SINCE the 1962 Cuban missile crisis and all through the twists and turns of the Cold War era, the world has probably never been threatened with a nuclear war and annihilation the way it is today by the Russia-Ukraine crisis. Yet, no one seems to care. The positioning of the West, as well as the East, is politically motivated by the aim of advancing their interests or containing those of the others.

Has the Covid crisis numbed human senses? Has national self-involvement blunted the capacity to see a potent threat to the larger issue of human survival? Has the white noise grown so loud that we have lost our minds collectively?

“Not only did the world fail to prevent the armed conflict, but calls, if any, to end the war are meek, almost inaudible. Actions, including those of the United Nations, appear routine in a grave situation. There is little realisation that it is too risky today to test the Cold War strategy of isolating and sanctioning the nation that is perceived to be in the wrong,” commented a world affairs watcher.

In Pakistan, business leaders, media icons, star techies, women and youth activists were caught off-guard when reached for comments on the war. Tracking closely the moves of the government and the opposition, they were too engrossed in local politics to form a firm opinion on the war or the threat it poses.

With a full-scale war going on in the region, business leaders in Pakistan find their agenda too full to let the big picture spoil the fun

There was a mixed bag of opinions on the mini-budget announced by the prime minister. The business community appreciated the concessions but was also found wary of a possible International Monetary Fund backlash as the package seemingly clashed with the donor’s advice. The rising frequency of terrorist attacks in the country was also mentioned.

Some business leaders with close ties in the West were more anxious. They were critical of the prime minister’s Russia visit but were reluctant to take a position publicly. They felt Pakistan may lose more than it expects to gain from siding with a perceived aggressor in the current crisis although the country abstained from voting in the UN resolution against Russian aggression on Ukraine.

Explaining the logic of their heightened anxiety a watcher, who wished not to be identified, said: “At the time of the First and the Second World Wars, democracies were young; the avenues of access to credible information to the public were limited and the participation rate of youth, women and the corporate sector — assumed to be more invested in peace for their higher stake in future and protection of life — was comparatively restricted in economic and decision-making forums. We thought had they been empowered the loss to life and infrastructure could have been averted.”

It is a fact that over the past eight decades, democracies have evolved into strong almost irreversible systems. Information communication technology has democratised access to knowledge. The global penetration of smart mobile phones has connected the world like never before with real-time news accessible to anyone interested. The tech-savvy youth is not just active but leading the fourth industrial revolution distinguished by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines separating physical, digital and biological spheres.

No, women don’t hold many of the cards and gender disparity still persists, but societies have covered significant distance since the latter half of the last century. From the denial of the right to vote, according to recent studies, women today fill over 25 per cent of senior management roles globally, occupy one-fifth of seats in parliaments and 18pc in cabinets, and are protected by legal framework against discrimination and harassment. Businesses thrive in peaceful environments, and businessmen abhor disruption and uncertainty.

It is also true that the relative empowerment of supposedly anti-war constituencies did not stop the warmongers from aggression repeatedly. It posed questions on the very assumption that certain segments of society are more committed to peace than others.

“The complacency of the global leadership bordering on delusion, and the apathy of thought leaders can incur a cost that nobody will be around to hold them accountable for,” said a cynic.

“The kind of leaders confused and polarised societies are throwing up cannot be trusted with the responsibility of keeping the future secure in the presence of nuclear stockpile good enough to destroy the world many times over. Please raise the voice for peace and complete denuclearisation of the world,” he pleaded.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, March 7th, 2022