17/04/2013
Random thoughts
By Dr A Q Khan
Monday, August 06, 2012
The public at large-intellectuals, political analysts, commentators, columnists, lawyers, journalists, students, etc.-are all extremely worried about the dangerous situation the country is facing. Everyone is talking about the rampant corruption, loadshedding, inflation, unemployment, targeted killings, maladministration, etc. and are at a loss on how to get out of this situation and how to get rid of the rulers who are perpetuating the problems. There are daily discussions about the problems and the rulers make false promises with no results, thus leading to a vicious circle. Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Lahore are witnessing regular targeted killings while our spineless politicians have put the survival of the country at stake. What a self-centred, corrupt clique! The Supreme Court is being treated like a small “kutchery” and one can hear the rulers making derogatory remarks about it and blatantly flouting its decisions.
I have been approached by hundreds of thousands of patriotic Pakistanis who have requested me to play a role and save the country from the looming danger. They continue to point out that when the country was in mortal danger on a previous occasion, I returned to Pakistan leaving behind a respectable and bright career and, together with my able and patriotic colleagues, we managed to give it nuclear and missile capability. This effectively neutralised India’s aggressive designs. It seemed an impossible task at the time, but we managed to do it against all odds. Since my withdrawal from the nuclear affairs of the country I have been involved in social welfare work and have been instrumental in setting up many educational institutions and welfare organisations.
After carefully considering the insistent requests received from so many people, I decided not to sit by as a mere spectator but to try to do something practical. To this end I have established a movement named “Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Pakistan which aims to make voters aware of the significance of their ballot, the sanctity of their vote, and the great importance of electing honest, competent, educated representatives in the coming elections in order to be able to get rid of corruption and feudal politics. My patriotic colleagues will now launch an awareness and guidance campaign for this purpose. We cannot simply sit back and watch the country sink still further. I would like to request everyone, including the expatriate community, who can play an important role in advising their family and friends, to join me in this noble endeavour. If we fail to do whatever we can now, it will be tantamount to treachery to the country. This is our country, our homeland. If we lose it we will end up being like the Palestinians.
As usual we will be witnessing (not celebrating) our Independence Day on August 14. We will hear more lies and false promises from our leaders, who like to blow their own trumpet. They will try to make us believe that they turned this hungry, starving country into one flowing with milk and honey. I witnessed the creation of Pakistan. I entered Pakistan via Khokrapar, walking barefooted on scorching sand, on August 14, 1952. I heard and read the appealing and commanding speeches made by Quaid-e-Azam, who promised us an exemplary, moderate, Muslim welfare state. All those idealistic and noble goals have proved to be a mirage, a dream. We have become no more than an impoverished, intolerant, bigoted state at the mercy of corrupt and incompetent rulers-many of whom are convicted criminals. After 65 years of independence we are no better than Mali, Niger, Chad, Rwanda and Burundi. Those whom voters elected to better their lot have destroyed the very fabric of Pakistan and have turned us into a colony of a superpower. They loot in the name of the dead, not martyrs. Mark my words, if the present rulers are re-elected, there will not even be grass to eat. For grass to grow, you need water, but they have achieved a permanent drought and subsequent starvation. Once their positions become intolerable, they will pick up their suitcases and go to their benefactors, where they have already stashed their ill-gotten wealth.
The federation, meant to ensure harmony, peace, prosperity and strength, is now no more than a den of plots and conspiracies. There is no law and order and it has become state policy to ridicule and disobey judicial decisions. We all saw the country dismembered and the ignominious defeat and surrender of the Pakistan Army in 1971. That tragedy made me give up everything I had achieved in 15 years of living abroad in an attempt to save the country from Indian hegemony. Now my heart bleeds to see the country in its present situation. After sacrificing millions of lives for independence, this is what we have to “celebrate.” It is a curse from Allah on us all and we are getting what we deserve-a country of almost 190 million people, a nuclear and missile power, and yet no more than a banana republic.
The situation demands that I do my duty as a patriotic Pakistani. I request you all to get together to save our beloved country. It is high time we do away with linguistic, provincial and religious differences and join hands for one purpose-to save Pakistan. How long can we sit and wait? How long can we listen to TV debates and listen to the various political parties blaming each other? How long can we sit by and watch demonstrators shouting angry slogans, all the while destroying government and private properties? It is time to tighten our belts. Allah has bestowed enormous bounties on us. We have an important geographic and geopolitical position, deep seas and a long coastline, huge plains, many varying geographic regions, rivers, abundant rains and rich mineral resources.
Our young generations are intelligent, our scientists, engineers and doctors have received recognition abroad, our soldiers are among the best in the world and willing to sacrifice their lives for the country, our journalists and media personnel are competent and well informed and we have competent judges and lawyers. It is high time we commit to being a united, proud and brave nation, willing to rectify its past mistakes and wrongdoings. We should all commit to stop lying, cheating, adulteration, hypocrisy and corruption and live honest lives on honestly earned incomes. We must learn to be content with what is honestly ours, be good Pakistanis and good Muslims, in the true sense of the word. We need to elect honest, educated and competent representatives who have the interests of the common man at heart. Our politicians do nothing but tell lies and make false promises.
Email: dr.a.quadeer.khan@gmail.com
