As Pakistan commemorates its 76th year of independence, the remnants of a colonial hangover still linger. The leadership at the helm has proven incapable of truly achieving sovereignty for the nation. Regrettably, the country’s leadership is predominantly composed of elites who align themselves with British and American policies for the region.
Had Pakistan remained steadfast in prioritising its national interest, and focused on self-reliance, promoting indigenous development; modernisation and industrialisation, this Independence Day would have been celebrated with enthusiastic pride in our achievements and national legacy. However, the post-independence era was marked by several social and political dilemmas that permeated both the corridors of power and the fabric of the society. These dilemmas inflicted a sense of inferiority or superiority complex on different classes, blurring the vision of a nation meant to become a regional powerhouse.
Why has Pakistan been unable to detach itself from its colonial legacy and why has it not pursued a nationalistic approach to achieve economic excellence and political stability? Why have the elites of Pakistan remained pro-Western since 1947, depriving their own people of a good quality of life, better education, housing, and access to clean and safe drinking water? Is there any viable opportunity for Pakistan to get rid of its colonial legacy and to gain confidence in ridding the country of economic dependence on IMF and other aid-giving multilateral agencies and friendly countries? These are the pressing questions raised by those who genuinely worry about the present and future of Pakistan.
Throughout its colonial rule over the Indian subcontinent, the British government implemented policies aimed at controlling the social and political fabric of the region. Unfortunately, these policies proved detrimental to local cultures, posing significant challenges to the preservation and promotion of indigenous values. Over a span of 75 years, the ruling elites failed to make a sincere effort to promote indigenous culture, particularly the national language. Instead, they clung to the baggage of the English language, prioritising it over their own language. Consequently, this preference for the English language only served to widen the gap between the privileged elites and common people. While the English language holds undeniable international significance, its dominance should never come at the expense of local culture and identity. Learning foreign languages can be beneficial, fostering cross-cultural understanding and communication, however, when fluency in the English language becomes a class symbol or a sole measure of intelligence, it signals a disheartening truth about the status of Pakistan’s national and local languages. It implies a lack of pride and ownership in the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Furthermore, the culture of patronage and people-pleasing finds its roots in the British Raj, and its influence has endured in the polity of Pakistan. Feudalism, too, emerged as a by-product of the colonial master’s reliance on the landowners to crush dissent against the British government. In 1857, when the East India Company faced a threat to its control due to the War of Independence, to their rescue Punjab landowners allied with the British and suppressed the uprising, which they branded as a mutiny. As a token of gratitude for their loyalty, the British Empire once gained full control of the Indian sub-continent and granted jagirs (large pieces of land) to these. Our contemporary state of affairs echoes the colonial blueprint of the feudal system.
A privileged class was created by the British Raj, consisting of a landed aristocracy, and after independence, it became Pakistan’s ruling class. The only subtle distinction between the ruling cliques formed during the colonial government then and the present bourgeoisie is that the latter encompasses more influential actors including bureaucracy, military, clergy, media and corporate sector. The privileged class inherited from the British a way of life that perpetuates their monopoly over power often at the expense of democracy, good governance, rule of law and accountability.
Breaking from the shackles of our colonial past is an arduous task and it calls for meeting four major conditions: Firstly, it demands the courage and vision to reverse the lingering colonial legacy. Second, wisdom and prudence are needed to prioritise the national interest and take ownership of the country rather than compromising on its sovereignty. Presently, the 250 million people of Pakistan find themselves hostage to the power elites who possess their loyalty and interests abroad, particularly in the West. The political elite has veered the country away from pursuing self-reliance and reducing dependence on foreign aid and loans. When certain segments of these elites, including those in the bureaucracy, hold foreign nationalities, especially from Western countries, and maintain properties and bank accounts overseas, it becomes challenging to expect them to break away from the clutches of the colonial past.
The independence of Pakistan seemed like a mere formality, as the grip of power by the elites persisted, leaving the people of the country at a disadvantage. Unlike India, where successive governments focused on policies of self-reliance and pursued an independent foreign policy, in Pakistan, a nexus between feudal elite, bureaucracy, military, clergy, corporate sector, political parties and media ensured that people remain disempowered and deprived of true sovereignty. As a consequence, Pakistan struggles to assert its sovereignty, both domestically and in the realm of foreign policy. Its alignment with the Western alliance system in the 1950s and recognition as a front-line state during the Cold War, as well as its involvement in the wars in Afghanistan and the war against terrorism, all underscored the allegiance of Pakistan’s elite to the West.
It is rightfully argued by critics that independence was not truly granted to the people of Pakistan; instead, it bestowed power and authority upon those who sought to sustain an authoritarian, undemocratic, feudal, corrupt system. If it were otherwise, we wouldn’t witness a staggering 22 million children out of school in Pakistan, and two-thirds of the federal budget wouldn’t be depleted solely to pay off debts and meet defence expenditures.
Unfortunately, despite Pakistan being blessed with abundant natural resources like fertile land, rivers, mountains, and deserts, the country still struggles with poverty and backwardness. The root cause lies in the failure of those in power since 1947 to break free from their colonial heritage. All such ills like sycophancy, lust for power, corruption and nepotism persist unchecked. Moreover, breaking away from the colonial past would have been much more feasible, if during the formative years of Pakistan; the leadership had prioritised an independent foreign policy and actively fostered democracy, political pluralism, the rule of law, and accountability on the domestic front. The British influence was merely replaced with towing the American line because the elites of Pakistan never truly desired their country to excel in the fields of economy, industrialisation, science and technology.
The only viable option available for Pakistan to break free from its colonial past is by asserting its sovereignty and empowering its people in decision-making processes. However, breaking away from age-old economic dependence demands a combination of courage, consistency, integrity, hard work and wisdom. The fragility of Pakistan’s economic and political state is a major impediment to breaking free from the colonial legacy, as it serves the interests of the power elites to maintain the status quo. The West, particularly the US, holds a significant influence within the power corridors of Pakistan. Attempting to severe age-old dependencies on the West could prove counterproductive, considering that the country has mortgaged most of its resources to secure loans from international donor agencies.
There is no shortcut for Pakistan to rid itself of the enduring legacy of colonial rule. The leaders in charge are invested in Western interests and lack the courage to challenge the dominance of the US-led Western world. Pakistan has failed to learn from the British system of governance and struggles to maintain the infrastructure which was built by their colonial masters like railways and the canal system. In this challenging scenario, Pakistan’s path to regaining sovereignty by breaking away from its colonial past is steep and far from easy. The country remains under the influence of powerful mafias with close connections to their former colonial masters. This complex web of interests makes the journey to independence an uphill battle.
-The writer is the former Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Karachi.
He can be reached at [email protected].
