Many years ago as I watched the grey clad male and female officers of the Islamabad Traffic Police standing on intersections, issuing violation tickets, I thought to myself that this was too good to be true. In the years that followed, I commended these men (for the women soon disappeared) to the cynical amusement of my family, but regretfully realised that these officers were part of a society that had lost its pride and shame somewhere in our post-independence existence. An existence wherein we had confined our brand of pride and shame to the manner in which we treated our women, avenged disputes and abetted corruption.
We conveniently adopted the easy method of just looking at one side of the coin and apportioning blame on the government for the ills that plagued us. But in doing so, we criminally ignored the flipside of the coin to see the part we ourselves had played (and continue playing) in creating the mess we were in. Take the present electricity crisis for example - while the current situation is a cumulative result of poor planning and management, it is also an outcome of the thousands of connections that people have managed to 'hook' up illegally or the uncountable number of meters that have been tampered by consumers. My critics will counter by arguing that this is failure on the part of the authorities to enforce rules and punish offenders - I shall rest my case by asking them to accompany the concerned vigilance staff on an enforcement foray, which nine out of ten times ends with the latter being physically assaulted and routed by 'honourable' citizens of this land.
Where city governments deserve accolades for providing recreational parks for the public, we the people leave no stone unturned to ensure that we ruin the facilities therein. I was an unhappy witness to such an exercise just the other day in a fair-sized rectangle of green turf and trees dotted with swings and other fixtures meant for small children. As I entered this park with my grandchildren, I saw a pair of adults performing acrobatic high-flying feats on the two swings that were on the verge of being torn out of their mountings. Not used to such shows of 'adult delinquency', I walked up to the two morons and told them what I thought of them. I am sure that given our shamelessness, many adults will continue to 'play' on these fixtures and destroy them sooner than later.
I made the cardinal mistake of running the amber light on Jinnah Avenue, the other day and was stopped by an Islamabad Traffic Police officer standing at the intersection. I admitted my mistake, tendered an apology and produced my driving licence - waiting for the law to take its course. Suddenly, the traffic officer filling my ticket ran into the middle of the road in a successful bid to stop a car that had run the red light. What ensued was a frustrating insight into our national character, as the car driver began arguing with the lawman in defence of his violation. When all failed, he drew his cell phone from where it was lying and began calling someone with a clout to become an accessory to what was nothing short of a traffic crime. At this point my patience ran out and I asked the harried policeman to give me the ticket so that I could be on my way.
At times I wonder, if our nation is blind or mindless, when I see a mass of litter spread over recreational parks. One such place that speaks tons for CDA is the Rawal Lake View Park. Artistically designed, the facility is marred by litter that is generously scattered by the thousands who come here and who fail to register the large trash cans placed along the road for public use.
The other day, I was carrying a wheelchair-bound elder relative in my car for a small recreational visit to the club. I drove straight to the parking slots reserved for vehicles driven by or carrying wheelchair-bound persons, but found them occupied. Queries indicated that some member and his guest had parked their cars in the two spots and despite protests by the staff had left their vehicles there. As I was standing at the spot, I saw the two culprits walk up to their cars and start them up. I gave them a dark look and pointed to the signs that said “handicapped parking”, but what I got was a casual wave and the sight of two pairs of red tail lights.
So for a change dear readers, let us introspect and see the 'filth' that lies within us for it is the people that generate the nature of society, which, in turn, throws up the leadership that provides government. We, the people, therefore, stand indicted on charges of abetting corrupt practices and moral decay, however, unpleasant this indictment may appear to our saintly egos.

n    The writer is a freelance columnist.