Articles and letters may be edited for the purposes of clarity and space. They are published in good faith with a view to enlightening all the stakeholders. However, the contents of these writings may not necessarily match the views of the newspaper.
Religious institutions
Islam has the best Social System to control the masses through different religious congregations and religious gatherings. Having a history of 75 years, Pakistan is still a nascent state where institutions are not in mature form. Politically unstable, economically crippled and socially confused State is still moving between the pendulum of maturity and consciousness. Being an Islamic State, here religion can be a significant social force to solidify the current conditions of country.
Islam has a robust power to control people from many social ills practically as well as socially. We are a blessed nation by the Almighty but not by our intuition, as we cannot manipulate things pragmatically for the last 75 years. If we can solve our problems using religion as a Social Agency, we can hamper many social issues without tremendous effort. I will discuss some social issues and how religious entities can constitute consciousness in this regard.
Jummah Prayer is the weekly activity where many Muslims gather at a single place, Masjid (Mosque). This social gathering can be used for social benefits for the state. Our reverend religious authorities used to deliver the sermons in a traditional outlook, which is not problematic but insufficient to control society and culture. From primary education to university education, every child comes across the fundamentals of religion, but the social issues are not discussed even at home or at universities.
Religion is a social institution, just like education. As education can enrich young minds for an economic, competitive market, religion makes them “social men. “Through daily five times gatherings at mosque, Jummah prayer gatherings, Eid sermons and other religious activities, our religious and moral authorities can discuss the social problems spreading in our society like contagious diseases. Religion owes to develop the masses’ consciousness for the collective good of humanity.
WAJAHAT SULTAN
Lahore
Testing tolerance and patience
The public sectors of the world operate online to create ease for the public, but unfortunately, the public sectors of Pakistan brought more trouble for its public. While visiting a government department one tests his patience and tolerance simultaneously. The people of Karachi felt the same when visiting Deputy Commissioner’s office for domicile. The timings mentioned in the pamphlets pasted on the walls of the office seem opposite to the practices of workers.
According to the staff the queue forms at 7’o clock for the distribution of tokens. Although there is a separate line for girls and boys, however, the total number of tokens provided to the queues altogether is approximately 150.
The leftovers and those who come afterward due to traffic-jam or other reasons are not served by the staff, hence not only their time but their petrol in this inflation went in vain.
Apart from the issue of timing, there are more problems like mismanagement albeit the workers belong to NADRA. There is no sitting arrangement for the people standing in a queue, thus they stood for about 5 to 6 hours in a creeping queue waiting for their turn. The government made it mandatory for the students to have their domicile for college admission due to which the place has been overflowed by the students, making it problematic for those who want domicile for job purposes.
The authorities need to resolve these impediments by recruiting more workers for this department to have work done efficiently. Moreover, like the official department of NADRA, the workers here should also facilitate people with 24 hours of services. The tokens should be at least provided online to avoid further chaos. There should be a proper sitting arrangement for the people and the persons for education and job should be served on separate windows. So that the motive of the “Public service departments” should be fulfilled rightly.
KISSA ZAHRA ZAIDI
Karachi
Toshakhana case
The hearing on the Toshakhana reference has begun. The reference filed on behalf of Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf seeks PTI chief Imran Khan’s lifelong disqualification from holding public office. Meanwhile the Election Commission of Pakistan has issued notices to Mr Khan and senior party leaders Fawad Chaudhry and Asad Umar for using “intemperate and contemptuous remarks” against the electoral watchdog in recent speeches. Setting aside the PTI chief’s stand that he is not obligated to the FIA, FIA is authorized to arrest a person who fails to appear before it after receiving the third notice.
The other very serious case(Contempt Of Court) is also in process in ATC.PTI chief failed to realize that while one may come to power with the help of the establishment one will have to act afterwards as a junior partner. Once in PM House, the sycophants around Mr Khan started telling him that his personal charisma and unmatched political sense had attracted electables and smaller parties to the PTI. The big crowds that gathered in PTI’s public meetings further nurtured the bloated image of the self in Imran Khan.
After consigning a fair number of his political opponents to NAB, Imran Khan tried to dabble in the Army’s internal affairs too, which gave birth to resentment in the organization. Long before coming to power the PTI had started using its social media teams to viciously attack its political rivals and media critics, employing the foulest vocabulary never used before. With Mr Khan blaming the Army for the fall of his government, its highly irresponsible social media teams turned their guns toward the Army.
Instead of telling them to act responsibly, his chief of staff Shahbaz Gill incited mutiny in the Army. Imran Khan is unwilling to play the role of a responsible opposition leader. He has again said he cannot sit together with corrupt politicians (despite rigorous trial though NAB ,he could not find any theft) comprising the leadership of the ruling alliance.
Imran Khan is still keen to make up with the Army and rule the country together. To prove that he still possesses formidable street power he once again threatened for a long march towards Islamabad.keeping in view the devastating calamity due to unprecedented flood, it time to call off agitational politics in the larger interest of the country.
QAZI JAMSHED SIDDIQUI
Lahore
