“If you saw Jinnah in your dream and asked him if this is his Pakistan, his reply would definitely be that this is not the Pakistan for which he struggled.
Soon after the creation of Pakistan all powers were taken away from the people, the real owners of this country.
The civilian bureaucracy took control in the early 1950s. In 1958 the army intervened and till today has not transferred power to anyone. For a very short period it shared power with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. But even after the East Pakistan tragedy it did not learn a lesson, and Bhutto was ousted.
Pakistan is not a homeland for its inhabitants; the army and agencies are enjoying all the power. It has become a country for a group of corrupt politicians and civilian and military bureaucrats. When people are not getting clean drinking water, how can one say Pakistan conforms to Jinnah’s vision?
As for what Pakistan needs to do to get there, in my opinion it needs a magic wand.”
- Sardar Ataullah Mengal, founder, Balochistan National Party
