Reviving spirit of unity & love for country

Whatever the social and economic condition of the ordinary citizen in the situation the new administration inherited from the previous one he feels elated by the prospect of peace and prosperity in the new democratic set-up. But what has heartened the long disheartened man is the regeneration of fellow feeling at all levels — local, provincial and national. The credit for such a phenomenon goes to the armed forces dedicated to the defence of the motherland of about 180 million.
People seem to have decided to deposit their trust in the administration by snoozing over the gas and electricity and clean drinking water shortage: again, the credit to the army, navy and the air force for their display of prowess on March 23 — the Pakistan Day.
Citizens say the parade held after seven years and performance of the armed forces will “never vanish from our memory’. “That’s all miraculous, soul warming, patriotic determination and exemplary courage”, say the young and old people. “This Pakistan Day Parade has revived in us the spirit of unity and love for country — and the strong will to defend our homeland along with soldiers parachuting from helicopters.”
Educated youths say boldly their homeland is a State, not a colony, under an organised government, and not subject to any outside control and interference. The idea behind the struggle for Pakistan, as its architect told the officers of the armed forces, was that we should have a State in which we could live and breathe as free men and which we could develop according to our lights and culture and where principles of Islamic social and economic justice could find free play.
The Constitution of the State guarantees a wide range of rights and privileges to its citizens. There are provisions regarding equality before law; personal liberty; rights to freedom of expression, assembly, movement and religion.
It goes without saying that people’s welfare can be obtained only under conditions of an orderly society; that it is the function of the State to secure these conditions so that every citizen may get an opportunity to pursue his activities; that economic activities precede the rest; and, last but not the least, that all human activities will be fruitless if the State is not well defended against any foreign aggression and/or internal disturbance.
Can a State remain content to provide mere conditions of peace and order? The purpose of the State is to create such atmosphere which is conducive to the good life of man and to give an equal opportunity to all for their growth and development. For realization of this purpose the State has to perform certain functions, including health and education. The government appears to have directed its attention towards that object.
zasarwar@hotmail.com