Let Us Fix The Problem
Jan 14th, 2012 | By Shoaib Saleem | Category: Latest, Pakistan
While having some free time to relax and stretch my arms in the office a couple of days ago, I started receiving text messages from my friends telling about some ‘Breaking News’ on all our national TV Channels. Most senior ‘Journalists’ & ‘Anchorpersons’ had taken their seats to discuss current crisis of the government and making predictions with analysts on board. Everyone was warning:
“Pakistan Tareekh Kay Aik Aur Nazuk Daur Say Guzar Raha Hai”
Instead of my usual reaction, which is browsing through different news websites and their facebook updates, I smiled and shook my head in despair. I logged on to Youtube & started listening to this famous song by Shahzad Roy “Laga Reh”. If you listen to this song as entertainment, it’s Ok but if you take it seriously, it makes you feel ashamed and embarrassed.
There is no doubt that Pakistan is facing ‘another’ difficult time in history and as the time passes the situation is getting worse for the common man. Talk to your friends, colleagues, family members or even with your political opponents, you will find the same sentiment all over & everyone is desperate for a change, some comparing the present government with the previous regime, some trying hard to prove that the things were quite good in the time of dictatorship & so on.
The question is where does the problem lie? It probably lies in ‘us’. Think honestly, how many of us really care about the honesty and sincerity of the person we cast our vote for? How many of us really spare some of our precious time and investigate the credibility and character of the contestants in our constituency? I’m sure very few of us seriously think and make this effort.
When we need to buy a cell phone, we discuss all the pros and cons with our friends; we read blogs and reviews, check out the comparison and statistics, the brand and all the hot features. But when it comes to cast our vote which could make a difference to the lives of millions of Pakistanis, our priorities take a U-turn. The things we stress upon are Ethnicity, Sect, personal relationships and so on.
If you really love Pakistan at least as much as your cell phone and if you really want to make Pakistan a real Islamic Welfare State, here are the criteria you should have in mind before you go & cast your vote
Article 62 of the constitution states:
Qualifications for membership of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament):
(d) He is of good character and is not commonly known as one who violates Islamic Injunctions;
(e) He has adequate knowledge of Islamic teachings and practices obligatory duties prescribed by Islam as well as abstains from major sins;
(f) He is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and amen, there being no declaration to the contrary by a court of law;
(g) He has not, after the establishment of Pakistan, worked against the integrity of the country or opposed the ideology of Pakistan.
The solution is right there. Act upon it and Pakistan will fly for sure. I hope you will not violate the Constitution this time.
Pakistan Zindabad!
I think article 62 needs serious revision:
(d) who will decide what good character is? A good character in your eyes might not be good enough in mine and vice versa.
(e) again, adequate knowledge is an ambiguous term and may vary on who is interpreting it. Also doing ones obligatory Islamic duties doesn’t prove anything. A person performing prayers to show his voters is as bad as the one not praying at all. It is something that is between him and God. A non praying person could still be doing a lot of good work for his people and for the society and deserves to be chosen as their rep.
(g) the wording of this point clearly shows that it has been added to suit some particular group, it is not very different from the NRO in my eyes
While I am not saying that we should blindly vote we shouldn’t be judged as strictly as being violating the constitution either. After all this constitution is also man made and could be biased.
I agree with most of your blog but Nabil hit the nail on the head. I’m not Pakistani, nor Muslim…so you might tell me to mind my own business. But I am a member of society at large…very much “at large”, lets say about 5,000 kms away from Pakistan. I have visited Pakistan only once so far (“so far” in time but also so far in space!) I have come to love Pakistan through all the Pakistanis that I have met. Pakistanis are warm, loving, intelligent. Many of you are simply brilliant. But why is Pakistan in such a mess? Of course, there are messes all over the world, no place is perfect (again, “so far”) but striving for better should be on everyone’s mind. Better usually isn’t any further than an open mind.
Shoaib Saleem, I agree with the point that it is us who will have to be more sincere when making a selection during elections, but Nabil’s points are valid too! we need to create a boundary to define who the good person actually is. and do we have such good people on the top? we have same old retard options.How about we all start the correction bottom up? Lets vow that we will correct ourselves first and then expand the same to our circles. I firmly believe that if we commit ourselves to good, change will come at large. Lets follow rules, say no to bribe, develop patience and practice to be better part of the society. here is the video that illustrates this beautifully: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhOfYzzS6D4 Lets pledge ourselves to make our country a better place! Pledging is the first step – lets take it NOW! 🙂
very much true…and the points are to be noted and acted