THE reality is that we are a truly divided nation. Till this extreme polarisation exists and there is no uniformity of purpose, economic growth will remain stunted no matter how hard we focus on the stock market as the barometer. Lack of business impetus continues to plague the country, with there being rampant poverty, unemployment, civil unrest and pessimism.

Resorting to the courts or parliament to unravel political disagreements is unlikely to yield results. So, then, how to go about breaking this impasse that is fundamental to sustainable economic progress?

Let us recognise that we are part of a truly big family comprising individuals with divergent views. In case of differences, some accept any proposed resolution, but it inevitably remains unacceptable to some others. A consensus is generated only if the decision is pronounced by a person in whom the ‘rival’ parties repose their confidence. The route to resolution is through arbitration.

The beauty of arbitration is that no conflicted party needs to sit at the negotiation table and enter into a dialogue with the other side. They only need to agree to the need for a conflict resolution objective without compromising their baseline position. Each party only agrees to appointing its arbitrator, and implicit in this nomination is a commitment to accepting the collective decision of the arbitrators nominated by all the stake holders. No pride is hurt, and yet a resolution is achieved, no matter how difficult to swallow.

Hence, I propose we use an arbitration process in which opposing groups appoint their trusted arbitrators and let them use the tried and trodden arbitration route. Of course, each sid would also appoint an advocate to plead its case before the arbitration panel.

This arbitration can be used to yield quick resolution only if the process is not made bureaucratic. Given that each group has appointed an adjudicator that enjoys the trust of the nominating group, there is a high likelihood that the collective arbitration decision will be acceptable, and we would be able to move forward.

Pakistan does not have time on its side. We need to move into the conflict resolution phase right away. The world is watching our maturity as a civilisation. No one wants a non-democratic resolution of the current conflict. The move can be initiated by any of the three stakeholders; the government, the opposition, and the establishment.

The prevailing three-way deadlock surely needs to come to an end. The sooner it happens, the better it will be.

Amar Zafar Khan
Karachi

The urgent need for conflict resolution

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2024