Every Pakistani who passed matriculation between 1981 and 1995, and all those who watched TV talk shows between 2003 to 2013 believe that Pakistan is not a result of human intent or effort, but a gift of God. A miracle, which will not be repeated, simply because it can’t be repeated. Like a rainbow that freezes.
Just like any miracle and any gift of God, one, its God’s responsibility to hold it. Two, only God know how it runs or moves; or why it seems so but doesn’t!
So all those in and outside Pakistan who intend any harm to it are in fact trying to fight God. What fools!
If Pakistan is considered a result – or error – of human intent, efforts and actions, we the other, recent humans could fix it. But as it is a gift of God, either God will fix it or if we relax God’s remit a bit, those who are divinely gifted and manifestly enjoying God’s perpetual blessings in Pakistan would fix it.
That is the critical part of theory making Paks invincible institutional forces, and invulnerable social and religious groups rightly believe they are the only ones and best equipped to protect this gift of God.
Those mortal civilizations that are a result of organic social growth, and those worldly countries which are a result of human intent, effort or mistake have a systems theory which explains their running or limping.
In the case of Pakistan, we too have a system theory, but quite like most other things in this gift of God, such theories neither conform to the theoretical premises of the theory, nor do they explain the how and why of Pakistan’s sub-systems – social, institutional, governance or public policy.
Here, for those who know everything in & of Pakistan (that’s everyone over 25), let me share my limited understanding of this theory, so that we can gauge the degree of improvisation in its Pakistani version.
These improvisations are partly by human design, partly by divine providence which enabled that design. To be religiously correct, all human designs are blessed and sanctioned by divine providence in Pakistan. After all, it’s sinful and culpable to even pretend a half-doubt or a quarter-belief that anything the leaders of our institutional or religious leadership do is or can be without divine sanction.
A systems theory explains how complex systems, societies, countries, governments, traffic, aviation or large organizations (no, no insinuation to Pakistani Army, because that’s an institution, not an organization) smoothly function with the help of its integrative sub-systems and integrated parts.
This theory is more accurate in smaller stuff with measureable and maneuverable electromagnetic or mechanical inputs. Like a car, if you have one. Or your cell phone that your spouse has an eye on (if you have a spouse; if not, why are you even reading this and wasting time! Go celebrate life while it lasts.)
In the functioning of complex systems, there are predictable routines whose results are ensured, their minimum standards are known, and their quality is at least sustained, and at best gradually improves.
Consider the way our bed works (I guess its safe to assume that all those reading this have a bed): we sit, and lie on it. We sleep, then we get off as we awake, and walk away on our own feet by volition.
Its a simpleton’s simplest possible explanation of a part of sub-system of sleep that keeps us going.
Now, imagine, we sit on a bed, and we fall though it. Or we sit, lie and sleep but wake up somewhere else, in someone’s else’s bed. Depending on our gender and age, we won’t be able to walk off that bed or keep going for the rest of the day, or night. Again depending on what time we find its not our bed.
In the Pakistani variation (I wish I could say deviation) of the system theory, the motions, sounds, visuals and cycles of its routines are same as anywhere else, but the results are as bizarre as if you make a call from your phone and end up with a call of nature!
Some systems theory experts and academics ought to undertake rigorous research to find out why we get the inverse or reverse results from the straight motions! Like whimsical judgements from judiciary – despite the fact (or illusion) that all the sounds and motions of the ‘due process’ of justice are followed the way they would be in any other country.
The same is the case of institutions and agencies responsible to dispense security, safety, tax collection, and other public services etc., and et al.
This may also explain how our education system produces remarkably ignorant pupils despite regular routines of schooling and fails to produce average knowledgeable students.
Look around at the government, its governance; taxation; superior judiciary, or any market transaction, you will see the manifestation of divinity in how Pakistani systems theory ‘works’.
How blessed we are! May the system prevail, and its guardians live long. Bolo Ameen …
