These tarnished rays, this night-smudged light –
This is not that Dawn for which, ravished with freedom,
we had set out in sheer longing
(ye daaġh daaġh ujālā ye shab-gazīda sahar
vo intizār thā jis kā ye vo sahar to nahīñ
ye vo sahar to nahīñ jis kī aarzū le kar
chale the yaar k mil jā.egī kahīñ na kahīñ) ~ Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Pakistan enthusiastically celebrated its 74th year of Independence this August. This independence was achieved from the British rule of almost a couple of centuries where the basic aim of the rulers was to undoubtedly benefit the British Nation rather than serve the people of the Subcontinent. Our acknowledged leaders had eagerly adopted the appropriate behavior that was against the colonialists. After independence, all Pakistanis got the liberties and rights that an independent and democratic nation can offer mainly; justice, protection of life and property, equal opportunity to grow, provision of basic necessities and liberty within the laws of this nation.
These official duties of a state were accurately quoted by the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on 11 August 1947 to the first Constituent Assembly, “You will no doubt agree with me that the first duty of a Government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State.”
But are we abiding by the specific instructions of our Great Leader? We have heard many times that we don’t honor the independence enough that we should ask the Palestinians what freedom is or we should ask the Occupied Kashmiris what freedom is. Absolutely! We are much better off than them but why should we compare ourselves with the worst scenarios in the world? Why should we not compare ourselves with countries which have been independent for three quarters of the century, or further more why should we not compare ourselves with the best of nations?
Our justice system is ranked 120 out of 128 in the World Justice Project rule of law index. If you get stuck in litigation, there are chances that you will remain burdened for most of your life and in many cases one life is not even enough, and some get justice after their deaths. Frequent rumours are that justice can be bought in Pakistan. The role of the defenders of Justice, our lawyers community, is in front of everyone; they are busy with elections all year long and supposedly these elected lawyers have a lot of sway in deciding the conclusion of a lot of cases. Hence, millions are spent on these elections. We have heard these common phrases “Tareekh par tareekh” (date after date) and “justice delayed is justice denied”. Both can easily be applied to the Pakistani justice system.
Protection of life and property, which is the role of our law enforcement agencies, is mostly dependent on how much you are willing to spend as a bribe or how well-connected you are to the governing class. Someone may have a few exceptions but mostly one will have to pay, tip,gift or something to get things moving. The police enjoy it both ways, collecting from the complainant and the accused. Woefully, this generalization is true for any ordinary Pakistani who has dealt with the protectors of life and property. Nothing moves till you gently move.
We have to keep reflecting on where we are standing and we need to keep talking about it loudly. Everyone is responsible: the military which has ruled Pakistan, the political parties, the bureaucracy, the business community who have accepted the system of bribery as a cost to do business, civil society which is not so vocal as it should be and finally the common man who doesn’t even know what his/her rights are.
Provision of fundamental necessities like health, education and infrastructure are all dependent on your wealth. If you have enough you have access to the best, if you have none you have access to nothing. Government Hospitals are doing better in the cities, but in rural areas apart from first aid and basic facilities, not much is available.
Pakistan is confronting a severe challenge in the education sector too. Enrollment and retention rates are low as compared to the other developing nations. According to UNICEF, Pakistan has an estimated 22.8 million children aged 5-16 who are not enrolled in any school.
Necessary infrastructure is great if you are a great person. A great person in Pakistan is someone who is linked with the bureaucracy, military, politics or big business. Otherwise, you cannot get an electric or gas connection without giving a bribe, tip or gift. If you have to deal with any Government office your file will not move until you’re willing to spend something extra.
An individual who is neither affluent nor well connected isn’t enjoying the independence of Pakistan as he can’t relish the privileges, rights and the freedom of a liberated person. That individual feels suffocation, as to get the freedom he/she has been given by the Constitution, he/she needs money and a well established connection with the powerful and the bourgeoisie tier of the society.
We have to keep reflecting on where we are standing and we need to keep talking about it loudly. Everyone is responsible: the military which has ruled Pakistan, the political parties, the bureaucracy, the business community who have accepted the system of bribery as a cost to do business, civil society which is not so vocal as it should be and finally the common man who doesn’t even know what his/her rights are.
