Problems still fester in Pakistan but thanks to an emergent and emboldened civil society, it is anything but a failed state
Dr Faiza Rasheed belies any notions that Pakistan might generally evoke. She is a dyed-in-the-wool Leftist. With her typical Soviet-era hairdo, she does not look anything like a Member of Provincial Assembly from the conservative North West Frontier Province. But that is what she is. The lady breaks several stereotypes about Pakistan in one go.
But it is quite possible that she might not be aware about what we regard as her unique status. For her, it is an everyday thing. She is more focused on implementing development projects and investment proposals in her constituency. She is thus also the face of an emergent and emboldened civil society in Pakistan.
Through my entire stay in Pakistan, where I met hundreds of people from varied backgrounds, one phenomenon emerged solidly: Pakistan, like India, is not a monolith. In fact, it can be safely said that if people of these two nations only start treating each other as a heterogeneous group of ideas and ideologies, a substantial portion of the trust deficit can easily be covered.
For example, take Kashmir. It is as much an Islamabad discourse in Pakistan as it is the New Delhi discourse here. The farther one moves from these cities, Kashmir’s imprint on the psyche loosens considerably. While Pakistan still considers it a core issue, it has started to focus on other problems and their possible solution. Civil society now refuses to be swayed by emotional issues. They mean business now. And the greatest tool they have is a confident media.
Among the elite and the intelligentsia, General Pervez Musharraf still enjoys a considerable, albeit concealed, fan following. And one reason for this liking that all of them give without failing is his contribution in bringing the independent media to the fore. It cost him dearly personally, but it became an epic event for the nation. It was thus heart-warming to see journalists take on establishment there. Journalism here has more zeal because journalists have seen bleak times. Their everyday work is a crusade in itself. It is difficult to understand this here in Delhi, as a substantial chunk of journalists here have not seen tough times. Emergency has faded from memory. The new breed, having enjoyed decades of stability, has inadvertently or voluntarily been co-opted by the state. But it’s a different story in Pakistan. Almost everyday, without fail, we came across news about journalists being manhandled, threatened or “advised” by different individuals or institutions. But it only emboldened the journalists to put up a more scathing attack the next day.
Dr Faiza Rasheed belies any notions that Pakistan might generally evoke. She is a dyed-in-the-wool Leftist. With her typical Soviet-era hairdo, she does not look anything like a Member of Provincial Assembly from the conservative North West Frontier Province. But that is what she is. The lady breaks several stereotypes about Pakistan in one go.
But it is quite possible that she might not be aware about what we regard as her unique status. For her, it is an everyday thing. She is more focused on implementing development projects and investment proposals in her constituency. She is thus also the face of an emergent and emboldened civil society in Pakistan.
Through my entire stay in Pakistan, where I met hundreds of people from varied backgrounds, one phenomenon emerged solidly: Pakistan, like India, is not a monolith. In fact, it can be safely said that if people of these two nations only start treating each other as a heterogeneous group of ideas and ideologies, a substantial portion of the trust deficit can easily be covered.
For example, take Kashmir. It is as much an Islamabad discourse in Pakistan as it is the New Delhi discourse here. The farther one moves from these cities, Kashmir’s imprint on the psyche loosens considerably. While Pakistan still considers it a core issue, it has started to focus on other problems and their possible solution. Civil society now refuses to be swayed by emotional issues. They mean business now. And the greatest tool they have is a confident media.
Among the elite and the intelligentsia, General Pervez Musharraf still enjoys a considerable, albeit concealed, fan following. And one reason for this liking that all of them give without failing is his contribution in bringing the independent media to the fore. It cost him dearly personally, but it became an epic event for the nation. It was thus heart-warming to see journalists take on establishment there. Journalism here has more zeal because journalists have seen bleak times. Their everyday work is a crusade in itself. It is difficult to understand this here in Delhi, as a substantial chunk of journalists here have not seen tough times. Emergency has faded from memory. The new breed, having enjoyed decades of stability, has inadvertently or voluntarily been co-opted by the state. But it’s a different story in Pakistan. Almost everyday, without fail, we came across news about journalists being manhandled, threatened or “advised” by different individuals or institutions. But it only emboldened the journalists to put up a more scathing attack the next day.
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