Social Economic And Political Problems Part 1

1. Survival-the greatest achievement of Pakistan
2. Economic makes a nation strong
3. Internal and external security of the country
4. Pakistan and globalization
5. Military rule and unstable civilian governments
6. Interest politics and prooly-instiutionlised political system
7. A strong and committed government is the need of the hour
8. Peace and progress through economic and social development
9. Need of structural reforms in government system
10. Degradation and complete breakdown of our value system
11. Conclusion

Fifty six year is a sufficient period for any nation to take a dispassionate stock of its achievements and filings in areas to national power. Pakistan’s birth in 1947 was tumultuous as it entailed colossal problems of survival. The fifty three year period is a mixed baggage of how Pakistan has been able to surmount opportunities that it encountered. The introspection is vital to determine future course of action so as not to repeat the same mistakes which were made either consciously or unconsciously in he past. However, the greatest achievement of our society during these year was the survival against all odds.

The history is a witness that nations who do not learn from their experiences seldom retain their independence.The security of a nation is a vital element to ensure its viability and survival as well as it is essential for securing an environment which will facilitate the process of national growth. Moreover, the concept of national security in itself deserves a continuing debate to determine its elements which include democracy, good government psycho-social and economic aspects besides he obvious imperative of defence.

A strong and visible democratic political and economic system is essential to sustain any nation. In case of Pakistan this element of national power has been quite week from the very inception. Emergence of frequent autocratic and retarded their growth. The feudal, bureaucrats, military junta, religious leaders politicians and business elite .At this stage in Pakistan’s life there is an urgent need to ponder and find ways and mean for developing a governance and economic development.We are living in a age of economic competitiveness. In fact all elements of national power in present times are being directed towards achievement of economic objectives. The economic aspects are crucial specially for Pakistan as a majority of our people are living below the poverty line and suffering various deprivations. Without improving the quality of the lives of our people e cannot emerge as a nation with honour and dignity.

Fortunately, we are endowed with sufficient bounties of nature resources and ensure that the benefits are equitably shared by all the people. The impediments to our economic growth need to be examined and overcome through innovative strategies. Pakistan since its inception facing serious problem of both, internal security has assumed threatening postures. Given the significant geo-political space in which it operates and being some what handicapped because of the domestic peculiarities and particularities of the South Asian and Central Asian regions. Pakistan’s security quest is almost unending.

The end of cold War and fast erosion of the territorial state growing paramountancy of power, economies and technology support to the developing countries, and the hold of international loan lending agencies over fiscal and monetary policies, freedom moments in Kashmir and the ongoing civil war in Afghanistan and increasing political and discontent within the country because of the colonial, political and administrative setup, the national security has acquired grater importance today. The economic imbalanced between defence expenditure and a very large national debt, corruption and mismanagement of economy is threatening the security and stability of the country.

The neglect of the Agriculture Sector and the ever increasing population has also created a serious problem of food security.The arms race-conventional and nuclear has not only impeded socio-economic development but has also titled the balance of power in favour of India and Pakistan, is being sucked into an unwilling arms race. However the lasting peace and security may be maintained and defend through national economic development.With spectacular progress in the field of science and technology, the whole world has shrunk into a global village.It is considered that economic development is the only secure foundation for domestic, regional and global peace and security. It is also true that origins of conflicts lie deep in socio-economic deprivations, disparities, denial of human rights and true participatory democracy. The prerequisites of a modern civil society are the establishment of the viable democratic insti

This, in turn, would serve as a means to channel political energy and help in creating a conducive environment of healthy cross fertilization of cultural values between our multi-ethnic society. These changes can only be brought about by the collective will and support of people at large. Hence it is imperative that our bureaucracy, political and intellectual elite embark upon a strategy of compassion and cooperation with all the communities living in Pakistan so that the quality of the lives of our people could improve and a sense of dignity, purpose and commitment infused in the society.We also have to assess and evaluate the impact of the socio-economic and political changes on Pakistan’s security taking place within the regions around Pakistan’s so as to formulate an unambiguous short and long term practical and viable agenda to pull the country out of its present quagmire in order to achieve permanent political and economic stability and stronger feeling of internal cohesion.

Despite after fifty four years of independence, Pakistan’s political system remains inadequately institutionalized and highly personalized. The country has alternated between long periods of military rule and unstable civilian governments controlled by a small lite of landed and tribal families and bureaucracy. While the rural peasantry continues to be dominated by powerful feudal families, the urban middle class and working class remain small and week, poorly organized and subordinated associations are largely political. The student bodies are also highly politicized. The only sector of urban society that is organized and has some voice in the government process is the business community. Yet until recently business influence remained quite week. Business-government relations were dominated by mistrust and the bureaucracy regarded businessmen with contempt and many sections of Pakistan society saw capitalism as a license to steal and cheat. In short, group mobilization was low, collective action limited and groups were controlled by an autocratic , corporatist state determined to weaken any element in society that might aspire to regional or professional autonomy.As a result, our political system is confronted by direct action, endemic violence and powerful primordial loyalties that have come to dominate all political and economic disputes.

The growth in the size and role of trade and industry regime has changed and a major shift in economic policy in he direction of liberalization, deregulation and privatization, however, has begun to alter the business-government relationship between business and government has become increasingly more complex.In short, interest politics in Pakistan is developing in a way that simply reinforces the existing personalized and poor institutionalized political system. In order to alter this system changes are necessary at both the group and governmental levels. While the growth of business has acted a check on the arbitrary exercise of government power, the business role must be reinforced by development of a more independent press and greater mobilization and organization of civil society as away of broadening the base of political participation. At the governmental corporatism which designed to weaken and control autonomous groups thereby making direct action the only device available for the expression of group demands, it is this very system that has contributed to Pakistan’s repeated cycles of military & authoritarian rule, mass action and unstable civilian government with week roots in the larger society.

Fifty four years has passed science independence but Pakistan still continues to find stuck up as a third world country and all that goes with it on the economic development front. It is true there have been some areas where economic development did take place and in addition a semblance of political stability, but on the whole things did not mo9ve in a satisfactory manner.During the long era of thrust for development which started in the mid-fifties, our officials tried to develop economy on India pattern as out come of this shows, both India and Pakistan failed to do well. One find this more clearly this comparing the par capita income of India and Pakistan with Asia n tigers. For instance South Korea’s present per capita income stood higher than Pakistan by a factor of 4 in 1976 and as much as 24 in 1996. We also find this achievement rather astonishing knowing that as far as natural resources endowment was concerned, South Korea was no match to Pakistan. South Korea had only one advantage over us and this was the literacy ratio and human resources and efficient management in which South Korea over-shadowed Pakistan by considerable proportion. The fact that the system of governance which South Korea and its neighbours adopted proved to be far superior to what Pakistan had. We inherited a colonial system which was wedded more to law and order than economic development.