People want Quaid’s prosperous Pakistan

One wonders why some old citizens insist most leaders have almost forgotten the Quaid-i-Azam’s mission and his vision of strong, prosperous, educated and well defended Pakistan. Do they not need to recall what the Quaid had wanted of his followers in the common man’s interest?

The Quaid believed in Islamic principles and democracy and advocated the cause of the poor. He had a dream; he visualised a welfare state. He conceived Pakistan based on the foundations of social justice and Islamic socialism which stress equality and brotherhood of man.

The architect of Pakistan was concerned with the problem of poverty and backwardness among Muslims for eradication of which they looked, on the one hand, to the urges of dynamism, struggle and creativity in Islam and, on the other, to Islamic principle of distributive justice.

His speech at the 30th session of the Muslim League during the freedom struggle reflected his vision.

“It will be a people’s government; I should like to give a warning to the landlords and capitalists who have flourished at our expense by a system which is so vicious, which is so wicked and which makes them so selfish that it is difficult to reason with them; the exploitation of the masses has gone into their blood; they’ve forgotten the lesson of Islam; greed and selfishness have made these people subordinate to the interests of others in order to fatten themselves.” 

City elders say: “We will have to unite as the Quaid did; build our character as he defined and then implement his dream with a strong determination.” That will mean achieving the Pakistan visualised by hundreds of thousands who had sacrificed their lives and property.

The question is: when will our leaders really learn to improve their ways and dedicate their will and energy to building a prosperous Pakistan?

zasarwar@hotmail.com