It is time corrective measures be taken to portray Pakistan as sovereign independent modern democratic welfare state envisioned by Father of Nation, instead of a country projected as a bastion of extremism, where laws are violated with impunity and a country termed as a “failing state”. An opinion column written by a Saudi columnist in “Saudi Gazette” complementing Pakistani cricket team for snatching victory from jaws of defeat was subjected to criticism by many, including a Westerner and an Asian critic for praising what they termed as failing state.
The columnist Tariq A Al-Maeena, stood up to defend the image of Pakistan in his subsequent column based on feats and accomplishment of its citizens. Our survival as a prestigious country in the comity of nations depends upon investment by the state in developing our human resources, enforcement of rule of law and a country capable of governing itself through its elected representatives. Enormous damage has been done to Pakistan by unconstitutional interventions by likes of Zia, Musharraf and the politicians they nurtured. Prior to 1947, one of the two medical colleges in the sub-continent, King Edward Medical College was located in Lahore, along with other prestigious educational institutes such as G.C Lahore, FC College, Stephens College, Murray College, Mama Parsi School etc.
Numerous missionary and government subsidized schools were providing a quality schooling affordable cost to masses. Instead of building more schools to meet demands of the population, the State absolved itself from primary responsibility and this vacuum was filled by seminaries and madrassahs, some funded by foreign governments to provide cannon fodder required to wage proxy wars in Afghanistan etc. Successive governments over the years, including our establishment have resorted to hire Pakistani origin individuals who had no stakes in this country to hold key public offices such as PM, bureaucrats, planning commission members, regulatory body heads, ambassadors, special advisors and even sensitive assignments, with the result that image of this country has been portrayed as a nation incapable for self-rule. The national economy is in a perpetual state of collapse. Pakistan suffers because of the greed of few at the helm and their susceptibility to foreign pressures.
MALIK T ALI,
Lahore, July 12.