We The Proud Pakistanis

The American constitution begins with the words “We, the people of the United States, In order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure democratic tranquility, provide for common defense, promote general welfare and secure blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” The most beautiful phrase in this entire document is “We the people” not we the leaders, we the clergy, we the experts, we the officials, simply We the people.

On the contrary we the people of Pakistan have been taken for a ride by successive Govts. So much so that today, the country’s simple and honest people are living under the clouds of fear, apprehensions and despair. The are confronted with multiple woes of default, deprivation, denial and defeat. Why? What have we the people done to deserve all this? The common man of Pakistan has only to look around and what does he observe? National leaders, Parliament members, Civil servants, Custodians of the law, revenue collectors, professionals, industrialists, religious scholars, all of them, with out exception entangled in their own network of selfish vested interests. They are totally and completely oblivious to their duties and responsibilities in an integrated and vibrant society.

One of the major reasons for the sorry state of our pathetic condition is that the common man has been deprived of his rightful share in society.

Our leaders have simply forgotten the basic lesson that organizations and institutions are designed and built for the well being and benefit of the individual and not the other way round, and it is the individual who makes or breaks a social system. We the people of Pakistan have fallen prey to a cruel and insidious conspiracy. Yet thankfully Hope still survives. In the words of Alexander Pope “Hope springs eternal in the human breast.” We the people of Pakistan have faith in the common man. We have around us common people like Hakim Saeed and leaders like Liaquat Ali Khan who made the supreme sacrifice and laid down their lives at the alter of faith. Hakim Saeed built an empire from scratch for the benefit of society. He lit an eternal flame, which will continue to benefit future generations of Pakistanis. Hakim Sahib had full faith in the future of this country. He was always hopeful, and a hopeful man sees success where others see failure; he sees sunshine where others see shadows and storms.

We, the people of Pakistan have a lot to look forward to because, we have another pillar of strength and beacon of light, a true giant among pygmies called Abdul Sattar Edhi. This simple, rustic and semi literate Pakistani has built an empire dedicated to social welfare. He provides relief, comfort and care to the poorest of the poor, the outcasts, the lepers, the addicts and the mentally handicapped. Another living legend is Dr. Akhtar Hamid Khan who gave up a lucrative career to provide relief to the down trodden and neglected segments of society. Dr. Khan launched the Orangi Pilot Project in response to his strong belief that one of the most passionate of human traits is the urge to be needed, to belong, and to participate in society with respect.

We, the people of Pakistan have every right to remain hopeful and to take pride in human rights activists like the late justice Dorab Patel, Asma Jehangir, and Ansar Burney. These personalities have made us proud by their acts of courage and bravery. They have stood their grond while facing salvos of fire and brimstone from powerful sectarian groups and religious fundamentalists. We, the people of Pakistan, should remain hopeful and proud because we have produced scientists like Dr. Abdus Salaam, Dr. I.H. Usmani, Dr. Salim-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, Dr. Pervez Hoodhbhouy, and Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan. Such selfless, dedicated, honest and patriotic people like Dr. Qadeer are the future hopes of Pakistan. It is people like him who sincerely and passionately foresees a bright and prosperous future of the Pakistani nation.

We, the people of Pakistan have every right to take pride in the fact that we have produced heroic warriors like Aziz Bhatti, Rashid Minhas, Sarfraz Rafiqui, Zia-ud-din Abbassi and the living legend M.M. Alam. People like M.M. Alam stand out as shining examples of courage, faith, and selfless devotion to ideals larger than self-glorification. People like Alam are ordinary Pakistanis who have no material assets, and yet they have zealously served the nation over and above the call of duty. Let us not forget international bankers and economists like Agha Hassan abedi, Dr. Mehbub-ul-haque and Dr. Moin Qureshi. They all belong to middle class families with modest backgrounds, and yet they developed a global vision and command respect in the eyes of the world community.

We, The people of Pakistan have a star studded galaxy of scholars, historians, poets and writers. We can bask in the fame of Dr. A.H. Dani, Dr. I.H. Qureshi, Professor Ahmed Ali, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and a host of others who have proved their mettle in the literary and intellectual circles. The people of Pakistan have no dearth of artistic talent. Who can deny the greatness of Shakir Ali, Sadequen, and Guljee or the creative talent of our singers composers, actors and musicians? Nusrat Fateh Ali, Noor Jehan, and Mehdi Hassan are household names among music lovers. All over the world ordinary youth, sons of the soil again simple Pakistani boys have humbled the pride of many nations in the field of sports. Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Jehangir Khan and Zaka Ullah have given us countless moments of pride over and over again. We, the people of Pakistan have produced world champions in hockey, squash, cricket and snooker.

Pakistan’s ideology and traditions provide an ideal framework of moral and social values that derive strength from the lofty ideals of Islam and our centuries old cultural heritage. We possess a strict code of honor and a time-tested spirit of bravery and valor. What has then gone wrong? Why this gloom and despair?? It is about time that we the people of Pakistan took control of our destiny. We have built a modern, progressive and vibrant society. It is a society that allows the individual to breathe and to develop human resources at the grass roots level. It is a society that lays emphasis on ethics and morality, that stresses the importance of education, and that removes all impediments in the way of individual progress and prosperity. If we want a society free of social conflict, and ethnic and sectarian tensions, we will have to build this society around the creative talents of the individuals who are free from the clutches of the corrupt, insensitive and irresponsible elements. Today’s youth are the future hope of the nation and thanks to God this hope is alive and thriving. Let us not forget that there is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great and no tonic so powerful as the expectation of something positive from tomorrow. The economic, political, and social horizon of the country may appear to have been dominated by thick and murky clouds, but please remember that every cloud has a silver lining.