leadership crisis in pakistan essay

Leadership crisis: reality and implications

I recently had the honor of participating as a panelist in a seminar titled Leadership Crisis: Reality and Implications, where I shared my thoughts on the attribute's leaders must possess to represent the hopes and aspirations of their nations. Among these, courage and honesty stand paramount.

Ernest Hemingway described courage as "grace under pressure" which a leader is expected to exhibit. History reveals that true leadership often arises in times of crisis, demanding decisions that may risk careers or popularity but ultimately serve the greater national interest. Great leaders demonstrate this courage, making tough choices that are sometimes unpopular within their constituencies but vital to the nation's well-being.

In the corporate world, leaders pursue organisational goals by inspiring, taking ownership, and giving credit where it is due. They uphold principles while adapting to changing circumstances, and possess the vision to lead transformation. As Ghalib beautifully expressed:

Qatra mein dajla dikh?? na de aur juzv mein kul

Khel la?koñ k? hu? d?da-e-b?n? na hu?

(If the river is not visible in the drop, nor the whole in the part,

Then it is not a seeing eye, but merely child's play.)

A true leader has deep insight, perceives future challenges, and makes timely, discerning decisions. Such a leader builds cohesive teams, aligning their efforts toward shared goals.

Seen in the backdrop of history Pakistan reflects a near-constant state of crisis, often exacerbated by brief intervals between successive military regimes. Constitutional abrogation and suspensions were frequently justified by claims of administrative breakdowns and threats to national unity. Pakistan had no constitution until 1956, during which time the country saw seven prime ministers and a single Commander-in-Chief. Leadership failed to recognise democratic aspirations or to resolve pressing issues, such as establishing Bengali as an official language, which eventually contributed to the division of Pakistan.

In another instance, Pakistan's leaders yielded to foreign pressures, particularly from superpowers, by joining alliances such as SEATO and CENTO and offering the US an airbase at Badaber, Peshawar, to monitor the Soviet Union. When a U-2 spy plane originating from this base was shot down, Peshawar itself became a target, encircled with threats of Soviet retaliation.

The appointment of General Ayub Khan as Defence Minister marked the decline of civilian governance. Sitting within the cabinet, Ayub manipulated President Iskander Mirza to dismiss Prime Minister Feroz Khan Noon's government. Within 20 days, he used force to obtain Mirza's resignation, ushering in a decade-long military rule under a 1962 constitution crafted to fit Ayub's persona.

Throughout this period, leaders naturally emerging from the populace - such as Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy, Maulvi Fazal Haq, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and others - were sidelined or crushed through state power. Bereft of visionary leadership and focused only on immediate tactics, Pakistan launched Operation Gibraltar, leading to a 17-day war with India in 1965, which concluded with the Tashkent Agreement.

Despite the so-called 'Decade of Development' under Ayub, when the masses failed to see the effects of growth, protests forced Ayub to resign, paving the way for General Yahya Khan's martial law. The 1970 elections gave the Awami League a clear mandate, but the refusal to honour this mandate led to Pakistan's disintegration and the creation of Bangladesh.

In the post-breakup era, Pakistan began anew under the 1973 Constitution, reflecting the foresight of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and other elected leaders. However, the country's political culture continued to lack tolerance, with politicians frequently at odds. Bhutto, facing threats from US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and widespread agitation led by the Pakistan National Alliance, saw his government overthrown by a military coup, which led to 11 more years of martial law.

In the 1990s, although civilian rule returned briefly, autocratic tendencies remained entrenched in powerful but unelected institutions. Pakistan's fourth military regime arrived under General Pervez Musharraf. Since his departure, Pakistan has been a quasi-democracy, with constitutional powers continually ceded to administrative bodies beyond the scope of the constitution. The 2023 elections have only deepened political turmoil, as demands for "real freedom" reflect widespread disillusionment.

Pakistan now faces a complex socioeconomic and structural crisis, with 30 million children out of school, widespread deprivation of healthcare, rampant lawlessness, and violations of fundamental rights. Stark wealth inequality, a nearly stagnant GDP, and a poverty rate of 40% characterise the nation. Simultaneously, militancy and terrorism continue to threaten Pakistan's stability, leaving its citizens in fear and prompting many to seek lives abroad. These challenges are symptomatic of misgovernance and an absence of accountable leadership.

The path to stability and progress lies in upholding the rule of law, with the constitution as the supreme framework for democratic civilian governance. Seventy-five years on, Pakistan remains politically unstable, unable to fully adhere to its constitution. This fundamental crisis continues to stymie socioeconomic progress. Overcoming it will require leaders with the courage of conviction to stand up for constitutional governance, ensuring a foundation of justice and accountability essential for lasting development and prosperity.

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E-Paper | December 20, 2024" href='https://epaper.dawn.com' class=' '> E-Paper | December 20, 2024

Leadership, crisis, opportunity.

