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Time to Rent Out the Country

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By Dr Muhammad Iqbal

Bad news after bad news. From both home and abroad. The “F State” phrase keeps popping up among Pakistan-bashers of the world.

The world hates us. The good guys hate us. The bad guys hate us. Now even God and nature hate us.

People living in urban middle-class/posh localities are hardly affected. Yet they are the ones providing a variety of lip service through media and the internet. Some of them will even try to “empathize” with the rest of the population by visiting “them” once in a while and returning to their comfy homes later.

The urban middle class is NOT Pakistan. It’s only a very small proportion.

Among the doom and gloom, I came across a brilliant suggestion recently.

Since for the majority, the country is not performing, it’s time to put the country on a temporary suspension from all activities:

  1. Dissolve the government
  2. Declare permanent emergency
  3. Suspend all military / bureaucratic / non-productive activities
  4. Request a foreign power (preferably China) to take management of the country for a period of 15 years
  5. Clean up the house
  6. Restore government, restore country
  7. Test for a year, repeat if necessary

I challenge anyone who has a better immediate practical solution.

Posted: August 30th, 2010
  • Majid Habib

    That’s one of the most insane so-called practical solutions, I have ever heard. It just shows to what lengths our country is decidophobic and negative approached. Which nation hands over their identity? their country? Did China do it when they were opium addicts in the early years of their independence? Dear friend, I don’t come from some posh or upper middle class locality, but I can assure you there are definitely much better immediate practical solutions.

  • sano umreth

    Of course the Chinese will conquer us as they have Tibet and destro Islam like they are doing to the Uighurs. As far as the Chinese are concerned they like it that we are keen to perform political fellatio on the Chinese gerontocracy so we can terrorize their enemies the Indians. On balance Muslims are treated better in US and India than China. Shows how much you have engaged in hara activities like drinking!

  • wasim watio

    I agree with the author. Further I would say that today the world knows Pakistan as a country with excessive corruption and pathetic under-performance of the state institutions. The world wonders what type democracy Pakistan has. Unfortunately the state is captured by small band of corrupt political elite which has the control over the resources of the country. This corrupt system compels people to become cynical and alienated from politics and the state which literally implies alienation from Pakistan which a threat to the ecistence of a nation. People of Pakistan are going through the worst flood of history are increasingly impatient over a lack of food ,water,shelter and other relief goods, criticizing Pakistan government for mismanagement. The government has failed to live upto the expectations of the people in providing relief. Now the People are looking towards Pakistan army, international, privately help worker and NGO’s instead of government The Prime minister and president of Pakistan look very much relaxed after mere visits to areas affected by flood including fake relief camps. I would like to share here that a couple of weeks agao PN Gillani visted flood-victim capms at DI khan. Ary Tv personnle kashi Abbasi reached there to dislcose the reality. He did a great a job when he arrived at that fake camp. This dummy camp was strategized to make fool out of nation and the world to make an impression how efficiently thsi government is coping with the flood disaster. This is the most morrupt governemtn we have ever see. The merit has benn killed and the corruption has touched new limts. I don’t know when we will get rid of this corrupt setup. Meanwhile I would say that the second so-called major aprty namely PML (N) is no differnt from the ruling party PPP. These two parties have looted the wealth for decades. As long as these two corrupt parties keep playing the musical chair game with the nation, one must not hope for any improvement to the lives of the people of this country. During the present flood disaster we have seen the incompetence of the governemnt. But Pkaitan Army has not left any stone unturned when it comes to provide relief to the victime of the flood. I have nothing but respect for Pakistan Army.

  • Syed Obaidullah Madni

    There is nothing negative or wrong with this solution, I agree completely… it may look wrong only to some Pakistan Studies college brainwashed kids or teenagers who watch other nations’ kids with envy on youtube.

    Actually this is the sanest suggestion, given the state of affairs in Pakistan.

    Think about it, ALL the institutions have either FAILED completely or slowly dying. You can love or respect the Army as much as you want, but it is one institution that is single handedly responsible for more problems than solutions. All the other institutions, including government, justice, administration, law-and-order, religious bodies, education, commerce and industry have either failed or will soon fail if this continues unchecked.

    It’s only a matter time! But there is still a chance to save Pakistan. And it may very well be by letting someone else manage it before we destroy it piece by piece ourselves!

  • Emaan Wahaj

    “Dr” Mohammad Iqbal. Have you completely lost it? Even if it is a “F” state, you don’t rent your country out and invite the “other” to conveniently and ultimately take over your country. You messed it up, you clean it up. Typical thinking. Berbaad ker ke jhooli phela do.

  • Dr Muhammad Iqbal

    @Majid Habib: I’m still holding my breath for your assured “much better immediate practical solutions” barkhurdar.

    @sano umreth crawl back to your hole, you holier-than-thou creep… and don’t come back under a different cowardly nickname.

    @wasim watio I’m catching your drift, buddy.

    @Syed Obaidullah Madni I couldnt have said it better myself sir! Thank you.

    @Emaan Wahaj Please, spare us your outrage from cozy sidelines of “Europe” and keep warming your armchair.

  • maqbool

    i completey agree with the writer and i m ashamed to call out me as pakistani, when i stand in front of mirror in the morning i touch my parts and talk to them individually eh r u safe from suicide attacke? r u safe from target killing? r u safe from spot fixing? r u safe from flood? r u safe from terrorism?

