Charles de Gaulle proposed a constitution in which the office of
the president was powerful. Under the same constitution, the president was
elected twice. He ended the war in Algeria by ending the French colonial
rule, and under his presidency, France became the fourth nuclear power in the
world. Although de Gaulle was a French nationalist instead of being a
proponent of European unity, he played an important role in this European unity
that later developed into the European Union. But none of these successes
made him say that he was indispensable to France.
In fact, de Gaulle often reminded himself and others that
"cemeteries are full of people who consider themselves
indispensable." As if no individual should be considered so important
without The business of a nation or state cannot run.
There is a reason to give the example of France. A country that suffered from decades of political instability, and General de Gaulle was the man who brought the country out of this instability. Since the creation of Pakistan, our leaders as well as the people are looking for a messiah or a savior. Supporters of almost every major public figure believe that their elected leader holds the cure to all the problems facing the country. And the leaders themselves, from military dictators to politicians and sports heroes, begin to believe that they are indispensable to the country.
If Pakistani leaders can learn any lesson from General de Gaulle, they should know that there is no need to cling to office at all costs. A patriot puts his views before the people. He guides people to implement them if people support them. When the public withdraws its support, it is time for him to return to private life. There is no need to label dissenters as foreign agents or traitors. Sometimes your ideas continue to guide the country even after you leave the limelight.
Similarly, Pakistani people also need to learn something from de
Gaulle's French supporters. It is one thing to think of someone as the
right person for a leadership role. It is quite another to believe that
the country has no future without your favorite messiah or savior. Many
people in France recognized de Gaulle, loved him, but he never took the
position that "he will be our leader, otherwise there will be nothing
left", as we often see in the political history of Pakistan. I have come
to see. There is a difference between political movement and
individualism. The French understood this point, but many Pakistanis
failed to do so. Even after de Gaulle's retirement from politics and his
death, the Gaullist political trend still exists in France.
The result of turning a blind eye to the messiahs, saviors and heroes is that there is no system in Pakistan that can improve governance. Every government in Pakistan's history, whether civilian or military, has revolved around those who hold power. Policy is made without public sharing of information and open debate. Promises made by a government are often not fulfilled by its successors.
Such decision-making is usually random and disjointed. It
also changes as the bed of the government arrangement becomes round. Since
changes in regimes are themselves unpredictable, there is no guarantee how long
a policy will last. Only those who feel that they can make more and faster
wealth without long-term planning, only invest in such an environment. Few
multinational players remain in the field because they hope that global backing
will protect their businesses. There is no place for local businesses or
those who have built a place through hard work in the economic arena of
Pakistan. Its economic journey continues from one IMF package to another
IMF package.
A stable political framework is required for long-term and sustainable economic growth. Political stability does not mean the continuation of power of a single individual or political party. Italy has seen 70 governments in 78 years since the end of World War II. Japan changes its prime minister about every two years. The stability of these nations comes from the continuity of their political system. A change of face in the Prime Minister's office does not change economic policies. Individual desires are subject to institutional scrutiny. Leaders of most successful countries are practical consensus builders and policy makers. They run their countries, not pretend they are saving it. Ever since Field Marshal Ayub Khan, Pakistan has been searching for saviors. Each savior has tried to reinvent the wheel of governance rather than building on pre-existing foundations.
De Gaulle practically resisted the Nazi occupation of France. On several occasions, he stepped forward and presented plans to the French people to overcome the crisis and told them what they needed to do. Some of his decisions and methods adopted were also wrong. But neither de Gaulle nor France underestimated the concept of "the great hero who saved the nation". And this concept has been established as the most important factor in the political thinking of Pakistan.
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