Restoring Social Balance: Who Holds the Responsibility?

Pakistan’s Army Chief admits the nation was more balanced before 1979, but history shows it was the state’s own policies—military takeovers, political engineering, and the weaponization of religion—that fractured society. The real test now is whether those who caused the imbalance have the courage to correct it.

In recent weeks, Pakistan’s Army Chief, General Asim Munir, has publicly acknowledged on more than one occasion that Pakistani society, prior to 1979, was relatively balanced. Despite differences of opinion, tolerance was still a defining feature of that era. But in the years that followed, religious extremism, political instability, and growing intolerance deeply fractured the social fabric.

This admission is important in itself, but it also raises a critical question: who bears responsibility for this decline? A glance at history makes it evident that since the military intervention of July 1977, supreme authority has rarely, if ever, been handed over fully to elected representatives. Most major national and international decisions have instead been shaped by the priorities of the military establishment rather than the public mandate.

During General Zia-ul-Haq’s regime, religious elements were deliberately incorporated into state policies. Under the banner of the Afghan Jihad, religious groups were provided with military training, financial resources, and official patronage. In subsequent decades, policies such as “strategic depth,” the distinction between “good Taliban” and “bad Taliban,” and the use of religion as a weapon against the state’s own citizens inflicted irreparable damage on Pakistani society.

It follows, then, that those who played the central role in this disruption now bear the moral and national responsibility to reassess their policies. Mere acknowledgment of past mistakes is not enough; what is urgently needed are concrete steps to guide the nation back toward a balanced, peaceful, and healthy social order.

The Way Forward: Some Essential Measures

1.    State Transparency and Public Representation: All major national decisions must be taken by elected representatives through parliament, not by forces operating from behind the scenes.

2.    Separating Religion from Politics: Religion should no longer be used as an instrument of political engineering or power struggles. Matters of faith must remain a personal domain.

3.    Educational Reform: Curricula must be redesigned to promote tolerance, diversity, and critical thinking so that future generations embrace dialogue rather than extremism.

4.    A Clear Policy on Armed Groups: The distinction between “good” and “bad” militants must end. Without a uniform approach to militancy, state authority will remain compromised.

5.    Democratic Continuity: The strength of Pakistan’s social balance lies in the continuity of the democratic process and the supremacy of constitutional institutions. All state organs, including the military, must operate strictly within their constitutional boundaries.

Pakistan was once known for its balance and tolerance. If we truly have the courage to learn from our mistakes, that balance can indeed be restored. But this will only happen if the centers of power change their priorities and genuinely recognize the people’s mandate as the ultimate source of authority.

Otherwise, history will be compelled to record that those entrusted with preserving balance were, in fact, the very architects of its undoing.

By: Asjad Bukhari