Daily Times

For the last few years, political systems and their parts have been in shambles, and because of this, the country s bearing its burnt. The politicians are venting their vitriol against the opponents. They are instilling the way into the minds of the youth, which is in no way favourable for the people in general and the youth in particular. The same is the case with the political parties, which, instead of endeavouring to devise a viable future for themselves, are giving only programs to the people to become followers of their agenda. Consequently, people have started to think that violence and force are the best solutions to their routine matters with their rivals. The environment of healthy competition is dying out rapidly. This state of affairs has taken almost the entire country to its grips, and nearly every system is running wild and cannot deliver anything good to the people.

Civilised and cultured societies have political systems, parties, and politicians, but the country, state, and nation are of prime importance. They solve their issues, not by vitriolic discourses or violent force. Instead, they solve their differences not in the streets by putting up a protest but only by table talk and open media debate. That is most probably the way of the civilised, educated, and cultured people; they provide programs and plans for the implementation and management of the people friendly projects and facilitate the people, and whenever and wherever the benefits of the people are damaged, they come forward to revise their policies. After all, how do they define democracy: a government of the people, for the people, and by the people? And the power can be acquired for the benefit of the people through the votes of the people. One party which fails to deliver is eliminated through the poll, and democracy keeps on defending the rights of the people at every cost.

The precious money of the parties, which is being wasted in arranging rallies, processions, protests, and unnecessary movements, can be appropriately used to fund water, food, education, and health projects.

Pakistani is a country where these very people suffer because of the activities, policies, and agendas of the politicians, political parties, and the political system. The state of affairs needs to be more meagre to be considered good at the level of the people. Almost all the methods of society are at a collapse level. The water supply is depleting, and potable water is decreasing rapidly. The production and supply of electricity can fail anytime because the system needs to be revamped with the required speed and interest. The same is the case with our food chain system. The population is increasing tremendously, but production needs to be handled at a higher level. The education system is in the doldrums and producing young men and women not fit for the uplift of society. This and many other issues are showing their heavy heads. Still, the political system is unwilling to pay any heed to the people and is busy securing their power and prestige only. The result is the brain drain at a considerable level. Many young people are bent upon migrating to the greener pastures because they have started to believe that Pakistan is no more a country to be inhabited peacefully. Mainly they think that their future will be futile in this country. The rising fuel prices and the consequent price hike of almost every commodity aggravate the situation.

But this mind baffles me to see and think as to why our related and concerned quarters are unwilling to do anything to improve the situation. They are found all the time busy blaming and accusing each other. Why don’t these parties come forward to help communities and individuals by funding the schemes and programs that may provide a little bit of relapse to the people at the lower level and also help decrease the supply and demand gap in all the sections of life? The precious money of the parties, which is being wasted in arranging rallies, processions, protests, and unnecessary movements, can be appropriately used to fund water, food, education, and health projects. These are the things that can win the hearts of the people and popularity for them. The parties can also launch programs for the protection of resources all around. I hope they can do much implantation and sustain of trees. They can further help people in getting their children educated at their level. They can help citizens gain jobs by establishing trade and business opportunities. They are the ones whose funds can be utilised to meet emergencies. The youth attached to them can be employed in the country’s valuable and viable activities. The political parties are an organised lot and deeply sincere with their leadership so that they can follow favourable policies for society in an organised manner. The party should claim the vote from the people because of the services they rendered instead of claiming the status of a more oppressed person than the other. Our people are now grown up. The national and international media and, ironically speaking, the country’s political activity have taught them a lot and trained them to see who is striving for their rights and good life and is simply raising slogans exploiting them for his gains. So the right time is now for the political system in Pakistan to come up to the people’s expectations.

The writer is a professor of English at Government Emerson University, Multan. He can be reached at zeadogar@hotmail.com and Tweets at @Profzee.