Leadership

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

This current rot in our society is a direct influence of the leadership we have had and their inability to use their public power for the good of the country.

It’s rather amazing how our society defines itself along whose family they are loyal to and not that they are loyal to the nation as a whole.

One side contends a known criminal Benazir is a maytr for the sake of the country, while another considers a vengeful and spite jahil like Nawaz Sharif is a saint for defending the judiciary. Does no one realise that NS is out to defend the judiciary because they will go after Musharraf like no other?

The question then arises, who is to blame for the sad state of affairs our society is in? We haven’t had any solid loyal leadership at any level for the past 20 years. The army has forsaken us to make their own wealth and line their pockets.

Basically people see how corrupt our top brass is and follow suit.

2

Re: Leadership

Why the complaining...after all its an elected government by the folks of Pakistan... :D

Time Pass - March 2012
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Re: Leadership

If there are no positive alternatives to stem the rot of Pakistan as you are talking about, then how does it matter who is responsible for the rot?

4

Re: Leadership

Pakistan has no new leaders and that is the big problem.

But how is it that neighboring India has hundreds of them?

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Re: Leadership

Pakistanis have decent leadership. Sure you want some Prophet to come down and fix everything that is wrong with our beloved country.

But the reality is that prophets do not show up. In fact some of us believe that the very door or window is closed shut from where a prophet could have made a grand appearance.

Sure there is a chance we may get Mehdi, Jesus, or the last Imam sometimes. Until then, we have to be happy with what we got.

Our leaders like Altaf may look bad compared to revolutionaries like Kim Il, Castro, Ahmad Neijat or Chavez. But we are not North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or Iran either.

So be happy and enjoy the ride.

Time Pass - March 2012
6

Sure it dosen't look that bad if you compare it to some of the worse dictators in the world, but if thats the best thn I guess we dont have much to look forward to. In any case, system of govt develops with time. Sadly, in our country power hungry generals have never allowed that to happen & thats is the reason we are where we're today.

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Re: Leadership

CM, a few weeks ago you posted this:

http://www.paklinks.com/gs/5747916-post24.html

So maybe the people, in the absence of anyone who is supporting their wish to reinstate the deposed judges think that hes the only one fighting for them right now. I dont know what his true motives are, maybe they’re not good, but without his resistance right now, Musharraf and Zardari, the dynamic duo of Pakistan will get a free ride.

Express yourself
8

Leaders come from their own people according to great books including Quran.

Pakistani leaders come from the very people including you and I. The day we change our priorities, our leaders will follow. Funny! Leader will follow (instead of lead). But that is the reality. Leaders sense the trends among their people and change their statements and agenda.

A very small minority of mavricks may not follow the trends, but majority of leaders do.

Leaders have "self-preservation" on their mind just like you and I.

If Iraq war was popular in America, Obama would not take an anti-war stance. So you see Barak is a leader who is following popular trends aka his people. He thinks iraq war is unpopular so he is against it. But he thinks Afghanistan war is acceptable so he is for it. In fact he wanted to "expand" Afghan war straight into Pakistan's lawless tribal territory.

He in fact is not an anti-war leader, he is simply anti-unpopular war. Bring on more "popular wars", and Obama will lead the charge. This has been true since Adma and Hawwa's time.

Off course once Obama gets to White house, he may change (under the rule of self-preservation) his tune under pressure from hawks. Or may be he will stick to his stance. Let's see what happens with Obama's stance in say 2010.

That's true. However the development of the system is greatly impacted by internal and external considerations. It never develops in a vacuum.

That's one of the many reasons. For some though it is THE only reason. But that's a separate discussion.

9

Leadership doesn't prosper in dictatorships which is what he had for most of our history. Dictatorships result in leaders like Altaf Hussein, Nawaz Sharif etc. Its beginning of democracy (no matter how broken/crooked) but if given its full term nation will be able to see what they achieve and hopefully in next elections they'll make the difference.

What we are missing is law enforcement and accountability, once these institutions of the society get stronghold then we will be in good shape Inshallah.

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Re: Leadership

government can only do so much folks. if we have a government of cartoons it is because we share their values. by and large they cater to their constituents needs and they're fine with it.

benazir, altaf, nawaz... these are not aliens, but much loved characters in their respective pools. even musharraf has his fanbase, which used to be much larger not too long ago.

and the less than stellar leadership only goes so far in explaining away our national woes. you make your own destiny as an individual, and the state of individuals is the dominant determinant in the state of the group. we just didnt do that well as individuals, personally, morally, professionally. the notion that bad governance/leadership is the difference between pakistan and japan is just a pleasant self delusion.

Share beautiful traditions of your area
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Re: Leadership

^ but that is called representation not leadership, if all someone does is represent their coterie of locals and are loved by them. A true leader has his own vision for the betterment of the WHOLE and has the personality traits to take the gang along with him to that vision.

Frankly I thought Musharaf had it but events have soured that

12

Right on the money Ravage.

