Before the 11th of May, 2013, there was a sense of urgency growing
amongst the populace, a sense of panic and understanding that it was
either ‘now or never’.
Before the 11th of May, Pakistan was encapsulated in a blanket of fog so
thick that looking through it to try and decipher what lay ahead had
become an impossible feat.
Before the 11th of May, promises had fervently been made, speeches
passionately delivered, and the "awam" (people) of Pakistan had been taken
in and convinced in a manner so smooth by the Oscar-worthy performers
we call our politicians that they still don’t know what hit them.
Little did we know that problems of a different nature would begin (and
add to the plethora of existing ones) straight after the 11th of May,
2013.
An election symbolizes the transition from one government to another, a
baton of responsibility being handed over to the group of people waiting
to receive it next. In Pakistan, this did indeed occur, with everyone
(except a few) having worn their best mature faces to the outing, in
which the majority accepted the results of what proved to be an
extremely controversial election, with a fake smile on their faces.
None of the above is something we have forgotten just yet (or possibly
ever will), but isn’t it lovely being able to reminisce about the good
times before you shift focus onto the bad? By ‘bad’, I mean the present
situation. And yes, in case you’re wondering, we have mentioned the sole
good thing that has happened within Pakistan (in the last few months)
in the last paragraph already. No, I’m not referring to our talent for
fake smiling, but in fact, the transition of power between the outgoing
PPP government and the PML-N.
The elections are done. And besides having to deal with rigging
allegations and traumatic TV debates concerning the transparency and
fairness of the entire affair itself, it appears that the majority of
Pakistan at that point was ready, if not dying, to move forward. Fair
enough. Many however, were at the edge of their seats, waiting to pounce
with preplanned criticism.
The fair thing to do, or so I was told, was to wait a while before the
new government ‘settled in’ and found their feet. Obviously, it is too
soon to judge someone’s achievements or shortcomings within just the
first five days of having taken an oath, right? But how much time is
sufficient to begin passing judgment? Who measures when and if it’s fair
to start blaming the people in charge for incompetence when target
killings continue, and when electricity looks like it might be
discontinued altogether?
The PML-N government did not, by any means, take charge of a Pakistan
that was at the top of its game, in fact, quite the opposite. Pakistan
is currently in the throes of an excruciating migraine, with bright
lights and loud sounds being hurled in its direction, threatening to
make the situation much worse. But if it wasn’t already bad enough that
the citizens of this country have to deal with receiving a few meager
hours of electricity, alarmingly increasing rates of poverty and a
ferociously rampant threat of terrorism, it is our very own political
parties, which fail to keep their own houses in order, only adding to
the list of problems engulfing us.
It sometimes (more often than not) feels as though the entire concept of
our State Emblem ‘Unity, Faith and Discipline’ has eluded us completely
in recent times. We are only united in our quest to outdo our
opponent’s political agenda (whatever those even are anymore), have
faith in the fact that we will get ahead of the other by any means
necessary, and are exquisitely disciplined when it comes to mastering
all varieties of blaming, condemning and condoling. Other than these
instances, our political parties have regressed tenfold, and have failed
to show the maturity required to move forward, in the true essence of
the term.
The earthquake generated by the past governance of the PPP triggered the
‘Tsunami’ Imran Khan promised to bring, which in turn ended up being
overshadowed by a mighty volcanic eruption courtesy of the PML-N, which
spilled into the National Assembly faster than you can say ‘lava’.
‘Hurricane’ Qadri disappeared just as soon as he had appeared, and the
MQM is drowning in its flood of tears, mostly provided by its supreme
leader himself. General Musharraf lies on the sidelines, promising to
bring a heat wave no doubt, which shall give the government of the day
something to distract the people with, whilst they try their best to do
more than just provide hastily made budgets, and heartfelt (?)
condolences.
The political disasters mentioned above are fueling this nation’s
migraine to such an extreme, that pretty soon the common man will snap
and ask for proper medication. Who will prescribe it? Certainly not
those who cannot agree or see eye to eye (don’t think about the song!)
on even the basic things this country needs: counter-terrorism policies,
feasible energy plans and employment generation.
The problems are escalating, and the margin for error is minimal, and
believe it or not, Man of Steel was just a movie. There is no Superman,
and even if there was, he isn’t going to save Pakistan. It is you and I
who have the power to raise our voices and force those in a position of
power to bring the change they so boisterously promised us. There will
be another May 11 in five years but only if we make it that far.
And even though this country helps my cynicism soar to new heights, it is also the only one I have.
Instead of whispering a ‘Get well soon’ under our breath every time we
watch our streets flow with blood and our homes drown in darkness, let
us end the indifference and apathy. Every migraine has a cure and every
problem a solution.
Pakistan is ours to own. What are we doing by not helping fix it?
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| The PML-N government did not, by any means, take charge of a Pakistan that was at the top of its game, in fact, quite the opposite |
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