WITH the creation of Pakistan, in 1947, came the hopes and aspirations of the Muslims of South Asia. After a weary and torturous struggle for the right to lead their lives according to their faith, culture and traditions, Pakistan was suppose to be the culmination of these glorius dreams. But for the past 54-years, all their hopes have been dashed to the ground. And instead, it are the politicians and the bureaucrats who have got the most out of this country.
The most affected has been the common man. Lust for power, conspiracies, inefficient officials, who indulged in anti-social and anti-state activities, culminated in the imposition of the first Martial Law on 7th October, 1958. It lasted for a decade and was followed by another martial law, which eventually resulted in the separation of East Pakistan.
During this power struggle, the main suffer was the common man. For him and his children, seeking jobs in various departments, getting domicile certificates, national identity cards etc., are a big process. They are victims of the inefficiency and red-tapism of officials. In government run hospitals, in municipal corporations, Cantonment Boards and other public organizations they cannot talk to anybody, unless they bribe them.
As all of us know, inefficiency, red-tapism and casualness have become our national traits. There are qualified young men roaming the streets, in search of jobs, that cannot be found without the right contacts.
In universities, promising students are the victims of the whims of their teachers. Their biased attitude is exposed during the final exams when they use their discretion to give better marks to their favourite students. When the results are declared the deserving students are simply shocked to find that even university professors can be dishonest. All this happens with the common man. And the reason why he suffers through all of this is that the common man is illiterate.
He is not aware of the innumerable intricacies involved in the working of the various departments. He is unaware of his rights and about the duties of the rulers according to the law. He cannot plead his own case because of ignorance and that is the main reason why he has to submit himself to the circumstances. It is an acknowledged fact that only those countries can progress whose masses are educated. Where people have a sense of discrimination between good and evil. People have the guts to raise their voice against incompetent rulers. This is particularly applicable in democracies.
It is an open secret that people at the helm of affairs or those possessing pivotal positions in the Government, are accumulating wealth and are the least bit concerned about the poverty stricken people. The common man is so much involved in multifarious problems of life that he has no time to find out what the Government or its representatives are doing.
Government departments present the worst example of carelessness inefficiency and casualness. I can’t but refer to the poor performance of the Directorate of Registration, undertaking the task of preparation of computerized National Identity cards. Almost a year ago, forms were submitted after fulfilling so many formalities. However, for no reason at all, many people have been informed that they should submit their forms again. Personally I believe that incompetent staff has been recruited in Islamabad, as is usually done in so many departments of the Government. The officials working are least helpful to the common man who is generally received discourteously. Of course those who can bribe are exceptions.
I fail to understand how long it will take to make our country a civilized state. But from what we see of things that are happening, such a state will never come into existence. Unless of course the common man is allowed to play his role in the politics of the country. The same common man who in the first place should be provided with equal opportunities to acquire education according to his choice and take part in the affairs of the state.
Feudal lords, bureaucrats, MNAs, politicians should not be allowed to interfere in the affairs of the common man. We usually do lip service to the cause of Islam but fail to understand its true spirit. Equality, regardless of colour, caste, status and nationality, is emphasized by Islam. But snobbery has always been the rule of life in our country. Discrimination is usually exercised between the rich and the poor at every stage of our society.
The time is now, when we should learn a lesson from our bitter experiences. In our country the smaller provinces have always complained against the bigger provinces. They also blame the Federation for partiality while allocating the amount of budget to the provinces and granting other financial facilities. This very discriminatory treatment given to the former East Pakistan resulted the creation of Bangladesh.
Unity, Faith and Discipline are the golden principles that should be followed at every stage of life. A true citizen of Pakistan is the one who is ready to sacrifice his life to safeguard the sovereignty of Pakistan. I am confident that our common man, despite his limitations and handicaps will always be ready to sacrifice his life and property for the sake of his country.
But how far bureaucrats, feudal lords, politicians and aristocrats are prepared to lay down their lives for the sake of their country, will be proved only when the time demands their sacrifice.
