Muhammad Usman
LAHORIS are weird creatures. For them, everything is a joke. They are so ignorant, they do not listen and don’t care. No other nation is more ignorant and stupid than Pakistanis”, said Doctor Yasmin Rashid, Health Minister Punjab. Though she has apologized for her harsh remarks for citing reason that she was very upset about rising number of Corona Virus’s cases in Lahore and could not resist outpouring of her anxiety/frustration which in fact was an indirect expression of her concern for safety of people. Though it is difficult to decipher what impelled her to tender apology but in reality, she was not off the mark. The conduct of people was exactly same what she said about laxity of people to observe precautions to forestall the spread of virus.
Over of a couple of decades, sadly we have developed strange proclivities which are difficult to find elsewhere so all pervasive. As a result, we are found trailing at bottom of positive indexes and leading in negative ones about future, nations could expect to unfold for them. Our people do not take a danger seriously until it comes to the head. It is not a bravery. It is a rat race to which we have fallen prey. Frankly, it is the fierce temptation to fetch whatever is lying immediately regardless of a bigger trouble, it may cause just after. Underneath lies the greed and haste. We tend to prefer even small/transient gain over enduring loss even at the expense of State. We hasten to drive everything as there is no tomorrow. On each day, our hands are on each other pockets. By evening, only one is left with something but to be robbed next very morning. Unfortunately, it is an unending travail. The deceit has replaced honesty. Verbally we condemn corrupt practices but in reality, behaves quite differently. This clouds one’s judgement to discriminate between good and bad. Consequently, our social and moral milieu is now marked with greed, impatience, short-sightedness, materialism and indifference. Besides, there are elements of naivety, simpleminded and gullibility.
Combined effects of all above, have not only impacted us individually but also collectively. Latest example is of coronavirus pandemic in which we did not hesitate to fleece humanity. We did hoarding of anything related to disease in order to sell them in black at own chosen price with no guilt/remorse. Even life-saving drugs failed to invoke a morsel of pity in our hardened hearts. It is a regretful commentary on our ethics, morals and fellow feelings particularly during a national emergency. Another area of utmost concern is economy. It is not only mafias who try to sabotage economic recovery but also the business community down to retailers. They remain obdurate to abandon tax evasion and profiteering. It is said, price index is very sensitive to oil prices. When oil prices were slashed substantially, they did not reduce prices of commodities even slightly. The difference went somewhere as something goes into black hole. The government tried its best to give them stimulus packages but as usual, they remain a leaky basket. The Coronavirus also failed to shake their conscience for collectivism.
Another sphere of national life is politics by ruling elite which caused woes. After finding no escape from accountability and assurance for political business as usual, they have pinned hope on people who yet remain prone to their political chicanery, contrivance and jugglery owing to set of peculiarities they possess, highlighted above. By no mean, this is a far cry because repeatedly, they have fooled people while taking advantage of these. They presented Nawaz Sharif as lion and people believed it. To the contrary, he has always shown his back in adversity. At present, he is sitting in London to evade prison/accountability. There is no noticeable public backlash. His media crooks have made people believe that it is a part of politics. Contrarily, a leader forfeits his right of leadership if he chickens out in adversity. His media crooks have also made people to believe successfully that he eats money but also spends on people. It is their master stroke. In reality, people got fraction of what he pocketed himself and squandered. People do not think so. They gleefully take whatever is thrown upon them. This is irony of fate. Such mindset could help them to make a comeback despite plundering the country so recently.
The ruling elite only consider Imran Khan a threat. They are ready to help elect anybody PM from PTI. It is a plus for Imran Khan morally however, he continues to provide fuel to them to raise hullabaloo against him because of his patchy performance. Taking advantage of poor economic situation, they have launched two pronged fresh attack on him with media in lockstep and they are finding impressive audiences quite widely. Two prongs are; he is immeasurably incapable and their performance was better than him. Their claim of better performance is as absurd as it is mischievous. They brought country to this dangerous impasse. They did not only plunder the country but also ransacked whole of it while leaving nothing intact. We cannot sustain another cruel round of theirs. This is a fact. Imran Khan may have plausible reasons for his failure but leave them aside. For sake of the country, people have to rise above themselves. They have to save themselves from their gimmicks. Amid difficulties, obviously, they need to find new reservoir of energy. There is a way if there is a will.
— The writer, a retired Lt Col, is freelance columnist based in Islamabad.
