party after the breakdown of 1971. As for example Sindh’s politics divided into rural and urban Sindh. In rural Sindh, he supported to G.M.Syed who chanted the slogan “SindhuDesh” later on under the flag of JASQM.While in Urban Sindh,AltafHussain was gifted by Zia to the nation as a Muhajir card to spoiled the impact of Bhutto’s charisma. That Zia’s gift is still problematic for our unity as well for our peace. Thanks to AltafHussain through whom Muhajir identity is still working even in fourth generation, they can’t become Pakistani at Karachi and Hyderabad. In Punjab, another Zia’s gift to our democracy was Nawaz Sharif who chanted the slogan during the 1990s “Jag Punjabi Jag teri Pug noolegggiadagh” along with zia’s legacy of islamization that was going to imposed by him. In KPK (NWFP), ANP and in Baluchistan, Baluch national parties were strengthened due to the blessings of Zia. In this way, military dictator designed his political engineering in the state just for the sake of his interest while nation and state was going to deprived the national political class. Even this political engineering observed till 2018, where every province was patronaged by regional political parties and national consensus was far away in the corridor of power.
(The author is PhD scholar & CSS Mentor
in Faculty member of F.C University.
Email: [email protected])