Working together for motherland

Elders who as growing children either participated in or saw others struggle for Pakistan under Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s leadership say they’re now valiantly countering terrorism by backing the armed forces for survival with dignity.

What was the ideal for which our elders struggled after March 23, 1940? Have we achieved that ideal? What kind of state the Quaid had in mind for an overall improvement in standard of living. Why socio-economic justice is still foremost in our minds?

The Quaid had never wanted a state ruled by landlords and capitalists who he said flourished at the expense of masses by “a vicious and wicked system which makes them selfish.” What prevailed before August 14, 1947 has not yet come to an end, city elders argue.

The Quaid rightly pointed out that greed and selfishness made such elements subordinate to the interests of others in order to fatten them. There were millions of people who hardly got one meal a day then. So, the Quaid couldn’t help saying: “If that’s the idea of Pakistan I won’t have it.”

Unfortunately, the situation hasn’t yet changed for the better, so people hit by food price hike and overbilled electricity remain in search of Pakistan that millions had dreamed -- and that was an exploitation-free state with a government of the people, for the people and by the people, say the city elders.

By the way, mutton and beef and milk prices have gone so high that the common man can’t think of buying any of them for children. How to evolve a peaceful and prosperous entity? The task may look gigantic, but that’s certainly not beyond accomplishment provided we get united with iron determination to translate the dream.

“For that, as true Muslims, we’ll have to zealously guard and preserve our unity. Also, we’ll have to think of ourselves as Pakistanis first. And as such we must feel, behave and act in the collective interest,” say city elders.

Necessity is the mother of invention and law demands we must do something without loss of time to save the country from enemies and make it a welfare state where people do not die of hunger, poverty and any disease.

That’s possible only when we stop seeking monetary help from others, surrender to the will of God and mentally decide to serve the cause of motherland. The people have realized they are the final arbiters of their destiny: adoption of any imperialist economic theory and practice won’t help achieve the goal of creating a happy and contented Pakistan.

— zasarwar@hotmail.com