28th December, the city of lights lost its heritage as the oldest and the most revenue generating business hub costing billions of Rupees and priceless family traditions caught ablaze by those who are knowingly unknown. Such occult practices burnt clusters of business communities to ashes. People lost assets worth millions and there is no justification for the quantifiable loss they have to suffer.
Regardless of the material loss, people had invested their entire life building those shops and generations passed carrying out their businesses and making key relations with suppliers and customers. Who would have thought that there will be no chai-wala to offer them morning tea and customers falling in as they sip the ever refreshing dhoodpati. All is lost in dark with no hope to guide them to light.
On this date what we see is a crumbling Pakistan and the situation worsening, weakening and diminishing our hopes of a glorious Pakistan. I may call myself and thousand others like me conspiracy theorists that would put this blame on any of the three entities; the Pakistani Government itself, Taliban or America for that reason.
For those who pick our dynamic Government would certainly believe it to be a strategy to revamp Karachi by demolishing structures that stood for over 100 years built during the British Raj in order to build sky scrapers and a new Lego- world of concrete. Another school of thought would claim this to be a well sought out plan by the opposition parties to destabilize the current government.
For those who believe in what is told to them would certainly consider this an act of ridicule by our poor overrated world enemies, Taliban and Al-Qaeda. It amuses me how the words “Taliban” and “Al-Qaeda” are officially entered in Microsoft Word’s dictionary. Anyhow, for those who are always anti America would go on to say that this is all done by the invisible hands that virtually run and dictate our country. And some who really think a lot would even go beyond by saying that India and America ventured a covert operation to destroy and eventually invade Pakistan to get control over China.
Whatever the case may be, it is evident that Pakistanis are consistently going to struggle and suffer unanimously while we all wait for a Superman to rescue us. The problem lies in everyone one of us. We are the solution. We all want the mess to be cleaned up without getting our hands dirty.
Our parents don’t want us to join politics, we don’t choose to join army nor do we engage ourselves in any socially/ politically motivated events like rallies and protests. On the contrary, we break signals, we bribe the policemen and say “they are corrupt” and we don’t question authority. If we don’t obey the basic laws, we don’t really have a right to ask questions. The best example I could give you is of France. Now the French Government is the kind of Government that one could only dream of. They take responsibility for everything; from Healthcare to Education, they would even send a back-up mom to wipe your baby’s poop. Now that’s a Utopia we are talking here. Who would go against such an extremely beautiful Government? Recently French students in Paris and Lyon took over the city and the Police for disrupting their reforms regarding the curriculum (http://www.javno.com/en-world/thousands-protest-against-school-reforms-in-france_216314). This is the passion to fight for their right.
I have nothing much to say about the youth. I feel you would be disappointed. I remember visiting a party lately where there was this really interesting conversation going on about Islam and what Muslims are supposed to do and how there is no compensation and forgiveness when it comes to prayers. I was disgusted by that entire half drunk crowd who was a part of this conversation and the pious gentleman holding a bottle of Blue Label initiating that conversation. You drink and take the name of thy Lord. I mean where are the priorities set? Well the party was fun, had a great time mocking.
In a nutshell, demographically, the old aged have lost their hope in Pakistan, the middle wants their kids to run away from here and the youth is facing a severe identity crises. It is unwise to be extremely optimistic about Pakistan; it would in fact disguise all the discrepancies and incompetencies that prevail in a puppetized democracy. Nonetheless, one shouldn’t be a pessimist either. What we should be looking for are thought provoking realists’ ideologies, one that promote free will and opportunity to rise no matter where you come from.
Ali Kanchwala
