Revisiting the Social Contract and SDGs in Pakistan
Revisiting the Social Contract and SDGs in Pakistan: A Call for Systemic Transformation
The old is dying, and the new is not yet born; this profound observation by Antonio Gramsci encapsulates the essence of Pakistan’s political landscape. As Pakistan grapples with the pursuit of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is imperative to recognize that the path to progress is obstructed by political stagnation, which breeds unrest and alienation within the political system.
Achieving the SDGs necessitates a radical overhaul of the existing system, placing people at the center stage instead of centering “capital” at its core. The evolving mode of production demands new social relations and a reformed political system to foster sustainable development.
The roots of Pakistan’s state-citizen relations and its pursuit of development can be traced back to the pre-independence era. In the lead-up to the 1947 partition, Pakistan’s political elite coalesced around the Muslim League, but with diverse motivations. The military and bureaucracy saw Pakistan as a means to rapid promotions due to intense competition in a united India. Religious elites aimed to impose their interpretation of religion, while landlords sought to preserve their traditional power structures. Industrialists viewed Pakistan as an opportunity to dominate markets due to limited competition. The Technical Assistance Program initiated by the USA in the 1950s had a lasting impact on Pakistan, diminishing people’s influence over governance and development priorities by trapping it in a capitalist sphere.
According to the Freedom House Index, Pakistan falls into the category of a Hybrid Regime, characterized by a lack of democracy and the presence of authoritarian tendencies. In such regimes, citizens often experience powerlessness and alienation as political power is concentrated in the hands of a few, marginalizing the majority. This powerlessness can be attributed to the inherent contradictions of capitalism, which lead to unequal distribution of wealth and resources. Capitalism’s inherent contradictions prioritize profit, resulting in economic disparities that marginalize many citizens. As wealth concentrates among a few, the powerlessness of the majority becomes more pronounced.
This economic alienation often extends into the political sphere, where individuals feel disconnected from a system that seems to serve the interests of the wealthy elite. The rise of populist politics, the dominance of neoliberalism, and the influence of corporations have further exacerbated this power imbalance. The state exercises control through repressive and ideological state apparatuses, further limiting state-citizen relations.
Repressive state apparatuses, such as security forces and surveillance mechanisms, maintain control and suppress dissent. Ideological state apparatuses, including media and education systems, shape public perception and ideology to benefit those in power. The state often uses these apparatuses to maintain its grip on authority, limiting the political agency of citizens.
This reduction of state-citizen relations to mere constitutional awareness prevents meaningful engagement in decision-making and hinders the development of an informed and active citizenry. To address these complex challenges, it is essential to reduce intellectual poverty. Providing immediate relief to impoverished citizens, such as financial assistance, is important in the short term, but it is not a sustainable solution. Empowering individuals with education, skills, and opportunities is crucial for enabling self-sufficiency and active participation in the development process. Initiatives to promote entrepreneurship, vocational training, and access to quality education can play a pivotal role in reducing intellectual poverty and fostering sustainable development.
Achieving SDGs requires substantial changes on two fronts: restructuring economic structures and reforming the political system. Addressing economic resource disparities through land reform, wealth redistribution, and fair taxation is essential for equitable development. Simultaneously, political systems must be restructured to empower citizens and enhance their participation. This may involve strengthening democratic institutions, ensuring transparency and accountability, and promoting civil society engagement. Only through these systemic changes can the power of the people be effectively harnessed to pursue sustainable development goals.
The recent mid-term review of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2023 highlighted persistent challenges in achieving these objectives. While the UN’s SDGs emphasize universal partnership and collaboration, achieving them requires two significant changes: restructuring economic systems and reestablishing people’s power within the political system. The existing economic structures in many hybrid regimes perpetuate inequality and hinder sustainable development.
These structures often favor the elite and neglect the marginalized. To achieve SDGs, countries must address these economic disparities through economic justice and opportunities for all citizens. Further, political systems have eroded the power of the people over time, largely due to the influence of dominant neoliberal forces, populist politics, and corporate interests. The rise of political alienation among the masses exacerbates this issue.
To promote sustainable development, political systems must undergo fundamental changes to empower citizens, foster critical thinking, encourage dialogue, and uphold plurality. In hybrid regimes, the relationship between the state and its citizens, the process of constitutionalization, and the pursuit of sustainable development goals are complex and interrelated challenges.
The powerlessness and alienation of citizens in these systems can be traced back to inherent contradictions in capitalism, exacerbated by hegemonic control and a lack of meaningful state-citizen relations. Achieving sustainable development goals requires a comprehensive reevaluation of state-citizen relations, constitutionalization, and power dynamics. Structural changes are necessary in both economic and political spheres to empower citizens and align development efforts with SDGs.
Overcoming the inherent contradictions in capitalism, reducing political alienation, and fostering equitable economic structures are vital steps toward realizing the fundamental ideals of people, planet, peace, and prosperity as outlined by the United Nations. Without such changes, sustainability risks becoming a mere slogan, susceptible to manipulation by dominant neoliberal powers, and the development agenda of the poor worldwide will remain unfulfilled.
The power of people holds immense potential to drive sustainable change, but it must be harnessed through systemic transformation and the restoration of a citizen-centric political system through new social contract. The New Social Contract, between Governments, people, civil society, business and more, must integrate employment, sustainable development and social protection, based on equal rights and opportunities for all.
