While most countries move forward with the passage of time, ours seems to move in the backward direction with each passing day. With time the countries stabilise, we however, have decided that nothing can change. Countries like China, Malaysia and numerous others, which were liberated almost during the same era, have gone through massive constructive changes, but we have seen nothing but a country put into the reverse gear since the death of its liberator. Four martial laws and several failed democratic governments later we see our country on the list of failed states.
And why shouldn’t we be there? Millions in my country can’t even afford the basic facilities of health, education and shelter. They wait earnestly for someone to tell them that they might just survive, that they might just make it. Unfortunately, it’s not even just lack of resources; it is the general attitude of the people. Somehow, we have all internalised that this country is not going to survive. We keep blaming our leaders for their follies, but what we do not register is the fact that these leaders have come from amongst us.
Yes, one can certainly argue that our leaders are a different class altogether: landlords, industrialists, military personnel. One can also argue that since the creation of Pakistan, it has been run as an oligarchy, the power changes hands very rarely and even if it does it’s still influenced by a certain echelon. The stratum that reigns over this country, its constitution and its judiciary is the one that has more riches.
JUNAID SHAFQAT PARACHA
Lahore