PAKISTAN today is at an inflection point. It faces unparalleled challenges in an environment of political polarisation, economic fragility and institutional decay. The polycrisis it confronts involves multiple overlapping crises — governance, economic, political, security and human development. All of them are converging to reinforce each other and create an overall challenge more formidable than any single crisis. This at a time when national self-confidence is at a new low. Successive public opinion polls have found a dispirited nation lacking much hope in the future. An Ipsos survey in May found 82 per cent of people felt the country was heading in the wrong direction.

True, Pakistan has weathered many storms in the past and rebounded from crisis. Its underlying resilience has enabled it to overcome its troubles of the time. But present-day challenges are fundamentally different as they are the cumulative consequence of decades of misgovernance and squandered opportunities. Solving these problems can no longer be postponed. In fact, the country is already paying the price of postponed reforms, especially economic reforms, to deal with structural issues, which lie at the root of its perennial financial crises. All these challenges have to be addressed if Pakistan is to move forward and embark on a path of economic development and political stability to meet the needs and aspirations of its people.

The polycrisis today has resulted from and reflects the persisting gap between challenge and response, between rule and governance and between power and purpose. Successive governments have simply muddled through without a plan or strategy to deal with long-standing problems. The overarching missing element over the years has been leadership because wielding power doesn’t make for leadership. Nor is a manager a leader; managers uphold the status quo while leaders are standard bearers and agents of change. This distinction between a leader and manager has long been made and discussed in debate on this issue.

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What then is leadership? What are those essential qualities in a political leader that can enable him or her to shape the environment, unite people and lead a country to transformation and change? It is above all a vision that can capture the public imagination, inspire the people and chart a way that goes beyond the moment to what is possible in the future. A vision is what makes for transformational leadership, which is needed in challenging times. Leadership is also strength of character, commitment to ethical practices and setting an exemplary standard of integrity. It is about building institutions and learning from the past, not living in it.

The gap persists between challenge and response and between rule and governance.

Leadership involves fashioning a strategy to execute a vision, and then staying on course to achieve that. Visionary leaders set a clear direction, confidently embark on that path, are willing to take risks and are unafraid of the opposition they inevitably face from vested interests and entrenched elites. Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s leadership embodied these qualities and serves as an example of how leaders can change history. But most of the country’s leaders who came after the Quaid were both uninspired and uninspiring. That has also been Pakistan’s more recent experience.

Effective leadership not only requires setting out a vision about the future but also a strategy to implement it and forging a national consensus to support it. Evaluated against this criterion, it is apparent many of the country’s ‘leaders’ have fallen short of this test. Politics here has long been about power, privilege, patronage and vanquishing opponents rather than offering a coherent programme of policy actions. Slogans there have been aplenty but platitudes have substituted for policy and rhetoric for solutions.

Leadership in government also means executing a strategy by placing the right people in the right positions. Only by assembling a competent team can a vision be translated into reality. Pakistan’s experience over the years shows that factors other than merit and competence were given more importance. A personalised approach to team-building took precedence over considerations of expertise or competence. The premium was on proximity to the ‘boss’ and other ‘connections’, not on who was qualified to get the job done.

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A third ingredient of leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire people to support the government’s policy goals. This involves connecting to citizens, understanding what they want and winning their confidence. It also means communicating effectively to influence and shape public opinion. The answer to the question whether the country’s leaders are able to do this is obvious. The paradox that defines the country today is that leaders are elected to public office but without the vision or means to enthuse and unite the country.

Looking at the experience of countries that have faced economic crisis but used it as an opportunity to bounce back stronger and more resilient, the distinguishing factor that made this possible was the quality of leadership. Success depended on leaders who ran a competent government that was committed to structural reforms and had the motivation, political will and credibility to take measures that were painful in the near-term but yielded rich and enduring dividends in the long run.

Countries that achieved such an economic turnaround, for example in Southeast Asia and Latin America, all deployed capable teams of professionals who assisted their governments to craft and implement reforms. This enabled the country to navigate through the crisis towards sustained recovery and growth. In every successful case of a country that took the path to a better economic future, the quality of professionals who shaped and oversaw the reform process was significant. But again, it was the leadership that chose the right team and then guided and inspired them to deliver.

In his thoughtful book, Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy, the late Henry Kissinger wrote that “Without leadership institutions drift and nations court growing irrelevance and ultimately, disaster.” Leaders who Kissinger deemed to have provided strategic leadership were all bold, courageous, decisive and had a powerful vision and strong sense of reality. They did not hesitate to court controversy or take on entrenched interests. That he regarded as “the price of making history”. Do we in Pakistan have leaders who can forge history and extricate the country from its polycrisis?

The writer is a former ambassador to the US, UK and UN.

Published in Dawn, June 17th, 2024

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P akistan’s political system is in crisis. Decades of institutional dysfunction, systemic corruption, and the entrenchment of self-serving elites have pushed the country to the brink. This structural malaise has eroded public trust, stifled development, and perpetuated cycles of instability. Amid this turmoil, the rise of Imran Khan as a symbol of resistance offers a glimmer of hope, albeit amidst controversy and polarization.