The problem of Pakistan's revolutionary intellectuals is simple. They sow the seeds, water the soil, and when the fruit comes out, they don't like it. Then they simply want to rip the plant and burn the soil.

WOQ^^ you have a point. Let me clarify the way I understand your assertion.

In your understanding a leader is like a team coach. No team in the world is filled with top level players. Good coaches then try to bring out the strengths of their players and cover the weaknesses.

However team coaches seldom run as democratic leaders. They usually are mini dictators who force their vision on the team. The players who don't agree with the coach's plans are kicked out. That's almost like what Chinese leaders are doing these days. Is that what you want Pakistani leaders to be?

LAWN MANIA 2012
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Re: Leadership

^ Players may disagree but still execute to the leader's plan - happens all the time. And that minority that disagrees so much that they won't perform - sure they have to leave. In democracies such departure will likely be a non-event but in authoritarian regimes, departures are usually not so smooth (though there have been exceptions).

IMO true leaders are unique and do not have role models. Each circumstance is differently complex

14

Re: Leadership

Great topic!

I read in an interview: "How do you expect Pakistan to be free of corruption when its entire political culture is based on rishwat and nepotism."

15

Corruption is nasty, stinky, goo that seeps out of many little orifices of Pak Government (and every other government in the world). There is no argument that corruption hurts us, and hurts us badly.

However too much focus on corruption is counter productive. You see every living being consumes food, and a portion of that food is excreted as waste. Corruption is kind of like that waste.

If you forcibly stop the excretion of any living being, the organism will die quickly. The same way, if you try to bring down corruption below certain level, the country will die as well.

Pakistan is a very large, nay a HUGE country of 160 million people. If you consider the example of living organism, Pakistan is very large organism. When we look at the excretion or waste or corruption in Pakistan, we must look at the net inflow of food, or income, or budget of Pakistan.

Right now Pakistan spends $30 billion every year on its population of 160 million. If by some magic, we reduce the corruption to $0, even then $30 billion for such a large country are like a tiny bowl of peanuts for a 7 foot tall basket ball player.

If such a player doesn't show good performance, we can't continue blaming him that he didn't "consume" every bit of the small bowl of peanuts as he excretes a portion of the peanuts.

We must increase the intake of the basket ball player to international standards. A small bowl of peanuts may have a couple of hundred calories. But a good basket player needs 2500 to 5000 calories every day. Out of all these calories, it is possible that 100 or so calories may go the "waste".

Similarly a large country like Pakistan needs $200 to $500 billion a year minimum to function properly. Out of this budget, it is possible that $10 billion or so may go to waste or corruption, but the country will continue functioning properly.

Thus our energies should not be focused solely on reducing waste, but we must try to figure out a way to increase our national income to $500 billion a year.

16

Re: Leadership

I tend to dissagree, that generals dont allow leadersip to come forward , I think they provide excellent oppertunity to people to bring out the real leaders, if you look at the history, in opperssive socities leaders are born and came out to rescue the masses.

our problem is, the intelligentsia or even sincere people without much education play safe and dont confront the system and shy away busy in their own life, without thinking of country and this give free ride to corrupt generals and politicians to take turns on them.

leaders dont need favourable environment to become leaders, we have very good people who can run the country very good, but when whole educated and sincere people dont even cast the vote and dont get involved in politics as its a dirty business, we will not have a political leaders. this has to fed in minds by schools, parents that this not dirty, we have to get hands dirty to get rid of this system.

If it continue like this, sooner or later the desperate will take over by any means, space left by moderates and sincere ones until now enjoyed by army and corrupt politicians. but now being grabbed by moulvi fundos, if they succeed, we end up with another exterme and doomed.

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Re: Leadership

We should compare ourselves to India because of our chronological similarities and see how, in the absence of dictators and Generals democracy has flourished. What you said might hold true for the Ayub dictatorship (with Bhutto emerging), but during the Zia/Musharraf dark ages, things have been so bad that only established politicians got recycled because of their affluent, compromising status.

18

Haven't seen a leader in Saudia Araba, Jordan, Syria, Cuba etc. for past few decades, have we?

Last person to post in this thread wins!
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Re: Leadership

I disagree with the idea that leaders are not allowed to come forward. Leaders don't need permisson to come forward. Just think, did Muhammad Ali Jinnah needs english empire's permisson to emerge or Nelson Mandela is approved by South Africa's white regime. No sir, real leaders actually emerge in difficult situation.
This concept of army dictators destroyed pakistan politics is not completely correct. Politicians were ruling pakistan before 1958. How they allow military to take over, even if its a conpiracy isn't it the their responsibilty to look out for it and keep nation save from such conspiracies.
Miltary rulers are responsible for there actions but politicains must also take the responsibility of there actions. Just tell me why whenever a martial law is declared in pakistan, mostly public never came out to stop it.

20

Read post above and point out at the leadership emerging in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Egypt and many other countries. Thanks.