FOR some time now, our national discourse has been single-mindedly focused on tackling militancy in Pakistani society through serious administrative and legal measures. While there is no doubt that such measures are needed, the less said about the results of our efforts to make Pakistan a peaceful country the better.

The government has been hard at work announcing different plans and strategies to deal with militancy and terrorism. Though the frequency of terror attacks has reduced, the callousness with which militant and separatist groups have been attacking citizens, property and sensitive installations continues to horrify, one of the more recent incidents being the cold-blooded murder of labourers in Turbat. Across Pakistan various ethnic, sectarian and religious groups are angry and frustrated with the state at times with external help causing them to air their grievances in ways that are detrimental to the security of this country.

The National Action Plan was announced by the government with great commitment after the Army Public School tragedy but now, some months on, we find ourselves unable to gauge our success, one possible reason being the lack of support provided to the Ministry of Interior by the government. Newspapers and television screens flash a few images of apex committee meetings here and there, but so far no institutional mechanism has been developed for the government to monitor the implementation of the various components of the plan.

Recent events in the Gulf states have kept the government and political parties so occupied that they are hardly left with any time to address the problems directly affecting the people of this country. The gruesome massacre like the one in Turbat speaks volumes for our increasing intolerance against different sects, regions, ethnicities and increasing tolerance for violence. It is important to candidly deliberate why it is that so many of our own people resort to extreme acts of violence, going as far as to kill their own countrymen, to express their mistrust for authority.

Without an honest admission that all is not well, we cannot even begin to determine how to safeguard our national interests. The very existence of Pakistan is threatened because our past follies are catching up with us. We have been setting our priorities based on our relations with the outside world, with security and socio-economic development taking a back seat. We have not set our goals based on what we need, but to please our many allies and others. In the process, we have completely neglected to cultivate any sense of who we are as a society and culture, conceding space to militants and non-state actors propagating hate and intolerance for any form of cultural expression.

How can we think of becoming a great nation without any cultural and literary pursuits?

Over the years, successive governments have created numerous institutions and organisations for the promotion of culture such as the Institute of Folk Heritage, Pakistan National Council of the Arts, National Book Foundation, Pakistan Academy of Letters, National Language Authority and Al-Hamra Arts Council etc. None of these have been able to help create the kind of a cultural and literary landscape in Pakistan which would encourage people to have meaningful and enriching interests. What more can one expect when these institutions are given no importance and budgets that barely cover the salaries of their employees.

Similarly there is a long list of sports boards, councils, associations and federations for cricket, hockey, tennis etc, yet the only thing consistent about Pakistan’s performance in the sporting arena is that the state of sports in this country goes from bad to worse. Like most other autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies in Pakistan, these bodies too are run and managed in an ad hoc manner with political considerations taking precedence over merit and inclusivity.

To rub salt into our wounds we recently received a funding offer from the Indian Hockey Federation to enable our team to participate in the Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament. Rather than being spurred into action by the Indian offer and making sure that our team was able to participate in the tournament, a debate began regarding the misuse of funds by the hockey federation. Of course, the matter should be investigated; however we could have done so while simultaneously ensuring that the funds were made available for participation.

For Jinnah’s Pakistan to truly exist it is imperative that we seriously review the state of cultural and literary affairs in this country. All the literary, sporting and cultural bodies mentioned earlier must play a more coherent and proactive role to create an environment conducive to such activities so that we can have more Sadequain’s, Noor Jehan’s and Faiz. After all how can we think of becoming a great nation without any cultural and literary pursuits? Why not discuss the subject at the level of the Council of Common Interests where all the provinces can be asked to give a briefing regarding cultural activities in their areas. This will be a first for any government.

The National Action Plan was launched to counter terrorism; its implementation is faced with many hurdles. The monitoring and coordination mechanism needs to be clearly elaborated to successfully move forward. In addition to the 20 points, the plan must also have a soft power component to counter the mindset that forms the basis of militancy. Opportunities should be provided to people to nurture their talents in an enabling environment. This will help the people of this country to help the government in challenging the militant mindset.

The enthusiasm of Pakistani cricket fans in the World Cup should tell all those in positions of authority that most Pakistanis desperately want a life that’s normal, that they enjoy a good game of cricket or a concert as much as anyone else in the world. We must promote and revive theatre, poetry, music and literature, this will strengthen the hands of all those who are fighting against militancy and terrorism. Let’s start by celebrating the next Basant season in a big way!

The writer is a former cabinet secretary.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2015

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