Human Rights Day happens on December 10 every year all over the world. In Pakistan, it’s a very big deal. You know why? Because on this day, people can express their anger and frustration toward those responsible for making things so bad in the country, especially for the poor.
Access to food, shelter, safety, education, and healthcare are fundamental human rights. However, for the impoverished in the country, these essentials appear distressingly out of reach.
Life for many in Pakistan is a constant struggle. Necessities such as gas, electricity, water, jobs, homes, and justice remain elusive for a significant portion of the population. This stark reality becomes evident as individuals from the working class seek aid on the streets, relying on charitable support for their daily meals. Meanwhile, the departure of skilled individuals from the country further compounds the challenges faced by Pakistan.
Communities across Pakistan endure profound injustices. Access to fundamental needs like food, housing, education, and adequate healthcare is a challenge. Discrimination exacerbates their difficulties, hindering their ability to progress and receive equitable treatment. Their plight often remains unnoticed, perpetuating an ongoing struggle. Rectifying these inequitable circumstances is essential to ensure every individual in Pakistan has an equitable chance at a better life.
Sadly, it seems like nobody is stepping up to help the poor. What are the human rights departments and organizations doing to make things better for the poor in Pakistan? That’s a big question. The everyday life of regular people is filled with a lot of problems. Things that some people take for granted, like gas, electricity, water, jobs, homes, and fairness, are really hard for many others to get. You can see this clearly when you see people from the working class asking for help on the streets, relying on charities to get food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Some people even feel so hopeless that they think about hurting themselves, and others are just barely getting by. At the same time, a lot of smart and talented people are leaving the country, which is not good for Pakistan.
Let’s talk about petrol for a moment. Even if the price of petrol goes down, the prices of things we buy every day don’t go down with it. But if petrol prices go up, everything else becomes more expensive right away. Isn’t this against human rights?
Things we need every day, like flour, oil, and ghee, are often not good quality because they’re mixed with bad stuff. This means a lot of people go hungry or eat vegetables grown in dirty water. Things that are considered nice to have, like goat meat, good food, fruits, and nuts, are just dreams for many poor people. And getting fairness and justice feels impossible.
We all know that when there’s injustice in society, lots of other bad things happen too. Especially for women who live in rural and forgotten places. They don’t get good healthcare, and many face violence and suffering because they’re women. They also get sick more because they don’t get enough good food. This all happens because the healthcare system is corrupt, and things are getting worse.
However, amidst these formidable challenges, it is crucial to pause and reflect. While the circumstances at hand are undeniably grim, they are not insurmountable. On this Human Rights Day, a solemn commitment is called for – a pledge that the flame of humanity burning within each of us shall never flicker or fade. We, the people of Pakistan, are akin to a diverse array of flowers within a magnificent bouquet, collectively symbolizing the beauty of our nation. It is our solemn vow to safeguard the allure of this bouquet, preventing its splendor from diminishing and its petals from scattering to the winds of adversity. This pledge signifies a resolute promise to care for our nation unwaveringly and to confront hardships, suffering, and injustice head-on. Through this struggle, we shall ultimately attain triumphant victory, fortified by an unshakable belief in the divine.
The author is a freelance journalist who is actively involved in supporting humanitarian initiatives within Pakistan
views expressed are writer’s own.
