Malik M Aslam Awan
It is the transparently evident and ever haunted ground reality that since its creation Pakistan is facing the menace of corruption and corrupt elements, ever flourishing and sprouting to be so powerful and deep rooted, that it is hard to be eliminated from the very fabric of society. Corrupt societies cannot develop into nations. Nation is an embodiment of a society, endeavouring hard to weed out corrupt and vice elements from within its texture. There is a long list of nations that have been successful to make their countries corruption free and emerged as most potent and leading nations of the world. Unfortunately, Pakistan came into being on ideological basis, is still entangled in the grip of corrupt “maphias” so rampant as to never be encaged to stall the erosion of the very texture of society.
Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah envisioned rightly that the Muslims of India cannot live with Hindus peacefully in an amicable atmosphere due to the horrific venom of the Hindus, they harbour against the Muslims. Quaid-i-Azam envisaged that the Muslims and Hindus are two different nations practising two different religions and possess different norms, principles, etiquettes, customs, traditions and above all different ways of life. Hence he found himself convinced of two-nation theory and upheld this theory in his hectic and incessant struggle for independence. The movement for an independent homeland is a long journey on the thorny way. It is easy to imbibe an idea to get a free and peaceful homeland but to succeed in the struggle is a quite different phenomenon because every movement is not at all costs destined to be crowned with success. Incessant struggle for a free homeland ultimately bore fruit under the sincere and unfatigueable leadership of the Quaid. 14August 1947 augured well for the Muslims and they were too happy that after a long and incessant struggle, they are blessed with the peaceful abode, where they would be free to worship and practise their religion and in that peaceful land all minorities would, also, be entitled to practise their religious rituals fearlessly.
With the dawn of Pakistan on the world horizon the Muslims did not know, will be the harbinger of a new tale of sorrows and sufferings. The dreamful happy minds of Muslims were unaware of the fact that a horrendous “Mafia” is going to develop within the unclasp of the Pak territory. Those who opposed the two-nation theory and have gradually assimilated the Hinduism and its baneful principles in their brewing minds were in the ambush to cause a severe blow to the very texture of Islamic society and the nascent homeland of Muslims.
History is the witness to the acrimonious and bitterest fact that as a result of the hypocrisy of Lord Mountbatten and Sir Cyral Redcliff an ever largest number of Muslims had to undergo the afflictions of the world’s ever largest migration entailing innumerable woes and sufferings to the migrants. Immediately after the creation of Pakistan land grabbing “Mafia” came into existence and with manipulation of the then revenue officials even less than half agriculture land was allotted to the migrants, property claims were misused to deprive the original landowners. Land grabbers mounted their “Jaggirs” at the gloomy fate of the migrants. Thesefleecers grew more and more stronger and the migrants found themselves badly entangled in a galaxy of issues, their third generation is now destined to lead the life worst than beggars, and there is a well quoted saying that beggars cannot be choosers, so they are wandering to fidget the way of prosperity, to lead an honourable life in the Pak territory.
Different maphias have seen their rise like mushrooms to the extent that a question arises would one like to pinpoint a single sphere of life which is free of “Mafias”. Those who suffered heavily even at the cost of the lives of their beloved ones are stunned how their dreams of a free homeland have seen the realization in negative – looming large horrible dark clouds swallowing their dreams, even there is not a single silver-lining or ray of hope to come out of the threatening realization of their sweet dreams.
Those who never suffered the loss of even a single life before or during migration and who were not the participants of the bloody woeful journey to the way of independence are enjoying the fruits of freedom. They and their off-springs are happy and singing the slogans of freedom because they are the gainers without any loss and those whose families suffered heavily and incurred the loss of hundreds of lives ensuing in brutal slain and butcheries of their beloved ones, whose torn asunder and mitigated bodies were not buried because there was none to bury these human bodies of the “martyrs of freedom. Public office holders and functionaries are behaving in the way as if the country is the “manor” of their forefathers, who have conquered the Pak territory to bequeath on their generations to come. Once one – by fair or foul means – jumps to the lucrative official position he indulges himself in ruthless plundering of the public exchequer and screw the public funds like sugarcane in the crushing wheels to squeeze to the last drop of the blood of the nation. The incumbent government is required to come out of intoxicated slumber and re-act immediately to save the resources of the country.
The Quaid (RA) and Iqbal (RA) both envisioned a country for the Muslims, the incarnation of a corruption free state, which would emerge as the mightiest nation amongst the comity of nations. But one gets saddened to see the dismal picture and the realization of dreams of both the souls, may surely be restless to see the blessed country enveloped in imminent risks to its very fabric, especially the menace of corruption hurriedly sapping the very vigour of the citadel of Islam. Both the souls may surely be grossly in unrest to see the renaissance of Islam and Pakistan. It is incumbent upon the generations to come to wage hectic struggle for the elimination of the corruption menace from the very fabric of society – from bottom to top –and it is only possible by the vote to the right person, right ideas and sheer patriotism.
—The writer is a freelance columnist and independent analyst based in Lahore.
