The year 2013 was the year of illusions: the illusion of change, in personalities and in policies. The people elected a new federal government, returning Mr Nawaz Sharif to his favourite seat. All the extension talk proved to be mere fantasy, and the era of Gen Parvez Kayani finally came to an end, and Gen Raheel Sharif – the new Sharif in town – took command as Chief of Army Staff. The judiciary also experienced its share of transition in the departure of Mr Iftikhar Chaurdhry and the appointment of Mr Tassaduq Hussain Jillani as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
Even the dreaded Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) proved vulnerable to the winds of change – or a drone strike to be precise – and lost its hearty chief, Hakimullah Mehsud. This paved the way for Mullah Fazlullah’s unexpected promotion. It was also the year of Mr Tahir ul Qadri’s failure, and Mr Imran Khan’s refusal to acknowledge his. Unfortunately, Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf returned, and so did a weakened, but still deadly dengue epidemic.
However, this large-scale ‘change’ is yet to manifest itself in an altered approach towards old, familiar issues. Look at it this way: a reconditioned car, with new tires, an upgraded engine, a new feature here, a little modification there, but headed towards the same direction, in a similar, slow pace. Passengers question whether they will ever reach the destination, but the driver refuses to press the accelerator, due to his lack of confidence in the machine and his skills to effectively operate it. The bumpy ride continues.
Mr Ishaq Dar is back as the finance minister, and so is the circular debt paid by him after resuming office. The power crisis proved to be a loyal friend by not leaving our side throughout the year. Whether Mr Dar’s tall claims over the economy will materialize, time will tell. The year 2014 is likely to present Mr Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in a much more active role in national politics. It will be a challenging task to revive the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) after its unflattering performance during its last stint in office.
Internal terrorism reigned supreme in the form of a growing menace that threatens this country’s very existence. Even though a temporary lull may relay the false hope that things are on the mend, this is just a lull before the storm. All of our hypocrisies and our continuing denial to acknowledge that we even have a problem, will come back to haunt us.
The year 2013 was unique in the sense that it laid bare the connection of various forms of religious extremism. Sectarianism awakened from a short nap, and this time, it was embraced by various militant groups, which no one knew had sectarian inclinations as their main motivation. And then there are the ones who scream from blaring microphones, unimpeded and unabashed, that sectarian conflict is just about the sum of their manifesto, and they will not rest until they deliver.
The year ahead is likely to assure Pakistan’s continued presence in the spotlight. The country’s role in facilitating upcoming NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan will shape the future of our inter-state relationships. The challenge would be to ensure strategic security, without resorting to our previous methods. What happens after the NATO troops withdrawal — in Afghanistan, and in Pakistan — well, we’ll worry about that in 2014.
It is hoped that we learn from the previous year and many before it, and make wise choices for a change. But so far, with a nationally allergic attitude to long-term planning, it’ll be a miracle if the year 2014 is the seminal moment in time that puts a fractious Pakistan on the track to prosperity and peace. It seems all the pieces are in place, the government just has to embrace the obvious and do the necessary. And if that won’t be a miracle, nothing is.