New social contract, institutional reinvigoration are need of the hour: Ex- IGP Punjab Azhar Hassan Nadeem

• New book sheds lights on the structural challenges that Pakistan is facing
• The author served as the former inspector-general of police in Punjab
• According to the book, Pakistan should move away from its religion-based identity and embrace social equality

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to resolve the issues of democracy and economic development in Pakistan, Punjab’s former police chief has penned down a new book in which he outlines the need for a new social contract as well as institutional reinvigoration in the country.

Titled “Pakistan: The Politics of the Misgoverned,” the book includes an in-depth discussion on the structural challenges that the country is facing today.

The author, Azhar Hassan Nadeem, formerly served as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in Punjab. He retired from his services in 2008 and later served the Punjab Public Service Commission from 2008 to 2011.

In his book, Azhar writes that Pakistan should move away from its religion-based identity, adding that the idea of a nation-state should be centred upon geographical similarity.

According to the author, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah did not have a narrow-minded vision of the country as he believed in religious, racial, ethnic, and social equality.

Shedding light on the country’s development policies, Nadeem states that one of the main reasons for the failure of the policies is the discriminatory application of the law.

Based on ten chapters, the book includes a detailed discussion on the role of state institutions. The author opines that the country’s institutions are not creating inclusive policies, which has, in turn, posed a big challenge for Pakistan.

He also discusses the role of the superior judiciary, the criminal justice system, political parties, and the army.

The book contains separate chapters on issues of local government, civil society, and the state’s response to terrorism.

Aside from that, the former police chief touches upon the topic of missed opportunities in the socio-economic scenario of Pakistan.

In the concluding chapter, Azhar Hassan Nadeem talks about the solution to many of Pakistan’s problems and writes that a new social contract, coupled with institutional reinvigoration, is the need of the hour.

Pointing out the flaws of the criminal justice system of the country, he says that the state should consider introducing reforms to ameliorate the system.