A key reason for the polarization prevalent in Pakistani society is the destruction of its moral fiber, with little concern for social justice, egalitarianism and integrity. The country is divided between the oppressed and their oppressors, with the former lacking the strength to fight the latter, despite a significant numerical majority. This very majority is another problem, as poorer families—lacking education and guidance—tend to be larger, increasing the barriers to improving their lives. The lack of hope drives people to seek answers from faith, which has been twisted by a certain segment of society to increase their pliability, hampering their ability to think rationally.
To be fair, Pakistan’s situation is not too dissimilar from the rest of the world, where the “one percent” play the role of powerbrokers and control the destiny of the 99 percent, who struggle to overcome their lack of privilege. Here, however, bickering political parties looking to the security establishment, and not the public, to attain power are discouraged from any attempt to improve livelihoods. The have-nots are divided along sectarian and socioeconomic lines, making it difficult to form a united front, while the elite—comprising the armed forces, bureaucracy, judiciary, legislatures, executive branch, corporate sector, landowners and builders, and transporters—also all jockey for power, hampering policymaking.
It is cliché to point to corruption in the public service, but this has become the easiest means to advance in society, with officials becoming affluent while in service thanks to ill-gotten wealth. The government has also repeatedly failed to bring into the tax net “big fish,” who are increasingly subsidized by the salaried class despite having far greater resources at their disposal. Pakistan, led by its political parties, must move toward devising and implementing a new social order that focuses on human rights and welfare for the least privileged. Only then can the country hope to move toward a more equitable system that seeks to lessen, not worsen, existing stratification.