Silent Revolution - 2

Guest Blog by Amjad Malik (blog)
Previous Article of the series : Silent Revolution - 1

My brief visit to Pakistan in March was welcomed by suicidal blast in Lahore FIA building and farewell attack in Islamabad restaurant resulting several deaths and injuries which pose a serious question of law an order situation in Pakistan where some ordinary citizens still believe that its more of self created problem and may be some agencies involved in it. Opinion is divided which is fatal for Pakistan as govt of the day has failed to send a message across the gravity of situation where unknown sophisticatedly armed men are willing to die with hundred others to score some political point, is it a revenge or the foreign invasion of different kind. It may be the failure of Musharraf regime to properly advocate in favour of their ill thought policies which are back firing. As a nation Pakistanis are not trained to an extent where they can stop any danger coming towards the state in fact, we all awake when the water is above the danger threshold, and nationalism is no where seen in Pakistan and alas Qauid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah is confined to portraits and ceremonial status. His sayings and doings are hardly remembered in particular by our rulers. If they are acted upon from the beginning or even now, we would not be in the mess we are currently in.

12th May massacre showed the tendency of rulers to an extent they may go to suppress lawful drive for constitutionalism in Pakistan, however, the way nation behaved over the tragic death of late Be Nazir burning their own train stations, looting banks and blowing businesses and damaging properties is a worrying sign for the flag carriers of federation. We need to knit ourselves to one nation without caring our geographical heritage or regional location in order to combat the 21st century war of information. Of course, language can play an important and integral part in carrying the message and none other than Urdu could be used to broadcast national message which may be understood by all as if you speak in foreign language how can you convey your message in a borrowed language. I would go one step further and would recommend national disciplinary service to train the whole nation towards rule of law & basic defence drive so that we as a nation start to learn respecting the law of the land.

Common Pakistanis are hit by price hike, lawlessness, and are suffering due to lack of educational, health and social welfare facilities and above all we are perturbed by political Mullah's role in our day to day life. Extremism is multiplying and lack of stable political activity is doubling the radicalisation in our attitude where poverty and unemployment throw a bait to the rich mafia to do dirty and manipulate our young uneducated radical mind to use suicidal attacks as a fire work. Political business reduce tension and put people on table to solve problems. Pakistan needs a national drive of reconciliation to set up a political system and ponder on a serious social charter where nation which lacks infrastructure can come nearer to a dream to get justice, economic strength and basic necessities like free education, state health service and employment. New govt must consider granting the dictatorship ridden Pakistan a ray of hope where social welfare dream comes true. A lay person gets justice at the door step due to devolution of justice system to the town level, poor gets flour to eat bread and gets employment and his sick mother can be treated free at a national hospital and his daughter can go to school trouble free at state expense. At the moment people in General Musharraf's Pakistan are on the street with mobile phone in their hands crying for shortage of flour, sugar, oil and high price petrol. 'Work work and more work' must be the aim of the nation who achieved the statehood after sacrificing 4 million souls in 1947 and democratic parties must show sensitivity befitting to the situation and try to promote culture of democracy within their parties and try to bring the politics of issues back in business and remove high level investment out of electioneering. As it stands politics is a cup of tea of a investor mafia, landlords, successful business men or retired bureaucrats and lay middle class cannot even think participating elections as normal election cost around 20 million Pakistani rupees and one who invest that much would definitely wait to double their investment once elected. The whole business of politics must be brought back at a cup of tea rather than a tea break with a roast chicken and India's example is in front of us.

We must foster new traditions where live and let live must be the motto and the whole nation must be taken into confidence in this national drive of building Pakistan once again. We are once again at a stage where we have to decide and revive the principle and discipline ourselves to beat other nations with progress, modernity of mind and prosperity of our life style where we are well versed of our Islamic teachings ourselves so that mosque leader does not take advantage of our ignorance and interpret Islam the way he likes. Pakistan is in serious trouble at the hands of a few and the nation can beat this faceless enemy who is after its progress, modernity, and conservatism if the difference between our sayings and doings is eradicated and we all work for national cause. Pakistan first seems a popular slogan but do the rulers really mean it. Pakistan day begs this very question if the country comes first then why the whole nation is witnessing unprecedented oppression against the chief justice and his fellows who took a stand to preserve the interest of state first than the interest of a man. Is it not what Article 5 of the constitution 1973 says, " (1) loyalty to the state is the basic duty of every citizen." Lets all be loyal to the state of Quaid e Azam on this 23 March and onwards.

Amjad Malik is a Solicitor-Advocate of the Supreme Court (England) and a political analyst based in UK