Over the past few months, I have decided to stay quiet and simply observe the ugly political scene developing in Pakistan. As it was in the mid-90’s, I have begun to lose faith that there is any chance of stability for Pakistan…at least in my lifetime.
But then sometimes you are forced to witness an event after which you simply cannot stay quiet…you have to stand up and speak out against all the wrong that you see. That is what we try to do here at Micropakistan-hoping that perhaps our debate and discussions will lead to solutions to the mess that we are currently in.
I was on my way to the Institute in the Institute’s bus to give an exam…an Institute safely (or unsafely) within the confines of Karachi University. While stationary at a traffic signal, I lifted my head to see two youths not part of the Institute clamber onto the bus and reveal a gun to the driver.
They then addressed us in Urdu and told us that they were from a certain political party and that their “Bhai” wanted our bus for their anti-lawyer rally tomorrow. We were told to get off the bus in the middle of the road…the sad part (or rather sadder part) is that these political “activists” then told us to deposit our cell phones in a bag they had brought for this purpose.
Having cleaned up and made a killing with the rather trendy cell phones of my classmates, they left us in the searing heat and drove off. We had no phone, and no means of getting to our exam in time. When we finally reached the exam, you can imagine the state of mind we were in while giving the exam (which we were forced to do by the Institute).
My exams for tomorrow have been cancelled. My education suffers because a bunch of lawyers have a bone to pick with the Government-what kind of protest is that? And what about this political party…they claim to be the saviours of Karachi but could not resist from making a cheap profit off students’ cell phones….Pathetic!
The state of this country is Pathetic! When a corrupt chief justice becomes public hero, when university buses are hijacked, when females are not safe to roam the streets or take up professions, when muslims are no longer following Islam…it shows that things are going awry….
My first reaction after this incident was quite simply “I cant wait to get out of this dump!” But if we were all to adopt this philosophy then the demise of this country would occur at double the pace.
No matter who wins the lies being told in the media (GEO being the main culprit), or which political party has the most successful rally, or if the lawyers finally get their way…We the people of Pakistan suffer…and lose.
I just pray for a solution…But one does not seem in sight.
Salahuddin: You’ve made a good point. Regardless of who wins, of who comes into power, it is the people of Pakistan who lose. People are all for protesting against Musharraf and standing up for principles right now, but they forget that when Musharraf came he was a saviour. The alternatives are nothing more than petty criminals.
As you pointed out, the people protesting for the rule of law are not only well qualified lawyers, but political party goons. At the end, regardless of who comes out on top, I really don’t see what good is going to come to the people of Pakistan.
I don’t think your point about Muslims not following Islam seems to fit into context here. Not because that’s not a bad thing, but because I don’t feel its a new phenomenon. You might find a group of people who would blame all the ills of this country on exactly the same reason: The Lal Masjid/Jamia Hafsa brand of Islam. In fact, they are trying to forecefully bring about an Islamic revolution in the country. Then again, they’re the same people making it unsafe for women to roam the streets or take up professions.
Salahuddin
When I started your articles I was illusioned that it might be the same out of those in numerous ones that lands at one-sided category….but with the passage of each word I realized that it is the same voice out of many hundred and hundred thousands. TRUE, CLEAN and of an ORIGINAL PAKISTANI who SUFFERS in multiple orders: IN THE HANDS OF GOVT, IN THE HANDS OF POLITICIANS, IN THE HANDS OF SO-CALLED FREE MEDIA and IN THE HANDS of PATHETIC RELIGIOUS CHAMPS.
No matter what just keep the hope alive and keep faith in Allah.
Thankx for the comments Jibraan! Only by voicing the opinions of all those millions of Pakistanis can we bring a change…Our hopes are indeed alive…and InshAllah we will one day be able to claim ourselves as a successful state!