WORDS are meaningless if not matched by action and commitment. “The ascendancy of constitutional order and rule of law is mandatory for national security. Only a constitutional order and rule of law can provide for institutional balance,” said the prime minister earlier this month at the National Defence University.

In my view, it was one of the most important speeches delivered by the chief executive in a terrorism-infested, despondent environment and at the right forum where the top military brass and key members of the security establishment were present. The speech will lose its impact if the chief executive and his cabinet do not set high moral and legal standards to uphold the rule of law, promote good governance, encourage merit and display integrity through transparency and fairness. It is not easy to govern, and public service requires very high standards of probity and conduct.

“I cannot imagine a progressive and thriving Pakistan without rebuilding the culture of tolerance, compassion and mutual trust,” the prime minister declared. There followed an admission of past mistakes, by successive military and civilian governments, in promoting a culture of intolerance, sectarian strife, ethnic cleavages and pursuing an agenda of militancy for misconceived national interests.

The generals listened in hushed silence when the prime minister made allusions to the military, indicating that the journey of jihad had culminated in terrorism that threatened to unravel the state.

The prime minister gave a few key recommendations. First was adherence to the rule of law, as individuals and as a nation. The rule of law, he said, would “guarantee individual rights and freedoms, offer equality of opportunity to realise human potential, and create a conducive environment for social stability and economic development”. The second was social justice to ensure that all Pakistani citizens can live “in dignity and honour, irrespective of their caste, colour or creed”.

The third point he stressed was tolerance. “This has been the core of our religious ethos, and constitutes a critical element in our efforts to build a peaceful and harmonious society,” he exhorted. The fourth was the salience of institutions. “They serve as the building blocks of a stable and functioning polity. They take precedence over individuals, irrespective of rank and authority,” he said in a hall full of men in uniform exuding authority through their flashy medals and ranks.

Finally, he conceded that the greatest challenge is of law and order and internal security. Terming this as a complex issue, he acknowledged that it could not be resolved by any one party or one institution and required a unified response.

Presently, we are lurching from one crisis to another. This can only pave the way for a banana republic. Democracy may not be sustained and internecine strife may result in civil war. However, if the political leadership, security establishment, media, civil society and all elements of national power show maturity and wisdom and are willing to take difficult decisions to combat terrorism, improve the economy, promote peace in the region and ensure social justice, Pakistanis could well be on their way to becoming part of a self-respecting nation.

The major challenge facing Pakistanis is religious extremism. The role of the state is to enable everyone to practise religion according to one’s belief. The framers of the Constitution deliberately avoided giving enforcement functions to state institutions in matters of faith. The Taliban represent an enforcement mindset and the state has to resist becoming a theocratic instrument of a dogmatic brigade. The leaders are required to lead this battle of hearts and minds and set the tone for a national narrative that shuns violence and promotes tolerance.

Similarly, state institutions like the police, judiciary, intelligence agencies, civil armed forces and military have to exhibit courage to uphold the rule of law by ensuring that the perpetrators of violence are punished for transgressing the laws and the norms of a civilised society.

“If we want to be recognised as a respectable part of the comity of nations, we will have to take the course of constitutional order and abide by the laws of the land because all the roads to a strong national defence emerge from adherence to the constitutional order and rule of law,” the prime minister concluded with a big ‘if’.

Bravo! Jinnah said as much on the eve of independence. No leader has so far fulfilled the vision of the founding father. While shaping our future, we will have to admit our mistakes of the past. Are our leaders ready to take hard decisions? Did the prime minister mean what he said so lucidly, or did his words signify nothing? He will surely be tested soon.

The writer is a retired police officer.