Pakistan has a lot of problems. (How’s that for an understated opening?)
One of the major problems in the country, however, is the lack of credible state institutions. In fact, the only state institution that is universally recognized and respected is the Pakistani Army. So it comes as a bit of good news that the US Congress has passed a bill that would triple non-military aid to Pakistan, to $1.5 billion.
Most of the media focus on Pakistan—quite rightly—is on the threat of the Pakistani Taliban. Enough attention, however, is not given to just how much of a basket case the whole rest of the country has been, well, over its entire history. Civilian government never seems to last long enough to build real democratic traditions—and to be fair, it’s not as if Pakistani civilian government has ever been particularly squeaky clean. The army, meanwhile, can’t stop thinking that yet another war with India is inevitable and right around the corner, ignoring that the threat to the country is the militant ideology it fosters—to use someday in a potential war against India.
The bill requires that the Pakistani government actively go after militants operating inside its borders, and that it refuse to allow groups in the country to strike at foreign targets (India). The United States’ goal in the region, of course, is to contain the threat of a terrorist attack on American interests. A richer, more prosperous Pakistan can only help that goal.
So while all the attention is on militants operating out of FATA and the NWFP, a lot remains to be done in the rest of the country. Evidence of civil society—the lawyer’s protests against Musharraf were a prime example—certainly exists, but there remains a lot of work to be done before Pakistan can be considered a cohesive state. The dominant political parties—and their leaders—seem much too interested in power and enhancing their own and their followers personal fiefdoms than building a modern economy and society.
Pakistan isn’t the most dangerous place in the world. It’s nuclear installations are under no threat of falling into the hands of the Taliban or al-Qaeda. But the strengthening of democratic traditions, and economic enterprise, can only help it wean itself away from the constant insecurity felt by Pakistani Army generals.
