Adil Najam
The obvious and logical followup to our last ATP Poll is to now ask the question: which of our leaders did the most harm to Pakistan? A number of readers suggested, and we agree, that such a poll should be conducted. We ask only that you please respond to the question with the same care with which it has been structured.
As we had done in the last poll, we have structured the question carefully to focus only the harm that these leaders might have caused (all leaders do bad things as well as good, some more and some less).
Please focus on the negative actions these leaders were themselves responsible for, and not as much on things that might have been out of their own control.
The Question: Focusing primarily on what you consider ‘negative’ actions taken by them during their stint(s) in power, who, amongst the following, do you think did the most ‘harm’ to Pakistan?
As others have suggested, it is not at all necessary that those who got the most votes for doing ‘good’ will automatically get least votes for doing ‘harm.’ Since we have been asking people to focus only on one or the other, it is not entirely impossible that the same person is deemed to have done a lot of good as well as a lot of harm; albeit by a different set of voters – in a society as divided as Pakistan this is not just possible, but even likely.
As in the last poll, the current leadership is not included (although we did conduct a poll grading them recently) and only those whose tenure is now behind us are included, from Ayub Khan onwards. As before, for Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif consider the combined impact of two stints they each had in power. Do also please tell us which of their actions you think had the most harmful and lasting impacts on Pakistan’s well-being as a nation.
We eagerly await your views on this, in the poll as well as in the comments.
I have also voted Ayub Khan did the most harm. He massacred the system and also made us foreign aid dependent and only invested in grandiose projects that little real good. But his biggest harm o Pakistan was to justify military rule and even more he was responsible for alienating the Bengali Pakistanis so that by the time he left Bangladesh had become inevitable.
I think Adil missed one option among the choices that he has provided in this question – and that is “The Pakistani people”.
It is exceedingly easy to ascribe blame for our failures to our leaders – when the truth is that we ourselves have failed Pakistan. From petty corruption to a culture that stifles meritocracy, it is ultimately our own fault that we are in the situation that we are today.
It is also worth keeping in mind that blaming one or the other leader is divisive, as some people prefer certain leaders over others. Instead, we should all own up the fact that it is on our watch, it is due to our lack of ownership of Pakistan, our lack of conscientiousness – that Pakistan has suffered so much and will continue suffering until we become informed, responsible citizens and also try to make those who are around us well informed and responsible.
If “We Pakistanis” had been an option up there – I would have chosen just that.
Just to keep the record straight, Zia Islamized laws and Bhutto Islamized Constitution! His Attorney General pleaded the case against Ahmadies in a joint session of parliament.
Zia hands down.
From hanging Bhutto to creating Taliban. Zia onwards we have been at the mercy of the U.S., who till date dominates national politics.
Moreover, In Pakistan, Islamization is something that can be implemented easily, but reversal of such acts is almost impossible. Permanent damage done.