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Thursday April 25, 2024

How to improve common man’s lot

City olds say “God will not forgive us if we do not unite and get disciplined, all of us will have to work hard together and stand on our legs for economic independence and bright future of our children.” Asked what’s notably common among the people of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta,

By Zafar Alam Sarwar
February 15, 2015
City olds say “God will not forgive us if we do not unite and get disciplined, all of us will have to work hard together and stand on our legs for economic independence and bright future of our children.”
Asked what’s notably common among the people of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Karachi and Lahore etc., they say: “It’s the spirit of Islam, which keeps them alive to the need for protection of life and property of all citizens, even minorities, and fair deal to them.”
There’s no point of difference in that regard. Islam advocates justice, equality, fair-play and toleration -- and even generosity to non-Muslims. As the architect of Pakistan said the first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious belief of its subjects are fully protected by the state.
Citizens have to live harmoniously to reap the fruit of socio-economic justice as a result of the state’s principle of national unity, irrespective of caste, creed, or colour. Such unity the olds are talking about nowadays is based on God’s Message translated by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who liberated the poor from slavery and established the world’s first-ever welfare state, providing a ray of hope to the people oppressed by the centuries-old feudal and capitalist system.
The prophet’s revolutionary mission attracted hundreds of thousands from far and near and they willingly embraced the most progressive religion of the world-Islam. Inspired by the life of the prophet as a nation-builder, the Pakistan’s architect had envisioned a welfare state. How many leaders think like that?
Retired teachers do not seem happy with what they call great decline -- socio-economic, political and cultural. They say peace and harmony are vital to progress and prosperity of the common man.
They argue that there are obstacles. On one side there are some selfish and corrupt elements and traders who fleece consumers, not sparing even district co-ordination officers and district police officers to meet their own ends. On the other side are terrorists who disturb the people’s peace of mind, tranquillity and harmony at a time when there’s dire need to improve ordinary man’s lot.
In such a situation, there’s need to unite as ordained by God. “Otherwise”, the city olds emphasise, “the forces hostile to an economically strong Pakistan will succeed to weaken it and create problems for all of us.”
zasarwar@hotmail.com