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.
Our ruling elite
It is time that the paid and elected ruling elite of this country, who aspire to hold public office, must be seen to have all their stakes in this country, no conflicts of interest, and lead by example in their total commitment to Pakistan. This country was created by politicians with integrity and character, who were not smitten by greed for assets and real estate allotments.
In 1930 Quaid left for London, where he served as a successful barrister, bought a house in Hampstead and was well settled. However, when he was approached by Allama Iqbal and others to return to India, he sold that house and returned back to lead the All-India Muslim League, never to return back to England. In his 11 August 1947 address to the First Constituent Assembly MAJ warned about the cancer of corruption, that years of colonial rule had nurtured to buy loyalties of natives, willing to betray motherland and serve the British Raj. The British used land and titles to lure the paid servants of state to serve them loyally.
Unfortunately, since 1955, these remnants of the British Raj conspired to derail Jinnah’s vision of a modern democratic welfare state to be replaced by a security state, serving their former colonial masters. We maybe amongst a few countries, whose paid and elected elite are allowed to own vast assets abroad, settle their families there and yet are eligible to hold sensitive public offices in the civil and uniformed services.
Our paid bureaucracy, both civil and uniformed, while in service have no restriction to buy properties abroad, facilitate their families from acquiring immigration and after retirement shift abroad, to live there. Individuals holding important sensitive public offices are facilitated to sell their assets in Pakistan, including lands allotted to them, and transfer proceeds of such sales to their foreign bank accounts.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
Religious freedom
Religion is a belief in which no one can interfere. Regarding religion be kind to people because it is a personal matter and everyone must have freedom of religion to believe in any religion or not. In these modern societies, people associated with poor backgrounds or ethnic minorities are forced to change beliefs and practise another religion.
Also, if they don’t do as instructed, they will be kidnapped and forced to convert to other religions after some indecent behaviour. The decline in religious freedom in the country is responsible for the alarming rate of strong religious conversions.
I ask the respected authorities to do something to curb this. Religious freedom is more important, it concerns the right of people to speak, act and live according to their common beliefs.
MAHNOOR YAQOOB
Malir, Karachi
Feminism
in Pakistan
Feminism has been in the spotlight overtime in Pakistan and the whole world. The basic definition of feminism is “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of gender”. The basic theme among all the feminist expressions is “gender equality.” Islam also provides a lens to understand feminism. In fact, history witnessed that Islam was the first religion that supported feminism.
It gave women basic rights and assigned them roles in society. I wonder if Islam has given all the rights to women, then why women of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan have to come on roads every year for their rights. I search for the answer and I realize that Islam has provided all the fundamental rights to women. Actually the problem lies in the perspective.
The feminism that is emerging in Pakistan lately is more West-oriented and less like Islamic Feminism. Feminist organizations, Aurat March , and et cetera aim to grant women the freedom to do whatever they intend to. Women’s Empowerment is the main agenda of such organizations. But as time is passing, feminism in Pakistan is emerging in colors of western culture.
Dominated by already independent women, dots and crosses of actual women empowerment are being ignored. Women are given all the fundamental rights in Islam, the problem lies in the practice and implementation properly. Feminist organizations should work on the areas where women are being suppressed and they should be the voices of victim women.
SADAF ZAHRA JAFFRI
Burewala
President of Pakistan not of PTI
Since ouster of PTI government, Psychedelic attitude is being noticed from the presidency whether in the matter of oath ceremony of Shahbaz Shareef or on issue of Governor Punjab.
Being head of state, such tactics are unfair and can pave the way to chaos and more constitutional crises. However, chair should consider himself as head of state rather than a tiger of PTI, in better interest of Pakistan.
FAHEEM MUMTAZ
Khairpur
