Celebrating the Independence Day

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

Sajid Ansari
The people of Pakistan celebrate the Independence Day, every year on 14th August, and this is the 64th year of our independence from the British rule. The teen-aged boys roam around in the streets, waving Pakistan’s flags on their bikes, in groups. The rickshaws, cars, buses, trucks and even the trains are decorated with Pakistani flag-bundies. The TV channels telecast special programmes and the radio stations broadcasting patriotic songs, speeches and discussions, repeating the historical events in making Pakistan and etc. All this sounds and looks good as the love for the country is renewed every year, amongst all the Pakistanis, throughout the country. But, truly speaking, I feel pity for all those innocent people who celebrate the Independence Day with great fervour, because we are not independent and free as yet. We did get freedom from the British but have gone into the hell afterward as now we are being ruled even worst by our own people, in the name of “Democracy”. The English proverb “out of frying pan into the fire” fits in on Pakistanis, because yet there was Rule of Law in the whole of British India. There was no shortage of wheat flour, sugar, oil, ghee, rice or anything as the British rulers used to deal very strictly with hoarders and also with the shopkeepers to maintain given price level of every commodity, without caste and creed. They did not believe in “Banda Apna ay” as it is being done since ‘independence’ until now. The policemen and the feudal did not rape 3 & 5 years old girls then, not to speak of teen-aged and married women of villages and towns, most the cases of whom, are not reported due to fear of the powerful rapists or to keep the honour intact. There were no mugging and killings of young men on the roads and there were hardly any decoities in the houses. There were no brutal and ruthless murders of women and girls in the name of Kari which in fact is done, mostly, to get rid of the girls’ share in the properties. There were no private jails and bonded labours as are made now by the feudal class. There was no forcible occupation of lands and properties of the poor, and of the government as well, by the feudal, Vaderas, Choudhries, Sardars, Nawabs and the influential, as the poor have no access to justice because the resourceful and the powerful feudals prevail upon police as well as judiciary. There were no writing off loans as the British rulers never authorized any one, neither for themselves nor they allowed any of their subjects, to obtain loans from the banks and may not return it, no matter how near and dear they were to the British rulers. But after 1947, the feudals, industrialists, businessmen and the officers from the armed forces have played havoc with the economy of this country as they have emptied the banks by taking loans without collaterals, not once but a number of times, to the extent that the country had reached to the point of bankruptcy and then had to have loans from IMF and the World Bank on their terms by virtue of which we lost our pride and self-respect to stand up and speak to them seeing into their eyes against the hegemonies particularly of USA and Britain in regard to maintaining an independent foreign and financial policies, which was just because the feudals were always at the helm of affairs. The interference of USA enhanced to the extent that she used to dictate transfer and postings of bureaucrats to our governments. Thus, it all proves that Pakistan was made for the feudals, Waderas, Choudhries, Sardars, Nawabs and Khawaneen, the so-called Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, Ministers of state, MNAs, MPAs and Senators. Then comes the bureaucrats and the police, although their titles are “Public Servants” but in fact the public is their servant as theses bureaucrats, army and police officers act, behave and imitate like Goras. The army officers and the bureaucracy have now much more facilities than what the British bureaucracy and army used to have, until 13 August, 1947. The police force has gone more than 100,000 times corrupt than what they might be during British rule. The whole lot, mentioned above, consider themselves as above law as if they are checked for violation of any rules they are furious, start fuming and threaten the person who dares to check them, of dire consequences like transfer and demotion for his ‘crime’ because they are Ministers, MNAs, MPAs, Senators, Speakers, Deputy Speakers and bla, bla, bla, so they claim that since they are ‘parliamentarians’ so they are above law hence could not be checked for any of their wrong doings. Therefore, in view of the above, a logical question comes up in every normal mind that have we been freed or got independence …? The answer is certainly not yet as in view of the present scenario and the state of affairs, it looks like that 98% population of this unfortunate country has been made ‘hostage’ and the “bonded labour force” of the 2% class, in the name of “Democracy”. How can we call this system a democracy where there is no Rule of Law...? There are no checks and balance or accountability of the President, the Prime Minister and an army of 95 federal ministers enjoying life on tax payers’ account. The President visits Dubai at least 6-8 times and London at least 4 times in a year on tax payers expenses. Why…? The Prime Minister got away with writing off loans of his wife, amounting to Rs. 56 crore. He also takes the aircraft full of joy riders whenever he goes on a foreign trip. The MNAs and MPAs get crores of rupees in the name of ‘development funds’ whereas they do not spend even a penny on development in their constituencies at all. There is no audit of the spending of budgetary allocations to the ministries, neither in the center nor in the provinces. Can we call it ‘democracy’ where there is no check on the ruthless spending of public funds? This is sheer exploitation of those who have obtained power in the name of “democracy”. The opposition is the ‘step brother’ of the rulers. They start counting the days eagerly of coming into power and cross the limits of corruption set by their predecessors. Although their job is to check wrong doings of the ruling class, in the parliament, but they just don’t care and let the ruling class