Thank You Ms. Fair by S Tariq

Once in a while one comes across a scholarly piece of work that reflects the professional depth and vision of the writer. I came cross one such piece titled ‘Is Pakistan a failed state? No!’ written by a C. Christine Fair, an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University and a visiting scholar at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.

This article is indicative that the good professor has not wasted her time in Pakistan, but has spent it well in acquiring an understanding of what makes this nation tick. Her article comes at a time when the pundits of doom and those not yet reconciled to the idea of a vibrant and strong Pakistan are labeling it as a failed and unviable State. Quoting the Foreign Policy's Annual Failed State Index, Ms. Fair categorically points out that Pakistan “is not a failed state, even though some of its institutions have declined in capacity, while others never worked well from the start”. In this she is right as Pakistan ranks 101 out of 135 in the Human Poverty Index and the country’s economic managers are struggling desperately to get it out of the morass it is trapped in. Law and order leaves much to be desired and merit is almost non existent, with corruption running rampant from the highest to the lowest levels.

Let us however look at the flip side of this grim picture. Democracy has once again returned to Pakistan after several interruptions, the Judges of the higher courts have become proactive in the dispensation of justice and the Armed Forces have re established their credibility and respect as an institution by staying out of games that politicians play and successfully combating the specter of militancy.

Pakistan is also in a state of moving ahead with the realization that education, awareness and accountability are key factors that will pull the country out of troubled waters. It is not the Government, but private sector endeavors and courageous reporting by media that is making this movement possible. More and more affordable quality schools are popping up to fulfill the needs of those who cannot pay for such education and the literacy foot print is now moving into areas hitherto deprived of these facilities. Two examples from the many that are now operational are an institution in Lahore known as Teach a Child School and the initiative by celebrity pop idol Shahzad Roy.

Where the Government has failed, strides are being taken by highly motivated private sector Pakistanis in providing health care to their less fortunate countrymen and women. The Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital and the facility created by another music world celebrity Abrar ul Haq in Narowal, are beacons for others to follow.

The construction industry continues to flourish and infrastructural development especially in large cities, consisting of roads, bridges and flyovers shows no sign of abating. In the telecommunication sector, mobile and broad band internet users are growing across society with a increase in tele density of over 62 percent in 2009.

States do not fail as long as their citizens remain vibrant and effectively active. In Pakistan’s case, it has been the failure of successive Governments and not the State that is responsible for our plight. The Pakistani Nation on the other hand is alive and well and so long it remains so, the Pakistani state has no danger of failing.

According to Ms. Fair, “the Failed States Index is clearly only one side of the die. While sitting at a computer crunching numbers, even with expert input as the index apparently uses, the larger story is missed. Pakistan has its problems and enormous challenges lay ahead, but it is far from a failed or even failing state”.

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