The Shura Hamdard Karachi convened its monthly meeting yesterday at the Hamdard Corporate Head Office. The meeting was held under the theme “Embrace Ethics. Save Pakistan” and was graced by the presence of Ms. Sadia Rashid, the President of Hamdard Foundation Pakistan. During the meeting, distinguished senior journalist Mubashir Mir was also invited as a guest speaker.
In the opening remarks, Deputy Speaker Shura Hamdard, Colonel (Retd.) Mukhtar Ahmed Butt expressed that every patriotic citizen is deeply troubled by the current situation that has arisen in the country. Various types of social vices are consistently on the rise within our society, and no discernible action plan has been observed at any level to address these issues. Serving the people and educating the nation consciously and intellectually are among the basic principles of politics.
Ms. Sadia Rashid informed the attendees that April 7th of this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the World Health Organization. The theme of “Health for All” has been globally adopted in commemoration of this milestone. This year, Hamdard Pakistan has planned various programs throughout the month of March. As part of these initiatives, so far free medical camps have been set up in different regions, and a special walk has been organized to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity and health.
Guest speaker Mubashir Mir said that the significance of ethical teaching cannot be denied; however, it is also a reality that individuals tend to follow the values and principles of their leaders and role models rather than teachings alone. While we can differentiate between right and wrong at an individual level, the challenge arises when we consider the collective psyche.
The process of nation-building requires collective thinking. This is precisely why scholars and intellectuals such as Hakim Mohammed Said placed great emphasis on patriotism. Although knowledge and teaching are vital components in shaping a nation’s character, it is ultimately the leadership and role models that instills courage and determination in people, enabling them to confront and overcome challenges. Sadly, there is a glaring dearth of such political thinkers in Pakistan.
Cdre (r) Sadeed Anwar Malik stated that ethics refers to respecting laws while exhibiting good behavior and character. Western societies have fully embraced this definition of morality, and as a result, they are advancing in the world. Upholding ethics and law requires enforcing them through law enforcement agencies. A country that has a properly functioning judiciary and police department can be considered a good society. In earlier times, special radio programs were created to teach moral values to young children. However, today, despite the presence of social media, there is a scarcity of such programs.
Anwar-ul-Haq Siddiqui stated that the primary reason for the moral crisis is the absence of collective national and social consciousness amongst all individuals.
