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April 14, 2005
The image question
During this year’s Pakistan Day celebrations the subject of Pakistan’s image around the world rem-ained an issue of grave concern in government and opposition leaders’ statements and speeches.
The cause of this concern was provided by President Musharraf himself, who in his new year’s message had launched an assault on religious, political and social extremism, intolerance and violence which have gravely riven the Pakistani society.
This state of affairs at one time had prompted powerful political world opinion groups to call Pakistan a failed state and at other times a terrorist state. Each time we escaped consequential punishment by surrendering either a part of economic or political sovereignty.
When leaders exhort each other and media men to improve Pakistan’s image they seem to presume that image building is something apart from their order and can be accepted in whatever way we desire.
An illustration: when Pakistanis’ were being asked to accept the omission of the religion column in passports, strong convincing arguments were marshalled out in support of this ‘enlightened’ vision at the highest level. Then came the ‘million march’ of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and within 24 hours all the ‘enlightenment’ was consigned to the dustbin. The image this affair would conjure up was soon evident.
After 58 years of Pakistan’s existence the image that comes to mind is that of a state which went through the agony of seeing all its constitutions either being abrogated, or suspended or distorted by the state’s own functionaries. More than a dozen prime ministers have been removed under violence or threat of violence; one of the elected PMs was executed in highly controversial circumstances.
Evidences of violence to constitutions and democratic and legal processes are lying littered all over but no one was ever called to account.
Sectarian clashes claimed lives of thousands of innocent people; thousands die every year in ‘honouring’ Karo-kari customs without arousing the conscience of religious luminaries and intellectuals.
What is of great shame is the fact that the custodians of law, instead of providing justice, advice victims of rape to find protection in foreign lands. Private landlord jails continue to come to light, off and on, but were never detected by officials appointed for this specific purpose.
Nor all these and other such social practices attract the attention of the mainstream opposition parties — religious or secular.
When leaders call for building a favourable image they think the world would believe the picture they would present, ignoring the news of tragic happenings.
What is to be realized is that today’s world is very open; it has access to information on events and it judges professions in the light of policies and actions. Hence image building portrayals will find wider acceptability if they tally with ground realities.
Image cannot be different from reality. The sooner this truth sinks into the mind of our rulers. the better it is for this much abused country.
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