When First Constituent Assembly, comprising of elected members of 1946 general elections, who opted for Pakistan, was dismissed by nexus of opportunists who never adhered to Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of democratic welfare state was dismissed on 24 October 1954, started the process of demise of Jinnah’s legacy. The following day 25 October, Ayub Khan in uniform became Defense Minister, and a chain of tragic events followed which ultimately would lead to dismemberment of Pakistan and within less than two decades emergence of Zia ul Haq. 

Zia buried Jinnah legacy and gifted this country with disunity, fanaticism, fundamentalism and indiscipline. Pakistan became a sanctuary for terrorists of all shades, nationalities and ethnicities. Educational institutions were systematically eroded and instead of acquiring knowledge in science, economic, arts etc emerged a culture where madrassahs became breeding grounds in the words of COAS Bajwa “for propagating extremism or terrorism. Particularly, as many Muslims, world over, are not only feeling alienated, but disowned, targeted and devoid of positive expression.”. The Frankenstein that Zia created by involving this country in 1979 Afghan war, creating Madrassahs where “Jehad was fed to young minds in concentrated dose without context or explanation” and Qitaal forbidden in Islam used as weapon to destroy this country from within. 

Zia died but his legacy managed to survive. State sovereignty was compromised and we reap fruits of his legacy in form of our isolation in comity of nations and our placement on list of nations to be placed on Grey List of FATF by June 2018. Notorious crooks and criminals involved in Axact scam, who brought nothing but disgrace to Pakistan managed to evade prosecution through bribes, state paid civil bureaucrats defy laws, whilst Land Mafia Dons have penetrated corridors of powers and even 12 convicts accused of pedophilia in Hussain Khanwala near Kasur in 2015 escape punishment in Islamic Republic. 

MALIK TARIQ,  

Lahore, February 28.