Pakistan - problems and solutions

After quite some discussion with a lot of friends in real life and online, I think I ought to post a list as to what exactly are the problems we face today, as a nation. And what could possibly be their solutions.

Problems:

Illiteracy

Poverty

Overt religiosity

Religious extremism

Militancy

Self-denial and hypocrisy (the refusal to identify our own wrongs and to rectify them)

Foreign intervention, particularly US’

Pakistan’s nuclear outfit

That, I believe, pretty much sums up the current problems we face. However, as cited above as a point, unless we find ourselves ready to take the daring feat of admitting our wrongs, the very fact that we, as a nation, need to rid a lot of things, we can’t change. Realization is the fore bearer of change and without the former, latter shall only remain a dream. Let’s hope we find the courage, as a nation, to start pointing home-wards rather than elsewhere to India, US, Israel and everyone else when it’s time to criticize and identify mistakes.

Solutions:

As to the solutions, I believe what’s of foremost importance is education. It’s the very facet of a nation that can transform its people over the years. Only through a properly devised curricula, one which is not all about biases, prejudices and enmities and fabricated lies, and a carefully developed educational system, one where rot-learning isn’t preferred over creative thinking and merit is rightly awarded, can we hope to rid these issues one day.

I believe every other issue comes next to this one when solving them. Without education, no solution can be permanent, no planning long-term. We may dissolve the trouble in an immediate setting, but without literate masses, the issues are certain to re-surface again in just a matter of time. And so to resolve them on permanent footings, we must educate the masses – and by education, I reiterate, I don’t mean awarding degrees out and handing out certificates but the grooming of individuals in such curricula which truly develops their personality, unlike the presently prevalent educational system.

Madressah reforms are also the need of the day so that we can rid another generation being raised in a biased, bigoted curricula. This must be looked to, timely, or ten years from now we’d be facing another such generation raised in madressahs who’d be as intolerant as the religious zealots of today.

Economic self-sufficieny and independence could come off only after we are able to develop industries locally. And unless the corruption in the government benches notches down, apart from the security threats posed to business ventures at home, so can’t be accomplished. Moreover, the incentives from the government in this regard are too meager to actually encourage people to invest here. And so, the market stays open to multi-nationals which in itself is not a bad option if contained by suitable state policies.

Finally, we, as a nation, need to orient ourselves, once and for all, on the ideological front. To support militants or not, to be religious or not, the issues of state and religion, of the jihadi groups, of the elements we nurtured together with US – it all needs to be concluded if we want to enter a new era. We need to make bold, firm decisions to the rejection of all forms of militancy at one side and a careful policy when forming alliance with US. Religioun should be kept from the state as it’s intervention has done considerable damage already.

Once this is done, the resolving of all other issues will be in the following. And so, we must to look to them immediately if we do indeed want to bring about a positive change in Pakistan.

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