Daily Times

Pakistan completes 77 years of the passage of the historic Lahore Resolution adopted by the All India Muslim League on 23 March 1940. Just seven years following its adoption Pakistan came into being as an independent state — at that time largest Muslim country in the world. Pakistan’s founding father Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah single-handedly led the Muslims in the Sub-continent to freedom and separate homeland — an achievement that has no parallel in history.

Regretfully we have come to be what we are today through a roller coaster existence on account of our gross failure to translate Quaid-i-Azam’s vision of making Pakistan a truly democratic, secular and pluralistic state guaranteeing freedom and equality to all its citizens irrespective of caste, creed, colour or gender. Rather, with the passage of time and dictatorial interventions, we are neither here nor there. Those religious elements that had opposed Pakistan have virtually taken it over and are converting it into am an animal farm.

Just when the nation is preparing to celebrate its 70th Independence Day, certain ominous signs cast a dark shadow on the future of the country. No doubt Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who as the leader of the party that claims its linkage with MAJ’s Muslim League, seems to be doing a refresher course as a born again liberal and true follower of Quaid-i-Azam while celebrating the Hindu festival of Holi in Sindh.

It was too bad to be true. Thank God it did not happen. Punjab government and Provincial Minister for Higher Education Syed Ali Raza Gilani made a hasty retreat on the five-mark gimmick for girls wearing Hijab. Obviously, the Minister had to eat his words since Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif just then had declared that in Pakistan all citizens would be equal — no discrimination whatsoever.

I was agog when I heard the Education Minister on TV channels announcing his “historic” decision. It seemed to be a revolt within by the mentally Talibanised elements as it was made public when the ink of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s latest adoption of quotes from the Quaid’s speech of 11 August 1947 had not dried.

Punjab Education Minister’s response to Mian Sahib’s Holi speech must have been a bolt from the blue for the PM. His reluctant adoption out of sheer necessity of secular, liberal and progressive diction of MAJ’s speech of 11 August 1947 that in his Pakistan there will be no discrimination irrespective of caste, creed, colour or gender — seemed unpalatable for Punjab which remains a suspect as a haven for religious extremists and stronghold of ultra-rightists.

Though retracted instantly with no mention of it anywhere now — clandestine attempt to impose Hijab grace marks was nothing but an outrageously retrogressive step — a precursor of more of its kind to follow. One would agree that in a province where nothing moves without the nod of its all-powerful Chief Minister, Punjab Education Minister would not have dared to introduce a drastic measure such as that without the approval of his boss. While it gave a rude shock to those who see a return to MAJ’s vision of secular and liberal Pakistan as the only way to save Pakistan from a sure denouement, abortive Hijab decision has caused unease in the majority while giving hope among religious extremists of the fulfillment of their dream.

The inherent message in the withdrawn Hijab incentive has made the larger designs of the PML-N government clear fifteen months before the 2018 elections — especially when it seems to be preparing for an earlier election in case of an adverse decision in the Panama Money laundering case. It does not want to lose the support of the religious elements, extremist and ultra-rightists in the next elections. However, such measures lend credence to the long-standing allegation that PML-N is hand and glove with radical religious elements. As a matter of fact, it has brought out the ugly face of the enemy within and real intent of the party in power that would have got away in baptising its leader as Ameerul Momineen following its attempt to introduce so-called Shariah in 1999. It was the good fortune of the nation that PPP had a majority in the Senate that blocked its passage. Later what was an undemocratic step, Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf’s coup packing up PML-N government, was welcomed as a much-needed relief to stop Talibanisation of Pakistan.

The other day an eminent columnist commenting on the overall situation in the country concluded that root of all problems confronting the people was in the province of Punjab. This observation was not far from it when reading in the context of various serious issues topped by the fact that Punjab continues to be the epicentre of extremism perceived domestically and internationally. Hijab incentive, the functioning of Muridke, Punjab government’s funding of JuD run charity — are a clear premium for those who are opposed to MAJ’s vision of a liberal, progressive and secular Pakistan.

While that has been the situation in the largestpopulated province, it seems to be a minor administrative step of the local government in Bannu in KP run by pro-Taliban JUIF local body — calling applicants for sweepers restricting the jobs for members of minority communities such as Christians, Hindus and Shias. Instead of regretting the publication of such a demeaning advertisement in total negation of a country whose founding ideology is equality for all its citizens and guaranteeing of the dignity of labour, there seems to be an insistence by the authorities that only minorities are required to do menial cleaning jobs is horrendous and most condemnable.

This step that reserves menial jobs for Shia’s and other minorities only — if seen in the overall context of growing sectarian divide in the country as well as developments related to the creation of 37-country coalition army headed by a retired Pakistani general — seems to be a manifestation of a lethally divisive mindset that would ultimately cause irreparable damage to Pakistan and its democratic and pluralistic polity.

Pakistan is standing at a crossroad. It knows not what direction it should take to get over with its internal and external problems when the answer lies in Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s words.

The author is former High Commissioner of Pakistan to the UK, Advisor to former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and a veteran journalist