8/17/2019 The Morality Problem

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The ‘morality’ problemMUHAMMAD AMIR RANA  — PUBLISHED ABOUT 5 HOURS AGO

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The writer is a security anayst!"MORALIT#$ is a t%% %&ten use' (y un'e)%cratic &%rces t% snu( 'e)%cratic *aues an' +r%)%te se&,ser*in- aternati*es! Particuar*icti)s %& this etha wea+%n are 'e)%cracies in transiti%n which )ust )a.e their way ar-ey with%ut chaen-in- the s%,cae' )%rastan'ar's cra&te' (y anti,'e)%cratic &%rces!

As the +%itica te)+erature increases in Pa.istan/ the issue %& )%raity is %nce a-ain ta.in- centre sta-e! The Pana)a Pa+ers ha*e -i*enan%ther 'irecti%n t% the 'e(ate where %++%siti%n +arties are tryin- t% )a0i)ise their +%itica -ains thr%u-h chaen-in- the )%racre'entias %& the ruers!

P%itica %++%siti%ns e*erywhere in the w%r' act i.e this with a *iew t% u+h%'in- trans+arency an' acc%unta(iity in -%*ernance +r%cesses1 they as% try t% ca+itaise %n the %++%rtunities +resente' (y )%ra 'e(ates t% &%r) a -%*ern)ent!

But c%untries i.e Pa.istan/ where 'e)%cracy is sti &ra-ie/ re)ain un'er c%nstant threat an' +ressure &r%) the security esta(ish)ent!The iterature %& +%itica science is re+ete with e0a)+es where un'e)%cratic &%rces e)+%y ")%ra$ reas%nin- t% 2usti&y inter*enti%ns!Basicay/ they chaen-e +aria)ent an' its +r%ce'ures that are su++%se' t% e*%*e a c%'e %& ethics &%r the &uncti%nin- %& state an's%ciety! Paria)ent can (e un'er)ine' when ")%ra$ attitu'es n%t in sync with 'e)%cratic n%r)s are a'%+te'!

M%raity is a )uti,e'-e' sw%r' that '%es n%t re3uire )uch s.i t% wie' e&&ecti*ey! It can (e use' t% hurt %r chaen-e the interests %& a +articuar -r%u+ — there are s% )any a'*ersaria c%)(inati%ns ie )%raity *s e-aity/ )%raity *s ri-hts/ )%raity *s -%*ernance/)%raity *s acc%unta(iity/ )%raity *s *aues etc! It a 'e+en's %n what %ne$s -%as are/ what %ne e0+ects t% achie*e (y wie'in- thissw%r'!

The establishment knows that if space is provided, the political leadership will establish its

credentials.

The 'yna)ics are n%t 'i&&icut t% un'erstan' as auth%rity is what 'e&ines )%ra *aues! Auth%rity itse& is su(2ecti*e an' *aries &r%) caset% case an' cass t% cass! P%wer eites/ incu'in- the security esta(ish)ent/ rei-i%us/ s%cia an' (usiness eites/ act as auth%rities in their %wn s+heres an' they ha*e a *ariety %& )%ra stan'ar's a)%n-st the)! Their '%)ains are 'e&ine' an' in )%st cases these interest -r%u+s'% n%t chaen-e each %ther$s auth%rity uness their interests cash!

The cer-y in Pa.istan has *irtuay unchaen-e' auth%rity in the rei-i%us/ i'e%%-ica an' s%cia 'isc%urse! Their )%ra stan'ar's are*ery ri-i'! The c%))%n )an )ay n%t c%)+etey rey %n their *isi%n (ut sti ar-ey (eie*es in their insi-hts int% rei-i%us issues! In&uncti%na 'e)%cracies/ the 2u'iciary is the instituti%n which 'e&ines the e-a an' c%nstituti%na (%un'aries with%ut inter&erin- in the'%)ain %& )%raity! In Pa.istan/ the 2u'iciary has a )i0e' rec%r' an' has usuay a*%i'e' chaen-in- the auth%rity %& th%se with +%wer!The )e'ia in Pa.istan is as% a +artici+ant1 a )a2%r se-)ent %& it +r%)%tes the ")%ra$ stan'ar's %& the )%st +%wer&u in the c%untry!

