By Arsala Hassan
Pakistan is not simply a country where crisis, oppression, injustice, and mistrust have reached their peak, while dependence on others has become part of its very existence. From the beginning, Pakistan in its present form was built as a state whose foundations were laid by the British and other foreign powers to serve their strategic objectives.
That historical legacy has steadily eroded public trust in the country’s political system and left even its own politicians questioning it.
Today it is not just ordinary people who have lost faith. Large numbers of political leaders too have lost trust in each other and in the institutions of the state. Competition for power, political interference, the unequal application of the law, and constant criticism of state institutions are the factors that have pushed mistrust to new heights. A country’s stability is guaranteed only when the rule of law, justice, transparency, and respect for the people’s will are present. Whenever these values weaken, political divisions deepen, national unity suffers, and the country faces new crises. For this reason, various analysts are of the view that lasting stability in Pakistan requires fundamental reforms and the rebuilding of public trust.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has said: “The current governmental and administrative system of this country is no longer capable of solving the ongoing problems, and Pakistan is facing serious challenges.” Speaking at an economic summit, Naqvi said that if fundamental reforms do not come, ten years from now Pakistan will still be grappling with the same economic, administrative, and governance problems. He emphasized that Pakistan’s problems cannot be solved through the existing structure and that the country needs broad reforms. He added: “The system we are living under is already in decline, whether we choose to accept it or not.”
So when you look at what Naqvi has said, just think about where the military regime’s situation must have reached, when an official at such a high level of government has lost this much faith in his own government. The last breaths before collapse have begun, and the final nails are being driven into its coffin. It would not be surprising if all of this becomes visible in practical reality very soon.
On the other hand, Maulana Atta-Ur-Rehman, the brother of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has said: “The day may come when a passport is needed to travel to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” He also called on the military and government to stop the oppression of the people in these areas. Looking at what Atta-Ur-Rehman has said, it appears that Pakistan has reached the brink of disintegration. These remarks mean that the Baloch may soon declare Balochistan an independent homeland and give no one else the authority to govern it. The Baloch people now appear close to achieving their objective, and this is their legitimate right.
Similarly, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the military leaders of this country, instead of throwing snow onto other people’s roofs, should make amends for their own past actions and answer to their own people. Referring to the Pakistani military’s historic defeat in the 1971 war, he said in a video clip: “When your soldiers surrendered in East Pakistan, today’s Bangladesh, and were humiliated in front of everyone, what message were you giving to India at that time? The military should be ashamed of its own past actions and conduct, not of my words.”
It is worth noting that in the 1971 war Pakistan became involved in fighting against the combined forces of India and Bangladesh and suffered a historic defeat at their hands, resulting in tens of thousands of Pakistani soldiers surrendering and East Pakistan becoming the independent country of Bangladesh. Fazlur Rehman’s latest remarks, made in Urdu, have sparked debates about the Pakistani military’s role in internal and regional changes.
Now it is not only Pakistani politicians and leaders but ordinary people too who accept that Balochistan has slipped out of the military’s control. And it is not just Balochistan. There is not a single area left in all of Pakistan where complete security exists. Targeted attacks, car bombs, guerrilla strikes, and ambushes have reached the very doorstep of the Pakistani military regime.
Former Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani is asked: if you were appointed Chief Minister of Balochistan once again, would the situation there improve? Nawab Aslam Raisani replies: Not me. Now whoever is appointed Chief Minister of Balochistan, there is no hope at all that the situation will improve.
Overall, the recent remarks of government officials, political leaders, and regional figures about the current political and security situation of Pakistan’s military regime show that the country is facing deep political, economic, and administrative challenges. When senior state officials and opposition leaders criticize the system’s capacity, the military’s role, and the country’s future, it is a sign that political mistrust is growing.
