The universal concept of ‘freedom from fear and want’ essentially aims at ensuring adequate security and food for everyone. Being central to the whole idea of human rights, this concept is considered to be the basic inspiration behind the adoption of UN declaration of Human Rights, whose preamble reads that all human being shall enjoy freedom from fear and want without any discrimination. These two ‘freedoms’ were also included in the well-known ‘Four Freedoms’ goal articulated by the US President Roosevelt in 1941. In the Holy Quran, Allah has also mentioned these as bounties which He had granted to the people of Quresh living in Mecca in recognition of their services to Kaba.
A welfare state always actively strives to provide these two freedoms to its all subjects. Regrettably, the current situation in Pakistan, where these two freedoms are hard to get is quite frustrating and disappointing. Providing security and food to its masses seems no more a priority for our government. Lacking both in vision and will, the federal government apparently doesn’t have any comprehensive security and economic plans to ensure these two fundamental freedoms to the citizens. At present, the sorry state of affair in Sindh, speaks volumes about the apathetic attitude of its provincial government.
Terror rules its capital city while hunger prevails in the remote areas like Tharparkar. Likewise, In Punjab, the recent unfortunate incident at Muzaffargarh and Chiniot simply indicate the rapidly-decaying criminal justice system in the province. Ironically, the provincial government seems more interested in preserving the peacocks than the fundamental freedoms of its inhabitants.
MOHSIN RAZA MALIK,
Lahore, March 23.