Jinnah’s Pakistan: In Practice

Over the course of 73 years of our sovereign and independent existence, we have moved so far from Jinnah’s conception of Pakistan that it appears to us as almost Utopian now. But what was it that our Great Leader imagined for us? What kind of polity and society would Pakistan have been if Jinnah’s vision had materialized? On this Independence Day, I have dared to draw a sketch of what ‘Jinnah’s Pakistan’ would actually look like in practice.

Jinnah’s Pakistan, in my understanding, would have contained the following key tenets:

■ A democratic society based on constitutionalism i.e. the exercise of power by state institutions would be based on and checked by a constitution. A clearly defined domains of constitutional and statutory powers would govern the functioning of state.

■ The indisputable and unequivocal rule of law that guarantees to uphold the fundamental, inalienable, natural rights of every human being would be established. Everyone would be deemed equal before the law. No one would be devoid of his or her fundamental rights or put to arbitrary arrest without due process of law.

■ A free, fair, universal, and open elections would guarantee transfer of power.

■ The artificial barriers to entry in politics will be abolished.

■ Military will perform its duty of protecting the state from internal and external threats. Beyong that, military will have no role in political system of Pakistan. Its influence in domestic politics would be non-existent. In foreign and security policy it would be at most confined to “institutional” input when sought by the popularly elected civilian government of Pakistan.

■ The personalization of power is the fundamental cause of arbitrariness. And arbitrariness is the antithesis of lawfulness. Therefore, in Jinnah’s Pakistan, use of power would be institutionalized. Any act of misusing power in a way that rights of citizen(s) are impinged, by any office-holder or private person, would be deemed as a criminal breach of law, and would be punished by an equally harsh penalty. Law enforcement agencies would uphold human rights. The principle of inviolability of dignity of a human being would be deemed sacred. Will of the powerful would be replaced by uniform and general law.

■ Social justice — especially economic justice — is necessary for catering social inequalities and for establishing a peaceful society. Therefore, the principle of social justice would be upheld in Jinnah’s Pakistan. Social injustices — particularly economic and political — lead to frustrations and disturbance. Among other means to achieve social justice, an efficient system of tax collection, especially from the rich, and a transparent system of spending revenues thus collected for the development of poor and disadvantaged would be established — in letter and in spirit.

■ Governance would be ensured by robust mechanisms of accountability and transparency. Administration would be made responsive, efficient and effective. Institutions would be strengthened and would be manned by those who, on the basis of merit and competence alone, have the capability to lead them.

■ The judicial system would be independent from every kind of extra-judicial influences when fulfilling its responsibility of dispensing justice and upholding the fundamental rights of people. Those wanting to influence judiciary or judicial process would be dealt with most strictly.

■ Bureaucracy would be depoliticized. The arbitrary use of political power and interference in workings of bureaucracy for private motives by politicians, military, or anyone at all would be deemed as a crime. Likewise, any bureaucrat indulging in corruption by misusing his or her office would be awarded exemplary punishments.

■ An independent media is the key to establishing a democratic, free, open, and transparent society. The dictatorial practice of intimidating journalists and controlling media is incompatible with democratic principles of openness and accountability. In Jinnah’s Pakistan, media would play the role of custodian of democracy in Pakistan.

■ Feudalism would be abolished. Feudalism by definition is unequal. Democracy’s first principle is equality. Feudalism and democracy are as irreconcilable as equality and inequality. Therefore, Jinnah’s Pakistan is not possible, no matter how many times elections are held, in a feudal society. When your estate is your constituency, there is no question of democracy.

■ Minorities would be protected and guaranteed their rights. Discrimination against people on the basis of religion, caste, area, or any other prejudices would be shunned. Religious extremism would be checked by education system, mass media, state-power, greater intra-national and international exposure. For that purpose, Pakistan will strive to become an open and internationally integrated society. Anyone indulging in hate speech or inculcating hatred towards any community or nation would be deemed a threat to national security and would be awarded punished that should be awarded to someone threatening national security. I reluctantly recommend state control of religious education since in my view the dangers of privately administered religious teaching provides a greater room for imparting a biased and prejudiced view of religion. Privately administered religious education, in my view, leads to sectarianism.

■ Jinnah’s Pakistan would place highest priority on education. All political system — from left to right — indoctrinate. In Jinnah’s Pakistan, education system would inculcate in our children such democratic values as equality, tolerance, mutual respect, liberty, critical thinking, etc. Education system would therefore play an important role of creating a civic, democratic, conscientious society.

■ Lastly, in order to have a state that Jinnah envisioned, we ought to have leaders of Jinnah’s stature and acumen. Without a democratically thinking leadership, democracy is not possible. I have given a huge role to State in my understanding of Jinnah’s political model. And that State would never be achieved if those in power do not deliberately put restraints upon themselves and govern in the national and democratic interests of Pakistan.

I hope that one day Pakistan will rise up to the expectations of our Great Leader.