Adil Najam
Its time to take stock of the year 2006. Its also time for another ATP Poll.
We did think of doing something around a ‘Person of the Year’ theme and I even thought of a few possible candidates (here, here and here). But that seemed too obvious, and more likely to turn into a popularity contest rather than a thought-provoking discussion.
Instead, we want to focus on the following question:
WHICH EVENTS AND TRENDS FROM 2006 ARE MOST LIKELY TO LEAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON PAKISTAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY?
Our desire is to have the focus not just on what has happened in 2006, but in the implication of what happened in 2006 on the FUTURE of Pakistan. The emphasis is clearly on the future, and we hope to have a good discussion on why, which trend will impact the future of Pakistan, how.
(An explanation of what we mean by each choice is given below; because of a cache plug-in your vote may not appear in the results immediately.)
Unlike previous ATP Polls (on women rights, Gen. Musharraf’s future, past leaders, and Gen. Musharraf’s performance), the challenge here is not in phrasing the question but in figuring out possible options for the answer. Since we do not have the technological ability to allow readers to add their own options, we have narrowed down the list to the following ten key events and event-related trends. We are sure other things that could have been added to this, but without wanting to make this too long, too unwieldy or too broad, we have decided upon the following possible events and trends as answer choices. (Some of are very directly related to a specific event but signifying broader underlying trends; others are broader trends that relate to a collectivity of multiple smaller events.)
Movement on Pakistan-India relations (also here and here), especially including recent moves by Pakistan on Kashmir and related improvements in Pakistan-India relations.
Hiccups in Pakistan-USA relations (also here), including Pres. Bush’s visit to India and Pakistan and Gen. Musharraf’s visit to USA.
Frictions in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, including the re-rise of Taliban.
The killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti (also here) and the continuing unrest and volatility in Balochistan.
Signs of an impending break-up of the Mutihadda Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), including over the resignation issue.
Positive economic trends, including rise of foreign investments in Pakistan (including for high visibility projects like the Centaurus), strength in some service sectors like telecommunication and banking, etc.
Negative economic trends, including rise in cost of living, inflationary pressures, stock-market controversies, etc.
Continuation of sectarianism and sectarian violence, including various attacks during first part of the year.
The passage of the Womens’ Rights Bill (also, here and here) and related events signifying a change in role of women in society (here, here and here).
Changes being brought into education curriculum and other educational reform, including how other communities and religions are portrayed within historical and other texts.
If you do want to influence the results, please, by all means ask your friends to also vote. Feel welcome to use the ‘Email’ button at the very top to send to your friends.
Voting is anonymous; as it should be. This is, of course, not be a very scientific poll, but it will at least give us a sense of what this community � the ATP cohort � thinks. Do vote, but please vote only once (even if you are smart enough to beat the system somehow).
well curriculum chage makes me laff!the thing that needs change is Pakistan Studies but alll we talk about is the poem on abu bin adam does that make u fanatic??? Mush entering the Kargil War the 1971 war and facts? the Zia era mishaps?these need change not islamiyat that even in Zia era was mere a suject worth 50 marks and 50 pages!8 surahs 4 caliphs life of muhammad the Ghazwats wat else is there?now they introducing ethics a real laff!Woman bill i guess the people who voted for it shud keep in mind Dr Shazia and Mukhtaraan Mai and the involvement of the countries Angel Army Chief!!we still think women will be empowered?just be mere displays of songs dances couple of pictures?
SECTORIANISM the division by our own army inti so called Kargil Moderates and Taliban fanatics,the ones creating ambiguities in Religion,the ones giving false hopes and grounds to women in the name of equality!the issue is not even uniform becoz Mush himself know the days hes outta it his own army is gonna alienate from him the same PMLs the Patriots will be sitting with their real partners the Princes of Saudia and the Dutchess of Dubia!its all division thts been created just to previal and the people that matter are being crushed or being raped or being put behind bars!!!!
Another review of 2006 appears in The News today (29 Dec.) by Nasim Zehra. Read full article here. Excerpts:
on the discussion of turkey and pakistan what a coincidence that hnour killings are widely and openly practised in both the countries… what a positive influence made in the name of islam?
Dear PatExpat,
I am afraid either you didn’t even bother to understand what I was saying or you are not as aware of Turkish political scene and history as you claimed.
Nowhere have I called Kemal Ataturk, who I consider one of the greatest secular leaders the Muslim World has produced, an Islamist but rather that AKP is not Islamist. Read on. He was the father of modern Turk nationalism… but how that came about is also a fact… Turk Nationalism was secularised 1924 onwards but was in essence during the war of independence the question of the identity of Anatolian Muslims. This was the basis of the ultimate exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey as a result of the treaty of Laussane… all Greek-speaking Muslims became Turks and all Turkish speaking Christians became
The point I was making was that if AKP with its acceptance of the principle of the separation of church and state and the very secular Turkish constitution is hardly “Islamist” as you described it. AKP is not Islamist. It is merely the equivalent of European Christian democrats.. a more or less secular political party hyphenated by some form of religio-cultural identity. Next you are going to tell me that Mahatir Muhammad and Abdullah Badawi of Malaysia are Islamists…
When I say I have no problems with AKP’s form of Islam, it is because AKP’s form of Islam is the direct result of the policies of the Turkish Republic which has resulted in rationalisation of Islam to an extent that even the most religious of the Turks accepts Secularism as a state principle.
Article by Kamily Hyat (28 December, 2006) from The News that relates directly to the theme of our Poll. Interestingly, she present a generally positive prognosis on the year 2006. Excerpt (Full article here):