Pakistan: Demanding Realization

Pakistan: Demanding Realization

Pakistan: the land of the pure. Born on the night the Holy Quran, the epitome of truth, was revealed on mankind. Thousands laid their lives in hope of a better future, a future where their children would not be persecuted on any basis imaginable and a future where they would have all the liberties that they are entitled to as humans and as Muslims. It was the greatest exodus of people that the world had ever experienced. All for the dream that one day they would be free.

But after the initial euphoria of succeeding in achieving an independent homeland wore off, reality hit home and it hard. Year after year the people continued to be looted and maltreated. Some used the name of democracy while others hid behind religion to fool them and protect their own vested interests. The main aim was however the same, to keep the people as unaware of their rights as possible because if they realize what their rights are they might one day protest and demand what is truly theirs. They might one day realize that the well-being of the common man is far more important that of all the ruling fat cats rolled into one. They might one day realize that human life is more sacred than democracy and its sham symbols in the form of concrete buildings and avenues.

Pakistan was meant to be the land of the pure. Purity here however is a rare artifact. It takes great effort to dig out something pure from this land of ours. Whether it is people or mere basic commodities. Our rulers are corrupt, our national and political ideologies are molded on lies to suit the interests of whoever can afford to mold them, we have been spoon-fed such brazen lies over the past 67 years that the world laughs at us. Yet we remain delusional fools. For what else would one call people who adopt the discourse that defines our national priorities? It is a discourse completely devoid of substance and lacking in conviction.

We have flavored both democracy and dictatorship, but both have not been successful in substantially uplifting the common man. Both systems have been interchanging like night and day. When one system failed to please the people and its opposition had enough ground to uproot it, the other was only too eager to come and replace it. But both equally reeked of hypocrisy and continued to serve only the rich rulers.

For more than 6 decades people have been searching for a messiah. But now for the first time in history the reality that no one can save them but themselves has dawned upon the people. It might be just a beginning but it has started to reignite the flame of love for their homeland that had been reduced to a kindle in the past years. But that flame is eternal, it always existed and will always continue to exist.

In this day and age with provisions like the internet available to kids as young as 10 and even less, it is impossible to keep the populace unaware of their rights. One might say that such provisions are only available to the rich but the truth is that the poor are often more aware as they experience first-hand what the rich read articles about in their comfortable homes. And they are sick of it, they see their relatives working abroad or go abroad themselves and compare their standard of living with the people of the countries they go to. They feel frustrated and annoyed that what people all over the developed world get as their rights, they are sold the same as a huge deed done for them which has indebted them to the rulers for life. But for once they are beginning to realize that they in fact are not indebted to anyone and it is their right to demand what is truly theirs. The Quaid gave this country to them so that they may live as free citizens of an independent state and not the rulers so they can grow rich on the poor man’s sweat and blood.

This realization among the people has come as a rude awakening to the rulers and the elite class who have for a very long time taken advantage of the people’s ignorance and aloofness. And still many of them do not know of this realization at all. They don’t realize that they can no longer claim 10 and take 20 like before. They have to realize that Pakistan is screaming for reform and mere reshuffling is not reform. Shuffling rubble will not improve our state of ruin. They don’t realize that if the constituent assembly can not legislate laws to elevate the common man then it has no value in his eyes either. To him it is nothing more than a building made of brick and concrete inhabited by rich people who do not care if he lives or dies. The people have realized that no one talks about them in the corridors of power. The rulers must wake up and see the tidal wave of discontent, frustration, anger and loathing roaring towards them. Our leaders need to put their ears to the ground and hear the red, hot lava of discontent growling and roaring under the surface. All it needs is one small crack.

As Fahd Hussain from The Express tribune has expressed

“The fabled kid has finally pointed out that the emperor has no clothes. For this fabled land has been ravaged by those who have been blessed with all. But it seemed the land was frozen in an era long time ago; an era in which the landed and the privileged grew fat on the sweat and blood of the weak; an era in which time moved in slow motion and progress in slower motion. This was an era when only the selected few rose to positions of power and then exercised this power without restraint, without accountability, without checks and balances. In this era the dispossessed remained without possessions, and the marginalized stayed on the margins.”

But people have decided that enough is enough. No more. For all our sake, the men and women entrusted with our destiny must see the reality for what it is, not what they would wish it to be. Only then can we progress as a nation and earn a reputable position in the world.