Pakistan is an artificial construct in every essence, carved out of the British India in 1947. Its national identity has always been a delicate construct, somewhat like a façade of its democracy. Since its creation over seven decades ago, it has struggled for national figures who could unify this Punjabi dominated country and strengthen its identity. It is effectively a journey bereft of national heroes and when some finally did arrive at the stage, they often found themselves met with disapproval and marginalized within both the state apparatus and society at large, with their contributions often relegated to the margins of history.
From its earliest days, Pakistan has exhibited a tendency to vilify those figures who could have played a pivotal role in fostering a more inclusive and harmonious national narrative. Instead, they have championed some of the narrowminded religious clerics, leaving an indelible mark on Pakistan’s social and political landscape, shaping its trajectory in ways that impact even today.
Consider the case of Dr. Abdus Salam, Pakistan’s first Nobel Laureate. When the whole world celebrated this renowned theoretical physicist for his achievements in his scientific field, Pakistanis, unfortunately, choose a different path and did everything possible by tarnishing his reputation due to his religious beliefs. Dr. Salam proudly identified as a Pakistani and as an Ahmadi believer, a faith that was officially declared non-Muslim by the Pakistani government under the leadership of Zulfikar Bhutto in 1974 through a Constitutional Amendment.
It is worth noting that Dr. Salam had returned to Pakistan at the behest of President Ayyub Khan in 1960 to lead the country’s nuclear and space programmes, after being compelled to leave in 1953 when Ahmadis were subjected to widespread violence by Sunni extremists. But tragically, he was once again forced out of the country as Ahmadiyya community was officially relegated them to second-class citizenship in 1974. Dr. Salam’s final return to Pakistan would only happen posthumously.
Even in death, the Pakistani government took the extraordinary step of removing the word “Muslim” from the epitaph on Dr. Salam’s grave in 1996, which had originally honoured him as the “First Muslim Nobel Laureate.” The nation consistently failed to recognize and honour this brilliant physicist as he deserved. While the Qaid-e-Azam University had renamed its physics centre to honour this physics genius in 2016, it invited widespread protests with the son-in-law of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Captain Safdar, tabling a resolution in the National Assembly against it in 2018 to mobilise the conservative religious factions. This unfortunate incident further denigrated the memory of Dr. Salam, a man whose contributions to science should have been celebrated and respected by his homeland.
Like Dr Salam, the life story of another prominent Pakistani Ahmadiyya jurist Sir Zafarullah Khan, a trusted lieutenant of MA Jinnah and one of the founding fathers of the country, is one of betrayal. Instead of celebrating this man of calibre, his faith became his undoing and was forced to exit the government and into exile in 1954 following widespread anti-Ahmadiyya riots. Despite this forced departure, he became first Pakistani to serve as a judge (1954–1961), vice president (1958–1961), and president (1970–1973) of the International Court of Justice” and served as the UN General Assembly president during 1962-1964. He died as a non-Muslim since Pakistan legally outcast the community from the fold of Islam.
In yet another instance, Pakistan’s only other Nobel Laureate, Malala Yousufzai, finds herself compelled to live in self-imposed exile following a deadly attempt on her life in 2012. Instead of celebrating the remarkable achievements of this young woman, who faced Islamic fundamentalist violence while advocating for on girls’ education, Malala has been made highly controversial in Pakistan. While Malala remains a beacon of hope for the girls and women across the world, what could be more painful for her, when her compatriots, including successive governments, have ensured she remains outcast and her story a mere footnote in its journey.
Rather than having truly inspirational figures who could ignite the aspirations of new generations, Pakistan has often been presented with individuals of questionable integrity as role models. A glaring example of this is Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan (A Q Khan). Notwithstanding his role in the Pakistan’s nuclear program, Khan’s enduring legacy, however, remains one of corruption through his international syndicate to trade nuclear secrets to foreign governments, bringing disrepute to both the country and the scientific community. He is a symbol of those who have been willing to trade almost anything, in his case, sensitive nuclear secrets, for personal gain.
What baffles more is how has A Q Khan been carefully elevated as a role model for the nation by the establishment, effectively normalizing corruption in various aspects of the country’s life. This sends a disheartening message to the younger generations about the values and principles that should be upheld in a society, perpetuating a culture where personal gain often takes precedence over integrity and ethical conduct.
One of most influential class of Pakistan is its political elite. It has, however, proven to be equally corrupt bringing not only shame to the state but has effectively rendered it at the verge of economic default. There is hardly any political leader in the country who has not faced charges of corruption since decades. In the recent past of the leaders, including prime ministers and presidents, have been jailed for their corrupt practices, which is, but, the most unfortunate reality of the country that has been claiming to be modelled on Islamic values of righteousness.
Closely aligned with the political class is its military elite, which does everything but its constitutionally mandated job of securing the borders of the state. Over the years, the Pakistani military has deeply entrenched in and encroached the institutions of the state, and have raised entities for engaging in business practices. This institution is also bereft of any such hero who could inspire the young generations. One of the soldiers that the army since recent years has tried to promote as its hero is Captain Karnal Sher Khan, who died fighting during Kargil war in 1999. Incidentally, even this soldier would have been relegated as a statistic of the war had it not been the Indian Army officers who wrote a citation of his bravery and “placed it in his pocket while returning his body to the Pakistani officials.”
In yet another case, the widespread corruption within the influential military circles came to the forefront when revelations about the tax evasion and illicit accumulation of wealth by the family of former Army Chief Qamar Bajwa, during his tenure, emerged in 2022. This exposes how this holier than thou institution, which is often claimed to be the pasbaan (guardian) of the very idea of Pakistan, remains as much corruption infested, in fact in much more proportion, as any other state institution. How would this inspire younger generations is grossly erroneous.
In conclusion, one could safely argue that Pakistan’s tumultuous journey since its creation in 1947 is one of a persistent struggle to find unifying national figures who inspire generations of Pakistanis. Instead of celebrating figures like Dr. Abdus Salam, world renown physicist, or Malala Yousufzai, a symbol of hope and future, they have carefully elevated controversial figures like Dr. A Q Khan and narrow-minded religious clerics as the role models for the country’s youth, exemplifying a mentality of a pervasively entrenched corruption. This normalization of corruption points to a larger malice in the country wherein the powerful seek to consolidate their wealth through hook and crook even if it sends a disheartening message to the youth about the values and principles that should guide a society. This unfortunate reality persists despite avowed claims of adhering to Islamic values of righteousness.
As such, Pakistan is at the crossroads to redefine itself as promised by its founders, and hence would need to cultivate role models who can lead Pakistan towards a more inclusive, harmonious, and prosperous future. But the broader question will be whether the Army led establishment and its crony political cum business class will ever allow this to happen? The answer is anyone’s guess.
