Daily Times

This question has been under consideration of the conscious sons and daughters of Sindh for quite some time now. The discussion was stimulated by a number of factors reflective of the utter failure of Pakistan People’s Party and the political alliances formed at the time of the general elections in addressing the chronic social and economic issues of Sindh. The splinter political groups claiming ideologically nationalist complexion since decades were not less callous than the mainstream political parties in exploiting the sentiments of the people of Sindh for votes and later betraying their confidence shamelessly. All this only has exasperated the disillusionment of the people and gradually pushed them to a state of resignation to suffering and sufferance.

The Pakistan people’s Party, particularly after Muhtarma Benazir Bhutto, turned into a lucrative club of oligarchs. The traditional political dynasties which had joined the bandwagon of Z.A. Bhutto, in their second or third generations, have completely hijacked the party sidelining or banishing the old ideological workers from the middle class. They have established their control on the administrative structures and financial resources of the province depriving the common people of jobs, business, education and healthcare, security of property, honour and life. The PML (N) and PTI did not go beyond the political patchwork in the province embracing disgruntled and disaffected landlords without tapping the politically rich and informed middle class every willing to lock horns with the political barons.

The main challenge of a new political initiative will be to redeem the confidence of the people as sovereigns of their destiny, to reawaken their power of dethroning the oligarchs and crowning good people – being the real owners of this land

The people of Sindh need a new voice today as ever before, a candle to pierce through the thick darkness of disillusionment, a hope to rejuvenate their sagging spirit, a beacon light to illuminate their path to reawakening and change, a rallying cry to be the master of their destiny and the guardians of the tomorrow of their posterity. The nationalists squandered the opportunity of shunning their parochial and narrow factional differences and leaguing together to provide an alternative option to the people. The political and bureaucratic moguls have assumed the brutish form of carnivorous animals trying to devour the last morsel of the flesh of the people during the past three consecutive administrations of the PPP. They have shut their eyes to the thickening dark clouds of misery, poverty, ignorance and disease hovering over this dear land.

Should the people of this land be abandoned to sulk in their helplessness, in this political stagnation, this frustrating and suffocating atmosphere or the conscious and informed sons and daughters of the land should come forward to pay back the enormous debt they owe to it. The God will not descend from the heaven to hammer the last nail in the outdated tribalism; bridge the ethnic division in the land; arrest the growing institutional decay; redeem the crumbling educational structure; ameliorate the healthcare; challenge the endemic corruption that have sealed the fate of our people and stunted their advance to progress and prosperity. We have to do all this if we feel an iota of obligation to our people.

The era of political idealism has lost to the issue-based politics. The explosion of the information technology and the globalization has impacted the thinking, life style, needs and aspirations of the people all over the world.

This phenomenal change is apparent everywhere and even in the far undeveloped rural regions of Sindh. People want good schools, functional healthcare centers, social justice, economic equity, rule of law and equality before law. They want freedom from the existing deprivation, poverty and powerlessness, insecurity and oppression. The young work hard and graduate and aspire to find an honorable livelihood. How painful it is to find young men with the well bound files of their degrees and diplomas crowding at the doorstep of Ministers. The rulers have monopolized powers of recruitment, transfers and postings and promotions. They use these powers arbitrarily to patronize cronyism, favoritism and corruption reducing the administration of the province to a cesspool of inefficiency and ineptness.

In the recent history of nations, octogenarian leaders have performed wonders for their countries. The need is to amalgamate the wisdom of the old and the energy of the youth, courage of men and cautiousness of women. The hopes of the people of Sindh have been shattered over and again by political opportunists. They look at every political initiative with suspicion in the midst of the sinister propaganda by the supporters of the status quo creating doubts about the aims and objectives of any new political party even if it is in the embryonic stage. This reflects the deep sense of insecurity of the so called established parties. The main challenge of a new political initiative will be to redeem the confidence of the people as sovereigns of their destiny, to reawaken their power of dethroning the oligarchs and crowning good people – being the real owners of this land. It is here that the organizational structure, manifesto, strategy of public campaign and the underlying commitment and constancy will count.

The author was a member of the Foreign Service of Pakistan and he has authored two books