Shattered Hopes By Abdul Salam Dadabhoy

Pakistanis are one of the most resilient people on the face of this earth. This is no exaggeration! With what they have had to experience in the last 7 to 8 years, very few people on this planet, would have dared to face, what Pakistanis still continue to endure:: Explosions, suicide bombings, crimes, law & order, power, gas, inflation, unemployment and economic terrorism.

Despite all the above, it is business being dragged as usual. Had it been any other nation, half of the population would have fled, or migrated and sought asylum else where. Credit goes partly to our belief, that good and bad all is from the heavens. Rest if credit is to be given, goes to our insensitivities.

When a patient is afflicted with multiple organ failure, recovery God willing is in radical changes in diet and life style patterns. Or else death is inevitable. Similar is a situation in this case. We either mend our ways drastically or get prepared for the eventuality. It never occurs, or has occurred to the ruling elite, that there is always a limit to everything. As luck would have it, our elite have crossed all limits of deceit, hypocrisy and above all financial corruption! That is why any good news is always followed by a breaking bad one, which shatters every hope built by its predecessor.

Terrorists were to be hanged, when the moratorium was removed. With more than ten thousand hardened terrorists languishing in lockups, hardly a dozen have met their fate as yet. Why cannot the ruling class mean what they say and say only what they mean? Why does justice have to be subservient to and dependent upon flexibilities and compromises and circumstances? Why cannot our leaders like leaders of other countries be straight in approach in clearly defining between right and wrong?

Most recent good news is of formation of the Judicial Commission. Hats off, to the patience and perseverance of Imran Khan and his team. Hopefully, it is not an eye wash by the Government, to pacify the anger and frustration of the public at large, to delay the issue as usual and to gain time. NA 122 ballots for finger printing scan by NADRA, is also taking unusual and exceptionally more time, than should have been required for the purpose. But, then there is at least a step in the right direction.

Besides the poor and down trodden, who have no say in virtually anything and who are treated as herd by those who rule, (Tharparkar Sindh being a perfect example), this country is divided between two categories of people. One, of those who are making money, enjoying power and do not wish that anything, including this system to change for the better. The other category is of those who want change, are striving for it, but either are helpless, or yet far away from their desired objectives. In such situations, unless bold and dangerously bold steps are adopted, the majority will always remain hostage at the hands of a few hundred. As a matter of fact, all eyes are set and hopes are pinned, on three or four individuals at this moment.

One is the Chief Of Army Staff, second is the Director General Inter Services Intelligence and third is Imran Khan. Not a single soul can doubt their honesty, credibility, integrity and patriotism. If true leadership means the presence of some basic ingredients in certain individuals, these gentlemen carry the finest of traits. In case change is to come, these men have the ability and the will to bring it. It now depends on the track which is adopted.

Zarb e Azb and Khyber 2 shall be done and over with in a few months time. Of all the good news, Burraq drone and the 2700 kilometers range missile are the best amongst them all, which proves that some are still desperately dedicated to saving this Motherland. Without mobilizing ground troops, the forces would be able to conduct surveillance and hit targets, as and when the situations so demand. After tackling cross border terrorism, sectarianism and extremism, what needs the utmost attention of the patriots, is economic terrorism, which has hit the very heart of our foundation.

No one found involved must be spared. No mercy should be shown to those, who have misconducted themselves while holding public offices and ransacking the institutions they headed. Khomeini style might not work. Mao Zedong style may succeed. An interim set up dedicated towards electoral reforms, followed by fair and free bio metric elections and finally succeeded by zero tolerant and unbiased accountability, including repatriation of stolen funds taken abroad, may steer us out of the present mess we are stuck in and in the process restore the shattered hopes and aspirations of the common man.

Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah once said ”There is no power on earth that can undo Pakistan.” This quote appears realistic with General Raheel, General Rizwan and Imran Khan active and around.

by webmaster@insaf.pk (tkiadmin)