Pakistan is in a miserable state, that is what my elders say watching the bloodshed on television sets. But as Seneca said, “Fire tries gold, misery tries brave men.” We, I hope, will emerge out of this situation as a new more united nation.
The government has failed in everything from education to the economy of the country. We have no electricity and for three days a week our cars are without fuel (CNG). In winters, our stoves burn only for a few hours. Our taps are flowing with filthy water. In these conditions only the elite class can survive the jolts of scarcity and inflation while the rest are spending their lives hand to mouth. But I think all this is happening as an outcome of our own actions. We are indulged in playing blame games, daydreaming and idleness and we look for shortcuts.
According to the National Corruption Perception Survey (NCPS) 2010 by the Transparency International, “The four top corrupt institutions in Pakistan are police, electricity, land department and education.” Police officers should be selected on merit. Only then our police department can do away with the bad impression associated with it for years.
Wapda, Pakistan Railways and PIA are facing hard times despite the fact that they have been extracting desired charges from facility users. Still they are facing criticism and losses. For years, Pakistan has been trying to balance out the supply against demand for electricity but not a single long term solution has been put forward.
A corrupt mafia is ruling over the land department who has their own book of laws. The patwaris are involved in all the illegal deals. The successive governments have been ignoring this department as if they are bound to cooperate with them.
Wherever you see, corruption is already there. Cheating in exams, getting admissions and jobs through contacts is also corruption. We are so spoiled that we may not survive in a crystal clear system. If we cannot obey the law, how come we should expect the government officials to follow the law of the land?
With every passing day, the poor are being suppressed and getting frustrated, which leads to creating criminals out of them. Pakistan’s biggest issue is the presence of non-uniform educational system. Private and public sector schools have ignited the spark of discrimination. They have divided the society into two classes; the rich and the lower classes. Private sector schools charge fee which an ordinary citizen cannot afford, only the elite class can get their children enrolled in these schools.
The situation is totally opposite in the public sector schools. We can sweep corruption, terrorism and illiteracy from our society only by providing quality education.
Having said that, we have brilliant minds and have potential to bring change. It’s just that we are unable to set our destination. Our country desperately needs a strong leadership and an organised law enforcement system which will guide its people in the right direction. We should not wait for miracles to happen. We have the spark to turn the tables, so let’s start planning about future.
It’s not too late to rethink and make our lives self-controlled rather leading a submissive life. But for that we have to stand up for ourselves and shun away bad habits stuffed in our heads. Don’t let your fears overcome yourself rather chase away your fears and let the heat of your burning passion come out and make your own world.
ZAIB NAVEED
Karachi
