The watershed of Good Governance

All these basics of good governance point towards an ideal state that is not so very easy to achieve in practice. The brief interlude of peace and freedom from the onslaught of social vices that came in the wake of Ayub’s martial law is indicative of the fact that it is quite possible to build a peaceful, happy and prosperous society through the instrument of good governance provided its pre-requisites are met satisfactorily. The question is what magic wand worked the miracle of normalcy during that short period? The answer is fear— fear of the strong hand of the armed forces, fear of the justice by an unsparing and unspoiled institution, fear of merciless punishments for the crimes committed, fear of ruthless disciplinary actions against the unsocial element and fear of high moral standing that knew no discrimination between the rich and the  poor, the powerful and the weak, the haves and the have-nots. The common man had seldom seen the armed forces in action in the open. In those days people were afraid of entering a cantonment.

However, without ever having direct contact with the armed forces personnel, they liked and loved them. They respected and eulogized them. They were their heroes who had sworn to offer supreme sacrifices in the defence of the motherland. Their presence guaranteed the safety of life, honour, property of the individual, freedom of the nation and sovereignty of the state. It was a happy combination of fear and love that influenced the attitudes of the people for their own good and the good of the state.