The News : Globalisation of Pakistan's politics

Globalisation of Pakistan's politics

By M Ismail Khan | 11/13/2007

Nawaz Sharif - a twice-elected Prime Minister is living in exile under an agreement signed by him with a foreign country. Benazir Bhutto, the other twice elected Prime Minister, is being accused of trying to grab power with the support of global powers. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is borrowed from an international financial institution; Imran Khan, the cricketer turned opposition leader who is currently underground, is dishing out SOS calls through his ex-wife – Jemima Goldsmith from London where one of his political nemesis Altaf Hussain of Karachi also resides. Almost all religious parties, and their seminaries, replenish their un-audited accounts through donations in dirham and dollars from aboard. President Musharraf is a globally recognised front-line leader in the war against terror, led on the opposite side by Osama Bin Laden also suspected to be hiding somewhere along the Pak-Afghan border.

When political tentacles of the country are so spread out in all parts of the world, it is indeed a difficult proposition to blame others for meddling in the internal affairs of Pakistan. Currently the country and its politics is so closely integrated with the global governance system that a bomb blast in Karachi echoes in the United Nation's Security Council -- the epic global forum responsible for matter of war and peace. Declaration of state of emergency in Pakistan, which by the way is an internal matter of a country, evokes a state of panic among world leaders including the secretary general of the United Nation.

Obviously Pakistan is no Georgia, where president Saakashvili imposed emergency last week. Riot police armed with batons clubbed and kicked unarmed civilians and opposition leaders and human rights activists were hauled and sent to prisons. But despite all these terrible scenes, the global reaction to the Georgian emergency was astonishingly low key. No threatening phone calls, no statement of condemnation, and no warning about review and cut off of financial aid was given to Tbilisi.

On the other hand, reaction of the world leaders to emergency in Pakistan has been phenomenal. US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have given several statements on it. The British Foreign Office, the Commonwealth Secretariat, European Union and the United Nations have all been chipping in with words of caution and advice on regular basis. All this goes to show that Pakistan has become a centre of focus in the world's politics, or in other words outcomes of politics in Pakistan will have a bearing on the state of world's politics.

However, it has to be kept in mind that the global concern about events in Pakistan primarily stems out of three major apprehensions that of nuclear arsenals, international terrorism and rising extremism. It may not be entirely about the democracy or respect for human rights as such. Nonetheless, there are many who strongly believe that democracy can work as an antidote against rising intolerance and militancy.

Western worries about nuclear technology and weapons can be judged by a story carried over the weekend in an American newspaper which reported that the US has a contingency plan to safeguard Pakistan's nuclear weapon and stopping it from reaching in the hands of non-state militant elements. The US has been keeping a close eye on what they term as potential spread of nuclear technology from Pakistan to East Asia, the Gulf, and the Middle East. But what worries them most at the moment is prospect of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of militant groups vying to control power in the country in garb of enforcement of Shariah.

The fight against terrorism has become a corner stone of US foreign policy. Pakistan has played a central role in this battle, and since 9/11 has achieved major successes against elements who were operating from Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, there still is tons of expectation among world leaders especially US, EU, Japan and China for Pakistan to do more in tackling the menace. Pakistan army has rendered tremendous sacrifices in the fight against terror, perhaps more than any other army in the world, but unfortunately there is a perception in various capitals that the global terrorism threat has not yet subsided and Pakistan need to do more in curbing the problem.

Rising extremism, which is very different to international terrorism and is more of an indigenous phenomenon, is another major global concern. Many world leaders' fear that militant groups using anti-American sentiments and espousing Islamic causes are bent upon destabilising Pakistan and will attempt to grab power in Islamabad and Kabul. They look at Taliban and Al Qaeda remnant as the real threat against democracy in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, and would want moderate political parties to take control of government. They are, however, least concern about possibilities of religious parties coming into power, as according to their intelligence estimates, except for areas already infected with Talibanization, chances of religious parties sweeping election in the country is limited.

The strong international reaction against the emergency is also based on calculations that lack of political space and freedom of media will create a vacuum which militants and extremist will try to fill in. This has been a major rationale for enhanced economic and financial support that Pakistan received following the 9/11. It is also being acknowledged that the way Pakistan today stands connected to the world in economic, social, technological and political terms any attempt to isolate the country from within is likely to fail.

Traditionally, Pakistan has never been an isolationist country. It has always sought global attention may it be in the shape of alliances like SEATO and CENTO, Afghan war or internationalisation of the Kashmir dispute. In fact, whatever economic boom that the country experienced during the last five years largely owes it to the fiscal space provided by the international community through rescheduling of loans and accelerated financial assistance. Rapid growth in telecommunication sector, manifested by millions of cell phone user, internet surfers and satellite based communication technologies have made it impossible for any government to control flow information.

The way world has responded to events in Pakistan and the way people switched to international social / political links and broadband connections to receive and share information demonstrates that time and space is collapsing, and that the people have become part of global polity. Good or bad, Pakistan's politics is no more a local affair.



