An environment has a heavy impact on any human being. It contributes towards your behaviour, character, taste and the list goes on. It's the environment you live in that ultimately plays a heavy role in who you become. I was born in England in a small city called St Albans. My father had five daughters and I was the only son, and the youngest.
At the age of three I went to Pakistan, my father had decided to move back and sent my mother and and my sisters there first. The idea was he would join us after tying up loose ends. A child from the age of two onward absorbs a lot of information and I was In Pakistan during that period of my life. Maybe this is why I'm so good at speaking Urdu and speak it without an accent. My father had to re-evaluate his plans of moving back to Pakistan when he found out my mother had cancer. There was no Shaukat Khanum at that time and the treatment was better in UK. We moved back and sold our property in Pakistan, a few years went past and my mother passed away in 1992.
During the worst period of my life, Imran Khan had just won the World Cup. And after two years in 1994 Shaukat Khanum opened its doors to the public. Khans Saab started to become an inspiration. When Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf was formed I started believing in Imran Khan even more. I believed in every word he said. He had already proved himself to me by his actions when he won the World Cup, and mostly when he built Shaukat Khanum.
I love Pakistan and our culture, I love the people, the language. When you have a lack of something you crave for it even more, it's human nature. I have spent all my life in England and maybe that's why Pakistan means so much to me. Let me give you an example, for instance I see more and more white people converting to Islam and these people who convert become better Muslims then most Muslims who are born into the religion, they understand the value of Islam. It's like when you are born rich you don't understand the value of money. But when you are poor and then you become rich you understand what the value of money is, as there was a time you didn't have any.
I decided to join PTI in UK and became an active member. I then joined the social media team and became a team member of Insaf TV. I wanted to use this platform in showing the truth to people. Exposing the current governments corruption and promoting PTI's values.
I went to Pakistan this year for nearly 8 weeks with a mission, which was to make people of Pakistan realise that Imran Khan is our only hope.
I traveled to Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar with my mobile phone and a microphone asking people questions regarding the current situation in Pakistan. I was curious to find out why people vote for corrupt politicians? The more I travelled and spoke with people I started realising there was a mixture of things that ultimately were the reasons behind Noon and PPP coming to power time and time again. Firstly and for mostly some of us are divided. We will support parties like we would support our teams in PSL, and by that I mean by regions. A Punjabi would give his vote to a Punjabi, a Sindhi to a Sindhi and so and so forth. Secondly, lack of education plays a big role towards this division. Baradaree or clan politics is also one of the key factors, especially in our rural areas. According to a survey 61.70% of Pakistan is all rural area.
During my trip I took a lot of domestic fights, I think when you travel especially by public transport it's a good way of understanding how people behave. Overall are they polite? Do they wait their turn? Are they generous, and give way to other passengers? All these things are there to be evaluated when you use public transportation, be it bus, train or plane. What I couldn't understand traveling from Karachi to Islamabad was when the flight landed everyone got out of their seats and grabbed their belongings. The air stewardess hadn't even announced that the doors are opened and people had already got out of their seats. Passengers were standing waiting eagerly while holding their not so light bags. It was after another 15 minutes that the doors were opened and every one rushed towards them. What I have learnt during my experience is that everyone is thinking about themselves. We are selfish to our own needs and wants. We need to change ourselves first in order to bring a change in society.
I spoke with people of all walks of life, from all backgrounds. Some were upper class many were middle class citizens. I remember meeting this one man strangely enough in a cafe in Islamabad. His name was Imran and he worked for a bank. Traveling with my mic at all times during my trip was something I made a habit of, and thank goodness that day was not any different. During one of the finest cups of coffee I had in Pakistan I over heard a conversation that was very informative. I looked behind and tapped the gentlemen on his shoulder, requested if I could interview him. I was fascinated in what Imran had to say as he made me realise a few things. Imran explained the concept of something I have heard Khan Saab address. "Ghulami wali soch", we still have a slave mentality. First it was the Mughal empire for a 181 years and then the British ruled for another 300 years. Imran gave reasons to why we give English preference over Urdu. He said that when the British left the fist generation subconsciously still were not free. The second generation couldn't judge right from wrong, but now the third generation is slightly different. The third generation teaches and guides their parents where needed. Nodding my head to what Imran was saying I was reflecting back to my trip so far. I too had noticed every time I used English in Pakistan I got a better reaction from people. It came handy with the authorities but sometimes it had its negative moments, if the rickshaw and taxi drivers got a whiff of me being a foreigner they tried to over charge me. It's all about how you dress and speak in Pakistan, which has a big effect.
Within my trip PIAs privatisation became the headline, and there were a lot of opinionated people regarding this issue. I took it upon my self to speak to protestors at Islamabad airport and Jinnah airport Karachi. When I was covering the protest at Karachi airport I was taken by the ASF "Airport Security Force". I was sent to a room where false allegations were being thrown at me. I was told what I was doing was illegal and they will put me in jail. I wasn't scared at all but the cousins who accompanied me, they were. I told my cousins to relax and assured them that everything will be alright After 2 hours they let us go. My cousins didn't want me to continue taking anymore interviews but I continued to do so. I told my cousins to look at the PIA staff members, they are standing up against the governments decision. Even though they know their chances of loosing their job are far higher if they speak out. If they weren't scared I shouldn't be either.
Things are changing and people are realising. The more I spoke with people the more hopeful I became. My mission was to wake Pakistan up but Pakistan woke me up. I realised something. I realised in order for me to truly help Khan Saab in his mission I need to be in Pakistan. There are many things wrong with Pakistan but our culture and heritage overcomes all of it. We can be so much more, I can do so much more but for that I need to be somewhere I belong, I need to be in Pakistan.
For all those people who care about Pakistan but have lost hope in our system, remember, the population of Pakistan is far greater then the amount of politicians. You are stronger but we need to stand united, and stand up for what's right. People are use to not having electricity for hours daily. They are use to not having clean water, some are use to not having any water. I give you an example if people in England didn't have no electricity for a few days I guarantee you, they will be out on the streets as they are not use to it. In Pakistan people are use to not having their rights and this is the reason why they don't fight for them.
An environment does have a hand to play in how you think and behave. The environment I have been bought up in has security, stability and a system. But there is still something in Pakistan, their is a greatness about it, but the country hasn't grown to its full potential. I can see great things for Pakistan and I know Khan Saab knows what it lacks. He has seen far more world then I could ever see and he knows what a stable system entails. A man who has had dinner with all walks of life, from the Queen of England to the common mazdoor, he has to have some tricks up his sleeve.
I'm back in England now but the countdown has begun. I stand where my father did a few years ago, I too have decided to go back. I have given myself a year to tie up loose ends and move. But Allah is the best planner of all, lets see where I will be in a year.
The author of this article is a PTI member and a part of Social Media Team, he is currently based in London.
by webmaster@insaf.pk (tkiadmin)
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