“Pakistan: Mahali Hatari Zaidi Duniani.” -- Jarida la Newsweek Baada ya karibu miaka nane ya utawala wa kijeshi, Pakistan inakabiliwa na changamoto nyingi zinazotishia kuwepo kwake yenyewe. Vitisho vya Marekani vya kuchukua hatua za upande mmoja katika eneo la makabila, uasi unaoungwa mkono na India huko Baluchistan, ongezeko kubwa la milipuko ya kujitoa muhanga, na uchumi uliovurugika ni baadhi ya matatizo ya Pakistan. Lakini labda suala muhimu zaidi ni ukosefu wa uongozi unaoenea katika kila sehemu ya jamii. Dalili ya pengo hili ni mwenendo wa serikali ya muungano ya sasa, ambayo kwa miezi sita iliyopita imekuwa ikijitahidi kubainisha lengo lake na kuandaa mpango madhubuti wa kukabiliana na changamoto hizi. Wanasiasa si wao pekee wenye lawama. Viongozi wa juu wa jeshi, vigogo wa utawala wa umma, wenye viwanda na viongozi wa kiraia nao wana hatia vilevile. Kwa namna nyingine, wote wameacha wajibu wao au wamejificha kama mbuni mchangani. Jambo pekee linalofanana miongoni mwa viongozi wa taifa ni kuomba msaada kutoka kwa mataifa ya kigeni.

“Pakistan: The Most Dangerous Place on Earth.” -- Newsweek Magazine After almost eight years of military rule, Pakistan faces a myriad of challenges that threaten its very existence. American threats of unilateral action in the tribal area, an Indian backed insurrection in Baluchistan, a dramatic increase in suicide blasts, and the economy in tatters are some of Pakistan’ s woes. But perhaps, the most significant issue is the leadership vacuum that pervades all segments of society. A manifestation of this void is the antics of the current coalition government, which over the past six months has struggled to define its purpose and chalk out a concrete program to confront these challenges. Politicians are not the only culprits. Military top brass, bureaucratic big-wigs, industrialists and civic leaders are just as guilty. Put it another way, all have either abdicated responsibility or simply buried their heads in the sand. The only thing common amongst the nation’ s leaders is the beseechment of foreign powers.

Wanasiasa wasio na haya wanaojipendekeza kwa maafisa wa Marekani na Uingereza mara nyingi hupanga na kutekeleza safari za kwenda Dubai, London na Washington hata kwa masuala madogo kabisa. Sehemu kubwa yao hutamani waziwazi kuwa watumwa wa mamlaka za Magharibi na hujitangaza bila aibu kutetea maslahi yao. Kisha kuna wanasiasa wa Kiislamu wa kujifanya, ambao michango yao hadi sasa haijumuishi chochote zaidi ya kuongeza rushwa katika ulingo wa kisiasa, kuhalalisha matendo mabaya ya watawala, na kuharibu imani ya umma kwa siasa za Kiislamu.

Politicians unashamed of courting American and British officials frequently plan and execute trips to Dubai, London and Washington for even the smallest of issues. A large proportion of them, openly desire servitude to Western powers and shamelessly promote their interests. Then there are the pseudo-Islamist politicians, whose contributions to date include none other than adding corruption to the political landscape, legitimizing the abhorrent actions of the rulers and destroying the confidence of the public in political Islam.

Tabia ya viongozi wa juu wa kijeshi pia ni ya kikatili vilevile.

The behaviour of the military top brass is equally callous.

Musharraf na Kayani, kama watangulizi wao wadanganyifu, wamefanya kila awezalo kulinda maslahi ya Marekani nchini Pakistan. Kufungwa kwa Abdul Qadeer Khan, kuwatelekeza watu wa Kashmir, mauaji katika Lal Masjid, na kuchinjwa kwa Waislamu huko Waziristan, Bajaur na Hangu ni baadhi ya mafanikio yao yanayojulikana.

Both Musharraf and Kayani like their fraudulent predecessors have moved heaven and earth to secure American interests in Pakistan. The incarceration of Abdul Qadeer Khan, the abandonment of the Kashmiri people, the massacre at Lal Masjid and the slaughter of Muslims in Waziristan, Bajaur and Hangu are some of their noteworthy accomplishments.