At the heart of Pakistan’s political dysfunction is a feudal and dynastic structure that prioritizes elite preservation over public welfare. Political parties often serve as family enterprises, dominated by powerful clans whose primary interest lies in maintaining their grip on power rather than addressing the needs of the people.

Successive governments have been plagued by scandals involving misappropriation of public funds. Institutions meant to safeguard accountability, such as the judiciary and anti-corruption bodies, are frequently compromised or weaponized against political opponents.

The inability of the state to provide basic services like education, healthcare, and security has exacerbated inequality. Meanwhile, the military’s pervasive influence over civilian governance has further weakened democratic institutions.

Unsustainable borrowing, reliance on external aid, and a lack of coherent economic policies have left Pakistan teetering on the edge of economic collapse. This has disproportionately affected the poor, with inflation and unemployment reaching alarming levels.

The judiciary, often swayed by political pressures or military interests, has failed to act as an impartial arbiter. From approving coups to endorsing questionable disqualifications, its actions have contributed to the erosion of democracy.

Amid this grim landscape, Imran Khan emerged as a disruptive force challenging the status quo. His ascent was fueled by a populist narrative that resonated with a populace disillusioned by traditional politics. While his tenure as Prime Minister from 2018 to 2022 was marred by its own controversies, his post-ouster resistance has cemented him as a polarizing yet transformative figure.

Khan’s rhetoric against entrenched corruption struck a chord with ordinary citizens. His demand for greater transparency and accountability created a new political discourse centered around governance reform.

Khan’s appeal among Pakistan’s youth, who constitute a significant portion of the population, has been unprecedented. His ability to galvanize this demographic has injected new energy into Pakistan’s political landscape, sparking debates on issues like education, employment, and digital inclusion.

The prolonged incarceration of Imran Khan, Pakistan’s most prominent political figure, has cast a spotlight on the misuse of state institutions for political vendettas. His detention and the judicial maneuvers employed to extend it reveal deeper structural flaws in Pakistan’s political and judicial systems, raising troubling questions about the erosion of democratic norms and the weaponization of legal processes.

Since his ouster in April 2022, Khan has faced an unprecedented legal onslaught, with over 150 cases filed against him, ranging from corruption to terrorism charges. While accountability is vital for any democratic system, the selective targeting of Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), is a coordinated effort to neutralize him politically.

The charges against him have often lacked transparency, with trials conducted in opaque settings, including military courts. This approach undermines the rule of law and reinforces the perception that the judiciary and other state institutions are being used as instruments of political engineering.

Courts appear to have adopted a dual standard, expediting cases against Khan while delaying or dismissing similar allegations against his political rivals. This selective application of justice has diminished public trust in the judiciary’s impartiality. Khan has been repeatedly arrested, often under dubious circumstances and without adherence to proper legal procedures. His re-arrests after being granted bail illustrate the disregard for judicial orders and the rule of law.

Independent reporting on Khan’s detention has been heavily censored, with media outlets coerced into toeing the establishment’s line. This stifling of dissent undermines freedom of expression, a cornerstone of democracy.

Trying civilians, including Khan’s supporters, in military courts for alleged political offenses sets a dangerous precedent. It signals a retreat from civilian oversight and undermines the principle of open justice.

The continued imprisonment of Imran Khan has significant political, social, and institutional implications. Khan’s incarceration has deepened divisions within Pakistan. His supporters see him as a victim of state oppression, which fuels resentment and could lead to further unrest. The use of state institutions to silence political opposition undermines Pakistan’s democratic framework, setting a troubling precedent for future governments. The judiciary, police, and accountability bodies lose legitimacy when they are perceived as tools of political persecution. Restoring public trust in these institutions will be an uphill battle.

Khan’s resistance has become a rallying point for millions, and his plight underscores the broader struggle for justice and accountability in Pakistan—a struggle that must transcend individual leaders to create a system rooted in fairness and equality.

While Khan’s resistance offers a ray of hope, Pakistan’s political redemption requires systemic reform. The judiciary, Election Commission, and accountability bodies must operate independently and without bias. A clear separation of powers between civilian and military institutions is essential for sustainable democracy. A focus on self-reliance, diversification, and pro-poor policies is crucial for economic stability. Encouraging citizen participation and fostering a culture of political accountability can drive grassroots change.

Imran Khan’s journey symbolizes the aspirations of millions of Pakistanis yearning for a just and equitable system. For Pakistan to thrive, the resistance must evolve into a collective movement that prioritizes systemic change over political vendettas.

The road to reform is arduous, but as history shows, even the most entrenched systems can crumble under the weight of persistent and principled resistance. Pakistan stands at a crossroads, and the choices its leaders and citizens make now will shape its destiny for generations to come.

These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.

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