The ci*i (ureaucracy has assu)e' a sient r%e in +%wer e3uati%ns! It )an%eu*res situati%ns acc%r'in- t% its instituti%na %r eitistinterests! It usuay re)ains success&u (%th in 'e)%cracies an' 'ictat%rshi+s!

Pa.istani s%ciety has its %wn +arae )%ra stan'ar's (ase' %n tra'iti%ns an' cutures! Di&&erent se-)ents %& s%ciety c%ntinue t% &%%wre-ressi*e "n%r)s$ such as "h%n%ur .iin-s$/ swara/ *ani etc — their %wn 'e&initi%n %& ")%ra$! The state '%es n%t chaen-e thetra'iti%na 2ir-a %r +anchayat syste)s/ where +e%+e c%ntinue with their %wn i'eas %& 2ustice/ (ecause that '%es n%t hurt the interests %&the +%wer eites!

True/ +%iticians are e0+ecte' t% (e )%ra creatures! But in Pa.istan/ their i)a-e has (een 'ist%rte' in a way that their ")%raity$ a++earstainte'! This is a 'i&&icut situati%n &%r the) (ecause they ha*e t% &i-ht n%t %ny t% .ee+ the +%itica +r%cess intact (ut as% t% )aintain

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their )%ra cre'entias/ es+eciay when it is easy &%r e*ery%ne t% 'e-ra'e the) an' ta- the) as c%rru+t/ inc%)+etent/ an' e*en a(ethe) trait%rs!

Th%se wh% 'e&ine +atri%tis) an' )%raity h%' the rea +%wer/ an' th%se a)%n- +%iticians/ )e'ia/ an' +%wer eites wh% want t% sharethese +%wers act as 'esta(iisin- a-ents! S%)e as% try t% +r%2ect the)se*es as )%ra! I)ran 4han is a +er&ect e0a)+e %& thestere%ty+ica "cean$ )an! But when the 'e)%cratic +r%cess -ets wea.ene'/ +ers%naities ta.e %*er the +%itica +r%cess! Pers%naitiessur*i*e %n the iusi%n %& charis)a/ where +r%cess (ec%)es irree*ant an' +%itica +arties are trans&%r)e' int% cuts!

There is as% an ar-u)ent that the esta(ish)ent .ee+s chec.s %n the 'e)%cratic +r%cess in -%%' &aith! This ar-u)ent is (ase' %n then%ti%n that the +%itica ea'ershi+ ac.s the 3uaities re3uire' t% )ana-e the state %& a&&airs! But the esta(ish)ent '%es n%t -i*e +%iticaea'ershi+ s+ace t% +r%*e this n%ti%n wr%n-! They .n%w that i& this s+ace is +r%*i'e'/ the +%itica ea'ershi+ wi esta(ish its ")%ra$cre'entias!

P%itics is a a(%ut restructurin- 'isci+ines acc%r'in- t% hu)an nature/ an' s%cieta *aues — (%th rei-i%us an' cutura! De)%cracy$snatura +ath ea's it t% +r%ce'ures an' a c%'e %& ethics! The atter re-uates the state$s +%wer structures! Paria)ent is the instituti%nwhich re-uates this +r%cess! P%itica &%rces can c%nstruct a c%'e %& ethics in %r %ut %& +aria)ent! In (%th cases/ they nee' the +e%+e$sen'%rse)ent!

The PPP an' PML,N atte)+te' this an' a-ree' %n a +%itica c%'e %& ethics when they si-ne' the harter %& De)%cracy in 6778!H%we*er/ (%th &aie' t% en-a-e %ther +%itica +arties in the %D1 in &act/ they the)se*es ha*e n%t a'here' t% the s+irit %& the charter!

Des+ite their &aiure t% '% s%/ there is sti a sense that the c%))%n +%itica interest )ust (e secure'! But this sense is n%t str%n- en%u-h

t% +r%*i'e a shie' a-ainst inter*enti%ns! The (i--est chaen-e is that +%iticians are n%t the %ny +%itica act%rs in Pa.istan

P%itica insta(iity is neither in the interest %& the c%untry/ the esta(ish)ent %r the %++%siti%n +arties/ n%r is it in the interest %& thec%untry$s in,transiti%n 'e)%cracy an' ec%n%)y!

The writer is a security analyst.