Jumuiya ya wafanyabiashara na wenye viwanda pia hawako salama kutokana na ukosoaji huu. Historia inathibitisha kwamba wako tayari kushirikiana na serikali yoyote – ya kiraia au ya kijeshi – mradi tu kodi wanayolipa ni ndogo kabisa na wanapewa kinga dhidi ya kushindwa kulipa mikopo. Mafanikio ya jumuiya ya wafanyabiashara yanapopimwa kwa kigezo cha uhamishaji wa teknolojia na mchango wao katika kujitegemea kwa taifa, alama wanazopata ni sifuri. Kwa ufupi, uongozi wa Pakistan tangu ilipoanzishwa mwaka 1947 umeshindwa mara kwa mara kuikomboa Pakistan kutoka utumwa wa kiakili, kisiasa na kiuchumi unaotokana na mamlaka za kikoloni.

The business community and industrialists are not immune from this critique. History bears testimony that they are content to be bedfellows with any government – civilian or military – long as the tax bill is kept to a minimum and they are granted immunity from loan defaults. When the achievements of the business community is measured in terms of transfer of technology and contribution to the nation’ s self-sufficiency they score naught. In sum – Pakistan’ s leadership since its inception in 1947 has repeatedly failed to emancipate Pakistan from the intellectual, political and economic subjugation of colonialist powers.

Chanzo kikuu cha tatizo la uongozi wa Pakistani kinaweza kuhusishwa na jambo moja tu – yaani mfumo wa kiuchumi na kisiasa ulioachwa na Waingereza – baadaye ukarekebishwa na Marekani. Mfumo huu umewalea kwa makini idadi kubwa ya viongozi wa kiraia na kijeshi ambao walishindwa, walikuwa wafisadi na walikuwa wamependa Magharibi. Kwa hamu yao ya kuwatumikia nguvu za Magharibi, suluhisho za Kimagharibi zilikopwa bila kuchoka na kutumika katika kila nyanja ya maisha ya Wapakistani. Mtazamo wa kunakili na kubandika ulikuwa lazima ushindwe, kwa sababu suluhisho zilizopitishwa hazikuhusiana na matatizo ya Pakistani na zilipingana na imani na maadili ya kitamaduni yaliyopendwa na watu. Matokeo yake, Pakistani ilishuhudia miaka ya msukosuko na mgawanyiko ambao leo umefikia kilele cha machafuko.

The root cause of Pakistan’ s leadership predicament can be attributed to a single factor – namely the economic and political system left behind by the British – later modified by the US. This system has meticulously cultivated a plethora of civilian and military leaders who were defeated, corrupt and infatuated with the West. In their eagerness to serve western powers – western solutions were relentlessly borrowed and applied to all walks of Pakistani life. The cut and paste mentality was bound to fail, as the adopted solutions were disconnected from the problems of Pakistan and opposed to the beliefs and cultural values coveted by the people. Subsequently, Pakistan witnessed years of turmoil and polarization which has reached a tumultuous climax today.

Pakistan kunaweza kuokolewa tu kwa uongozi mpya wa Kiislamu wenye nguvu na mabadiliko, uchukue madaraka na kugeuza kuporomoka kwa Pakistan. Uongozi huu lazima uwe tofauti kabisa na wa zamani, na hauwezi kuwa mmoja wa wachezaji waliopo katika mifumo na taasisi zenye rushwa za nchi. Lazima uwe na uelewa wa kina wa matatizo ya Pakistan, na dira ya kiitikadi inayoakisi imani na maadili ya watu. Lazima uepuke vurugu, lakini uwe jasiri wa kutosha kuwaongoza wananchi kwenye uasi kamili dhidi ya mfumo wa sasa wa kisekula, na kuondoa kila dalili ya utawala wa Magharibi. Magharibi tayari imeuelezea mwelekeo huu wa kisiasa kama harakati ya kurejesha Ukhalifa.

The only salvation for Pakistan is for a new dynamic Islamic leadership to take the reigns of power and reverse Pakistan’ s decline. This leadership must be radically different from the past and cannot be an existing player in the nation’ s corrupt systems and institutions. It must possess an acute sensation of the problems of Pakistan and an ideological vision that reflects the beliefs and values of the people. It must eschew violence, but be bold enough to lead the masses to a comprehensive revolt against the present secular order and raze all vestiges of western domination. The West has already described this political trend as the movement to re-establish the Caliphate.

Mwisho wa mgogoro wa uongozi unategemea jinsi haraka watu wa Pakistani watakavyoamka kutoka usingizini mwao na kukikumbatia jambo hili.

The end to the leadership crisis is dependent upon how quickly the people of Pakistan wake up from their slumber and embrace this phenomenon.

Machi 8, 2008

March 8, 2008