One-third of kids never see the inside of school, but we have nukes: Ex-Pak envoy's viral clip stirs fresh outrage

Economic Times

6 days ago

Synopsis A 2013 interview with former Pakistani ambassador Hussain Haqqani is making waves again in 2025, as Pakistan reels from economic collapse, education gaps, and renewed conflict with India. In the clip, Haqqani challenges Pakistan's obsession with nuclear might while millions of children remain unschooled and citizens live in poverty. His critique has resurfaced following a deadly terrorist attack in Kashmir and India's response through Operation Sindoor. The interview underscores enduring questions about Pakistan's direction, security priorities, and human development. As Pakistan faces a deepening crisis at home, a decade-old warning from former ambassador Hussain Haqqani is hitting harder than ever. A 2013 interview featuring the ex-diplomat has resurfaced online, exposing painful truths about Pakistan's priorities. 'One-third of (Pakistan's) young population… never see the inside of any school — forget about madrasas, religious schools, any school,' Haqqani said. 'Another one-third lives below the poverty line, and yet the country has nuclear weapons.'
ADVERTISEMENT This statement—now viral—echoes across a nation grappling with economic instability, a broken education system, and worsening India-Pakistan relations. Despite being from 2013, the interview's relevance feels sharply present in 2025.Haqqani's critique went deeper than statistics. He questioned the national mindset that glorifies military might at the expense of societal progress. 'The real threat to Pakistan essentially is from a failure to come to terms with its geography, with its history, and with having a direction for it as a nation,' he said during the panel.
His remarks form a blistering takedown of Pakistan's state doctrine—where weapons take precedence over welfare. 'We are now like the guy who keeps buying guns to try and protect himself and then says, 'Oh gosh, I can't sleep because I'm afraid somebody will steal my guns,'' he observed, describing the country's fixation on defence at the cost of its citizens' sense of security.
Haqqani also invoked the vision of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. She imagined a future where Pakistan retained its nuclear deterrence but redefined its global role. 'We will keep the nukes, but we will eventually sign up with some kind of international agreement… We are not going to live as an insecure nation,' he said, referencing Bhutto's forward-looking ideals.
ADVERTISEMENT It was not a call to disarm but to recalibrate—to pair defence strength with internal development and diplomatic maturity.The resurfacing of this interview comes on the heels of a major terror attack. On 22 April, a deadly strike in Kashmir's Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 Indian tourists. The attack, attributed to Pakistan-based terror groups, has plunged the region into crisis. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor, a military campaign targeting nine terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These camps were linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
ADVERTISEMENT What followed was a series of retaliatory attempts by Pakistan to strike Indian military bases between 8 and 10 May. India responded by targeting eight Pakistani airbases on 10 May using long-range missiles and artillery.Diplomatically, India has moved swiftly too. Following the Pahalgam attack, India placed the Indus Waters Treaty under suspension—a significant shift in a treaty that has governed water sharing between the two nations since 1960. With six rivers under its control, India now holds leverage that could strain Pakistan's already fragile agrarian economy.
ADVERTISEMENT Haqqani has been outspoken on Pakistan's internal threats long before the recent escalation. In a post on X, he questioned the legitimacy of allowing extremist outfits to flourish while maintaining a formal army. 'A terrorist attack in Pahalgam led India and Pakistan to the brink of total war. To avoid that in future, it is important to shut down Jihadi groups,' he wrote. 'With well-equipped armed forces, why does the country need Lashkar, Sipah, Jaish, and their Difa-e-Watan Council?'These comments were not made in isolation. They coincide with global concerns over Pakistan's nuclear safety. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently said Pakistan's nuclear weapons should be brought under international monitoring, specifically the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).Even Haqqani conceded that Pakistan's nuclear programme is technically sound and well-guarded. But the central question remains—what use is strategic deterrence if it coexists with illiteracy, poverty, and social fragmentation?
ADVERTISEMENT Pakistan's leadership, according to Haqqani, needs to look inward. Until the country resolves its core contradictions—missiles in the skies and millions of children out of school—the promise of security will ring hollow.
In 2013, his message was seen as provocative. In 2025, it feels prophetic.
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