The Father of the Nation, Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, whose birth anniversary is being celebrated today, was a dynamic leader, a great political thinker and a strategist of the greatest acumen, a believer in democratic values and above all one of the greatest nation-builders of modern times.
Mr Jinnah followed a highly disciplined life, had an immaculate character, was bestowed with the ability to forecast results and had the analytical mind to approach problems objectively and in a solution-oriented manner.
The founding father gave special importance to the well-being of the people. In his policy speech on August 11, 1947 he said, “there is no other solution. Now what shall we do? Now, if we want to make this great State of Pakistan happy and prosperous, we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, and especially of the masses and the poor.
Following in his footsteps, the first democratically elected prime minister of Pakistan Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and his daughter Shaheed Benazir Bhutto sacrificed their lives to realise his dream. But the pursuit did not end there, rather it gained unprecedented momentum under the unwavering resolve and relentless support of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
With the nation already committed to the war on terror denting the already fragile national economy and consuming a considerable chunk of national resources, the situation was ripe for even more frustration in the people leading to apathy, vulnerability and extremism. The people so dear to the Father of the Nation were the worst hit by these internal and external factors.
Here, I would like to quote Mr Jinnah with regard to the status of women in society. The great Quaid said “I have always maintained that no nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannot take its women along with the men. No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen. There is a great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women.”
The guiding principles of the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the vision of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the commitment of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto prompted present democratic regime for an urgent and direct relief for the vulnerable and marginalized segments of society to give them hope and means to live.
The Benazir Income Support Programme is one such step, which has become a ray of hope that took a long time coming for the millions of hopeless of this country. BISP is the first ever such initiative in the social sector of the country, which has gained support and trust of various prestigious international organizations as transparency, objectivity and impartiality have been the hallmark of this programme. The only selection criterion, for a deserving family to be registered with BISP, was the information provided by these families pertaining to their resources.
Truly, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is the fulfillment of the dream of Jinnah; practical manifestation of the lifelong quest of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto; and a tribute to the vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
