Are we (Pakistanis) really free?

By Sajid Ansari

The people of Pakistan celebrated the ‘Independence Day’ for the last 62 years, the teens, specially boys roamed on the streets waving Pakistani flags on their bikes in groups, the rickshaws, cars, buses, trucks and the trains were decorated with flag-bundies. The TV channels telecast special Programmes and the radio stations broadcast programmes of patriotic songs, speeches and of discussions, repeating the historical events in making Pakistan and etc. All this sounds good as the love for the country is renewed among all the Pakistanis. But truly speaking I feel pity for all these innocent people who celebrate the “Independence day” because, we are not independent and free as yet; we did get freedom from the British but have gone into the hell afterward as now we are being ruled even worst by our own people.

The English proverb “out of frying pan into the fire” fits in on Pakistanis, at least, because until 13th August, 1947, yet there was Rule of Law in the whole of British India. There was no shortage of wheat flour, sugar, oil, ghee, rice or anything as the British rulers used to deal very strictly, without caste and creed, with the hoarders as they did not believe in “Banda Apna hay”. The police men and the feudals did not rape 3 & 5 years old girls then, not to speak of teen-aged and married women of villages and towns. There were no muggings and killings of young men on the roads. There were hardly any decoities in the houses. There were no brutal and ruthless murders of women and girls in the name of kari which in fact is done to get rid of the girls' share in the properties.

There were no forcible occupation of lands of the poor, by feudals, Vaderas, Chaudhries, Sardars and Nawabs, as now the poor have no access to the justice and the feudals prevail upon the police as well as the judiciary.

The British rulers never authorized any one, neither for themselves nor they allowed any of their subjugated classes, to obtain loans from the banks and may not return it, like the feudals, businessmen and the officers from the armed forces have done in this country. Thus Pakistan was made for the feudals, vaderas, Chaudhries, Sardars, Nawabs and Khawaneen, the Presidents, P.Ms, Ministers, Ministers of state, MNAs, MPAs and Senators. Then comes the bureaucracy, although their title is public servants but in fact the public is their servant as they act, behave, imitate like Goras.

The army officers and the bureaucracy have now much more facilities than what the British bureaucracy and the army used to have, until 13th August, 1947. And then the Police force which has gone more than 1000 times corrupt than what they might have been during British Rule.

The whole lot, mentioned above, is above law and whenever they are checked for violation of rules they are furious and start fuming, telling the person who checks them that they are MNAs, MPA, Senators, Speakers, Deputy Speakers and bla, bla, bla, so they should not be checked for anything.

Once a wife of an MPA of Punjab Assembly was driving fast, crossing all the Red signals on The Mall, Lahore. A daring policeman stopped her at the Regal crossing. The woman got down from her Pajero and slapped on the face of the policeman saying in Punjabi “ Toon jaanda naee main MPA dee wafe aun.” This is the ruling class of this unfortunate country. So have we been freed or got independence? Certainly not!

The English proverb is just right for the people of this unfortunate country “Out of frying pan into the Fire”. The 98% population of this unfortunate country has been made ‘hostage’ and the “Bonded labor force” of the 2% class, in the name of “Democracy”. How can we call this system a democracy where there is no Rule of Law? it is totally “exploitation” of the haves which has been given the name the as “Democracy”. Sorry, I hold Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah responsible for the mess this country is facing ever since the feudals took over this country, on two accounts, explained as below, as he was not a prophet who could/would not have committed mistakes and his actions cannot be criticized.

(1) The Congress had the clause of maximum land holding in its manifesto which was not being liked by Rajas, Maha Rajas, Nawabs, Vaderas, Chaudhries, Sardars and Khans, in short, the feudal class of then British India. It is also said that the real motive behind creation of Muslim League and demand for a separate country for the Muslims, by the Muslim feudal class, was the clause of Land Reforms in the Congress. My question is that the Quaid-e-Azam must have gone through the manifesto of the Muslim League before/after taking over as its chairman then why did he omit the clause of maximum land holding. Didn’t he know that the feudal class will take over the country, after his death, and they will make the country a hell? He also knew the capabilities of the feudal class which had surrounded him about whom he had once said “I have all “Khoatay Sikkay” in my pockets”. For whom did he say these words and yet he did not make fool-proof arrangements so that these “Khoatay Sikkay’ may not ruin the country, therefore, those “Khoatay Sikkay’ took over. So this is the Pakistan which we have today. On the other, what happened in India? the Congress took over all the lands and properties in excess from all Rajas, Maha Rajas, Nawabs and etc so India is being ruled by the people and not by the feudal, hence progressing steadily.

(2) The Quaid-e-Azam should have formed a Constitution Committee right on 23rd March, 1940 when all the Muslim leaders had gathered in Lahore, agreeing on the Pakistan Resolution. The best Muslim brains of the subcontinent were assembled there who could have been chosen to be assigned the job of preparing a “shadow constitution” of a shadow country, Pakistan. So the constitution would have been prepared well in time, years before 14th August, 1947 and the Quaid-e-Azam would have promulgated it on the day of the inauguration of the first session of the Assembly. But the Quaid did not think about it at all. The question arises to most of the minds is did he avoid it deliberately or non-deliberately? If deliberately then why did he do that? And if he did it non-deliberately then the question comes up of his limited vision.

The poor lot, of this country, is compelled either to sell their children or kill them along with themselves for not being able to feed them even once a day. There are villages where practically every male adult claimed to have sold a kidney to earn extra money to repay his debts. Is this the Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam has given to the people for which they should celebrate Independence Day? However, the real freedom has yet to be achieved when the white collar dacoits and the usurpers, both corrupt civilian politicians as well the army dictators and their collaborators, will be put to the task. The corrupt politicians who emptied the banks, by taking huge loans and did not return a penny, those who grabbed the state lands, those who have been getting hefty commissions on international contracts, amassing wealth, accumulated illegally, in the shape of palatial properties and the bubbling cash accounts in foreign bank, whereas the army dictators put the country into the laps of foreign countries, in order to get recognition of their illegitimate takeovers, all these culprits be hanged at the crossings of big cities, of this country. The oppressed people of Pakistan are looking for a real ‘angel’ who will not only get rid of this country from the rule of the corrupt lot but will also squeeze them to bring the looted money, back to the country. Their removal from the job of corrupt Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers and the bureaucrats is not a punishment as they should be put behind the bars and be hanged upside down, until they repay the looted tax payers money of this country and then be punished accordingly.

Last week, an ex-chief of Beijing Airport was hanged after being proved of his embezzlement of over 1 million dollars, though he deposited the total amount but still he was punished by hanging until dead.

We need a revolution for accountability and against the corrupt and the usurpers be hanged openly at the crossings of each city of this country. The whole system has to be changed to (promulgation of) Islamic Sharia in the country, the only way-out to give justice to the people and punish the culprits, right away, then we will be justified to celebrate the real Independence Day and the freedom, for the people of Pakistan. (Email: sajidansari45@yahoo.com)

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