The writer is based in Islamabad and has a background in media, public policy and development. Email: ismail.skardu@gmail.com
By M Ismail Khan | 11/13/2007
Nawaz Sharif - a twice-elected Prime Minister is living in exile under an agreement signed by him with a foreign country. Benazir Bhutto, the other twice elected Prime Minister, is being accused of trying to grab power with the support of global powers. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is borrowed from an international financial institution; Imran Khan, the cricketer turned opposition leader who is currently underground, is dishing out SOS calls through his ex-wife – Jemima Goldsmith from London where one of his political nemesis Altaf Hussain of Karachi also resides. Almost all religious parties, and their seminaries, replenish their un-audited accounts through donations in dirham and dollars from aboard. President Musharraf is a globally recognised front-line leader in the war against terror, led on the opposite side by Osama Bin Laden also suspected to be hiding somewhere along the Pak-Afghan border.

When political tentacles of the country are so spread out in all parts of the world, it is indeed a difficult proposition to blame others for meddling in the internal affairs of Pakistan. Currently the country and its politics is so closely integrated with the global governance system that a bomb blast in Karachi echoes in the United Nation's Security Council -- the epic global forum responsible for matter of war and peace. Declaration of state of emergency in Pakistan, which by the way is an internal matter of a country, evokes a state of panic among world leaders including the secretary general of the United Nation.

Obviously Pakistan is no Georgia, where president Saakashvili imposed emergency last week. Riot police armed with batons clubbed and kicked unarmed civilians and opposition leaders and human rights activists were hauled and sent to prisons. But despite all these terrible scenes, the global reaction to the Georgian emergency was astonishingly low key. No threatening phone calls, no statement of condemnation, and no warning about review and cut off of financial aid was given to Tbilisi.

On the other hand, reaction of the world leaders to emergency in Pakistan has been phenomenal. US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have given several statements on it. The British Foreign Office, the Commonwealth Secretariat, European Union and the United Nations have all been chipping in with words of caution and advice on regular basis. All this goes to show that Pakistan has become a centre of focus in the world's politics, or in other words outcomes of politics in Pakistan will have a bearing on the state of world's politics.

However, it has to be kept in mind that the global concern about events in Pakistan primarily stems out of three major apprehensions that of nuclear arsenals, international terrorism and rising extremism. It may not be entirely about the democracy or respect for human rights as such. Nonetheless, there are many who strongly believe that democracy can work as an antidote against rising intolerance and militancy.

Western worries about nuclear technology and weapons can be judged by a story carried over the weekend in an American newspaper which reported that the US has a contingency plan to safeguard Pakistan's nuclear weapon and stopping it from reaching in the hands of non-state militant elements. The US has been keeping a close eye on what they term as potential spread of nuclear technology from Pakistan to East Asia, the Gulf, and the Middle East. But what worries them most at the moment is prospect of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of militant groups vying to control power in the country in garb of enforcement of Shariah.

The fight against terrorism has become a corner stone of US foreign policy. Pakistan has played a central role in this battle, and since 9/11 has achieved major successes against elements who were operating from Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, there still is tons of expectation among world leaders especially US, EU, Japan and China for Pakistan to do more in tackling the menace. Pakistan army has rendered tremendous sacrifices in the fight against terror, perhaps more than any other army in the world, but unfortunately there is a perception in various capitals that the global terrorism threat has not yet subsided and Pakistan need to do more in curbing the problem.

Rising extremism, which is very different to international terrorism and is more of an indigenous phenomenon, is another major global concern. Many world leaders' fear that militant groups using anti-American sentiments and espousing Islamic causes are bent upon destabilising Pakistan and will attempt to grab power in Islamabad and Kabul. They look at Taliban and Al Qaeda remnant as the real threat against democracy in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, and would want moderate political parties to take control of government. They are, however, least concern about possibilities of religious parties coming into power, as according to their intelligence estimates, except for areas already infected with Talibanization, chances of religious parties sweeping election in the country is limited.

The strong international reaction against the emergency is also based on calculations that lack of political space and freedom of media will create a vacuum which militants and extremist will try to fill in. This has been a major rationale for enhanced economic and financial support that Pakistan received following the 9/11. It is also being acknowledged that the way Pakistan today stands connected to the world in economic, social, technological and political terms any attempt to isolate the country from within is likely to fail.

Traditionally, Pakistan has never been an isolationist country. It has always sought global attention may it be in the shape of alliances like SEATO and CENTO, Afghan war or internationalisation of the Kashmir dispute. In fact, whatever economic boom that the country experienced during the last five years largely owes it to the fiscal space provided by the international community through rescheduling of loans and accelerated financial assistance. Rapid growth in telecommunication sector, manifested by millions of cell phone user, internet surfers and satellite based communication technologies have made it impossible for any government to control flow information.

The way world has responded to events in Pakistan and the way people switched to international social / political links and broadband connections to receive and share information demonstrates that time and space is collapsing, and that the people have become part of global polity. Good or bad, Pakistan's politics is no more a local affair.

The writer is based in Islamabad and has a background in media, public policy and development. Email: ismail.skardu@gmail.com