    Shame
    The extreme is another four parts partition
    The hope and solution is Revolution…

  • Ayesha

    I second the author’s point of view.

    Magbool, Revolution?? Pakistan or the subcontinent in general will never have a revolution! We subcontinental people have never, ever revolted in history because we are too weak willed, only good at either violently killing each other or silly “nonviolent” movements… two extremes of opposite nature!!

    We have been occupied by strong outsiders (Arabs, Central Asians, Europeans, etc), only then we try to struggle for independence.

    So yes occupation, not revolution is the solution to wake us up.

  • JalalHB

    I am saddened to read the proposal by a well read person and equally disappointed by remarks by some of the readers who feel ashamed of being a Pakistani.
    Nations are not made overnight and remarks and suggestions above are a good indicator of that. Even Americans took centuries to become a nation. The only thing wronf with us is that we need ready-made solutions rather than cooly and passionately discussing our problems.
    It is good that we have started discussing our problems. It is equally good to see our illiterate and vision-less politicians getting exposed through media. It is good to see people talking their heart out. We are taking a start. Instead of handing over ourselves to someone else, there are many people who have started to relaise the need to question ourselves and the governemnt.
    We do not need revolutions either as we lack a charismatic leader. We need to sift out the better ones from the available lot. And we would, God willing, be able to get over with what we are in at the moment. We only need to ponder more.
    PS: One advice for the doctor sahib: Please dont taunt your readers. As you yourself havent given a prudent solution either.

  • Paradigm

    There is no self accountability solution in author’s ideas. We mess up but others clean up? We as a nation has no self-accountability, no adaptability, and no self reliance.

    We become the most LAW_ABIDING citizens and residents of other countries but when we are in our own country or we visit we become the F state of affairs ourselves. F STATE? is not done by one PResident who is corrupt. F state is the F STATE of each house hold each neighbourhood, each town, each district and each province. IT starts from our own selves. Individuals. we individuals are F-STATE and combined we call it PAKISTAN…change your perspectives…change starts from within not brought to you by others. CHINA or US or INDIA or even our prophet can’t do anything…We say we follow ISLAM? or DO we. If ISlam couldn’t make us better what would CHINA DO…Think with a focus…start WITHIN not pointing fingers at others.

  • Deny Deny Deny

    let me guess, all the opponents of this idea are well fed and educated Pakistanis from urban areas or nicely settled abroad? ;-)

    enough said!

  • M. A. Qureshi

    This is with reference to Dr. Muhammad Iqbal’s opinion post “Time to Rent out the Country”. On the contrary, my opinion is that even foreign powers will fail to succeed in eradicating the miseries of our country. Since, all of our governments act on a schema that is planned and prepared by the US authorities therefore, it would be more ingenious if our country is declared as one of the US States. More precisely a US State in South East Asia, and guess what the on going “war on terror” in our country will become “Our very much owned war” officially. After all, each star in a US flag represents each state. How about adding one star to the US flag?

  • Saleem

    Good, I like it. Thank you.

  • ShahidnUSA

    Brilliant ideas Muhammad Iqbal. But I would rent it out to Turkey instead of China.

  • Mishal Zohaib

    Not from China, but from JAPAN ;)

  • Abramovich

    What a nation of 160 Mil+ donkeys it would make us! If we cannot manage ourselves, we dont have a right to exist, and if nothing changes, we wont.

    History does not predict good results for this solution too!

    Consider my wife renting me out as a result of my mischief! It wouldnt make me look that bad, but my wife … tsk tsk! (also consider the opposite ;) there would many waiting for this ‘lucrative’ opportunity)

  • Adnan

    Muhammad IQbal seems to live in Dreamland. Have not we already rented out out countries decades ago in the hand of USA? Recently We renewed the contract and paid further by embracing US’ war on terror by calling it our OWN war.

  • shahid

    The author must be a non pakistani and agent of the Zionists/Indian/ American/Russians/Iranian secret agencies paid to spread despair and gloom.
    The pakisatnis must see through such conspiracies and not lose heart.
    Good work Mr. Secret agent.

  • Malik

    Here is an idea,
    Rent it out to “Taliban”
    As the reighn of taliban was the best that afghanistan has seen.

  • akram

    uff i just wasted 5 minutes of my precious life reading the comments of some stupid delusioned people.
    Rent your country, cause u r too busy wetting your pants..
    and the funny thing is so many people also agree to the bullshit. How can so many people be so much lost..ok let me start it this way-
    1. you cant live with people of other religion, so what do u do..you fight and create your own country.
    2. now when you have your own country and you seriously fucked up, so you think “ya that was some mistake , we cant do a shit, lets give this country to some one else and see whether they could manage it or not”.
    and i have to say Pakistanis are improving earlier it was just the Zionists/Indian/American but now its +2(Russians/Iranians)also…Pakistan i have to tell you have such a colorful variety of idiots..

  • saad

    i second the suggestion put forward by Dr. Muhammad Iqbal. Instead of waiting for a complete mess and possible invasion by foreign forces; why not make an agreement now with china or perhaps UK.
    I dont see any hope as a disoriented nation that we are right now.

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