go Scot free so that when they come into power they may also enjoy no-accountability by their opponents, as probably they have reached to a mutual understanding on the issue of non-accountability. The people who had surrounded the Quaid, took over the reigns of the country, after assassination of Khan Liaquat Ali Khan, were mostly the feudal lords, Sardars, Nawabs, Choudhries, Khawaneen, waderas, of all the provinces who deprived off the masses of even the basic rights with the result that now only the naked cruelty and exploitation, by the powerful, prevails in the country. The big question is if the same British Era laws and democracy were as to be promulgated in Pakistan, instead Sharia, the Islamic Laws, then there was no need to demand for a separate homeland for the Muslims because the same but far-better democratic system, than in Pakistan, is working in India where 20% Muslim population, more than that of Pakistan, are residing. No doubt, at present, the Muslims of India are facing persecution and extreme biased attitude of the ruling Hindus and that is just because of the fact that the Muslims are not that strong and powerful in India as otherwise they would have been if India was not divided. The Congress had the clause of maximum land holding in its manifesto which was very good and justifies but was not being liked by Rajas, Maha Rajas, Nawabs, Waderas, Choudhries, Sardars and Khans, in short, the feudal class of then British India. The feudal and the industrialists are at the helm of affairs of the present Muslim Leagues which has been divided from A to Z. The question is when Quaid-e-Azam knew about this clause in the manifesto of Congress, which certainly was justified, then being “Leader” of the Muslims of the subcontinent, he should have put the same clause in the manifesto of Muslim League..? He also knew the capabilities of the feudal class who had surrounded him and about whom he had once said “I have all “Khotay Sikkay in my pocket” and yet he did not make fool-proof arrangements so that these “Khotay Sikkay’ may not ruin the country after his death. On the other, in accordance with its manifesto, the Congress took over all the lands and properties, in excess, from all Rajas, Maha Rajas, Nawabs and etc, within two years, so India is being ruled by the people and not by the feudals, hence progressing steadily on all fronts. The Resolution of separate homeland for the Muslims, was passed on 23rd March, 1940, and all the Muslim leaders had gathered at Lahore, agreeing on the (Pakistan) Resolution. The best Muslims brains of the subcontinent were also present there who could have been chosen to be assigned the job of preparing a “shadow constitution” of a “shadow country (Pakistan)”, therefore, the “shadow constitution” would have been prepared well in time, years before 14th August, 1947 and the Quaid-e-Azam would have promulgated it on the day of the inauguration of the first session of the Assembly. Moreover, the Quaid-e-Azam knew that 98% of the population of Pakistan, got independence on 14th August, 1947, based on Muslims and the reason to demand for a separate homeland for the Muslims was also that the Muslims may live their own (Muslims) way, as defined in Quran and Sunna, then why the Quaid did not promulgate Sharia Laws..? Since 1952, after the assassination of Khan Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, there is always ‘one-man-show’. The head of the ruling (political) party, whether military of civilian, acts as a dictator and imposes his decisions on all national and international issues. The so-called parliaments, in a civilian, the so-called ‘democratic’ set-up, are just to show off the world that there is ‘democracy’ in the country otherwise these parliaments are just the ‘Rubber Stamps’. Most of the parliamentarians, including the members of the opposition benches, hardly attend the parliament session and if they have to, one may see them snoring on their seats, in the parliament. These parliamentarians are only interested in drawing huge salaries, besides ever-increasing allowances, perquisites, availing numerous facilities of free travel, free petrol, free electricity, free telephone calls, and over and above, hefty ‘development funds’. They are the second and third generation of the feudal lords who were gathered around the Quaid-e-Azam when the British were leaving. Now the industrial tycoons have also joined them in the loot. The height of corruption and the loot, in Pakistan, has reached to the stage that the poor lot, of this country, is compelled either to sell their children or kill them along with themselves for not being able to feed them even once a day. There are villages where practically every male adult claimed to have sold a kidney to earn extra money to pay back their debts. Is this the Pakistan that Quaid-e-Azam has given to the people for which they should celebrate as Independence Day …? The oppressed people of Pakistan are looking for a real ‘angel’ who will not only get rid of the white collar dacoits, the corrupt politicians and the usurpers who have emptied the banks, by taking huge loans and did not return a penny. They amassed illegal wealth not only inside but outside the country as well and have also filled-in their foreign bank accounts with millions of dollars; they got as commission and kick-backs, on domestic and international contracts, and have bought palatial properties in France, Britain, Spain, America, Canada and in Dubai. Mere removing Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, MNAs, MPAs, Senators and the bureaucrats, from their seats, is not enough to be considered as a punishment, they should be put behind the bars and be hanged upside down until they bring back the looted public money of this country. Those who have/would run away be brought back to the country through Interpol, no matter even if they have dual nationality of USA or any of EU countries. The time has come for a revolution of accountability, the proven corrupt and the usurpers be hanged openly at the crossings of each city of this country. The whole system has to be changed and Sharia laws be promulgated in the country, the only way-out to give justice to the people and eliminate corruption, and then it will be justified to celebrate the real Independence Day and the real freedom for the people of Pakistan.