The abandoned Article 27

The country we live in today, no longer stands on the grounds laid out by Jinnah, who had given all he had to provide the Muslim minority of India with a safe haven called Pakistan; the same Pakistan which is no longer a home for its own minorities.

Today, the country’s misfortunes have elevated to an extent that the government itself was pressured to violate its constitution, as Article 27 (1) clearly states: “Safeguard against discrimination in services. (1) No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment on the ground only of race, religion, caste, sex, residence or place of birth.”

Atif Mian’s withdrawal from the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) coming forth for mere religious motives, fueling the country’s extreme right winged mobs as result, has brought about a collective national failure that sadly a hefty part of Pakistan is even refusing to recognize.

Following the contention the meritorious economist landed in, he himself had proven to be more Pakistani than the fumed extremist crowds flaunting ferocity at the label of patriotism.

Exemplifying poise and preaching the message for peace, Mian had stated on Twitter: “I will always be ready to serve Pakistan as it is the country in which I was raised and which I love a great deal. Serving my country is an inherent part of my faith and will always be my heartfelt desire.”

He had gone on to comment: “I now hope and pray that the Economic Advisory Council is able to fulfill its mandate in the very best way so that the Pakistani people and nation can prosper and flourish.”

Now that the right-wing brigade has routed sanity on all levels in the country, what does the future hold for the EAC, the government and the country’s forsaken minorities and their constitutional rights all together?

“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan...you may belong to any religion or caste or creed - that has nothing to do with the business of the State.” In spite of Jinnah saying this and proving it by appointing an Ahmadi Foreign Minister, Muhammad Zafarullah Khan in 1947, the country’s unfolding destiny has only sparked the monster of intolerance.

Amidst the chaos, one thing is for sure. This most certainly is the ‘Naya Pakistan,’ because the ‘Purana Pakistan’ that Jinnah envisioned is long dead.