Pluralist Society and Civic Responsibility in Pakistan

This paper is divided into four parts. In the first part, I would like to provide a conceptual framework of the Pluralist Society and its key components. In the second part I will examine, analyse and contend that Pakistan was born as a Pluralist Society and in reality continues to be vibrant and diverse–ethnically, linguistically, culturally and in terms of understanding of all these aspects. Yet over the decades, security imperatives of the State and the governing elites have been venturing to change this reality into a monolithic society. This has created a constant schism between the state building and the nation building processes. While the schism persists, the proponents of monolithic ideologies have captured the state and the pluralist dimensions of the society are curbed and not nurtured by the state. In the third part I will identify and briefly explain ten decisions, which over the years have shrunk pluralist space in Pakistan and continue to threaten its pluralist character. This interplay and propensity for monolithic ideology and Pluralism has adversely impacted the process of education in general and particularly led to the construction of an intellectual narrative that promotes state building over nation building. The governing elites have favoured, pursued and adopted policies that exclude plurality and encourage monolithic narrative about Pakistani state and society. It is in this context that I find that over the last four decades the civic education and civic virtues, which are critical responsibility of the state and are being guided and driven by ideological considerations.

Finally in the light of these observations and analysis, I tend to see 18th amendment as a tremendous opportunity to reshape and revive pluralist character of Pakistan and in that conte