Daily Times

“Strong souls have wills and feeble ones only wishes” is a Chinese proverb which befittingly applies to Sindh of today. Sindh has thousands of feeble sons and daughters who do not tire of making vows to sacrifice their lives for their land but what they chronically lack is a strong will to league en mass into a well-organized political entity to confront the oligarchs who have been picking up at the precious resources of the province at all levels. Sindh groans with every piece of flesh these predators claw out of its bones.

The education and the resultant consciousness is the beacon light that guides people to an avowed political goal and along the distance to it; an illuminated path for them to seek change; urges commitment and vision from political leadership for the uplift of their people; prepares the road map for the loftier journey that leads to the realization of cherished dreams and composes an inspirational message that furnishes the music to keep any caravan marching. The foremost target of oligarchs is education or the political consciousness.

However, the prophets of change and the martyrs of true path do not look at discouragements, hindrances; they persevere and persist fixing their sight on their noble cause. This distinguishes men of purpose, strong souls, ideological and political crusaders from the weak, purposeless and silent spectators; a loftier purpose from petty desires. 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 revive their sagging spirit, a beacon light to illuminate their path to reawakening and change.

If the hold of the oligarchs on political power is not challenged by the informed sons and daughters of Sindh, this systematic loot and plunder of the resources of the province will turn it into a wasteland and beyond recognition

The nationalists squandered the opportunity of shunning their parochial and narrow factional differences to league together to chart out an alternative political course for the people, while the political and bureaucratic moguls assumed the brutish form of predators trying to devour the last morsel of the flesh of the people during the past many decades shutting their eyes to the thickening dark clouds of misery, poverty, ignorance and disease hovering over this dear land.

The world has undergone a phenomenal change. This change is also apparent everywhere in Pakistan 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, graduate and aspire to find an honorable livelihood. The rulers have monopolized powers of recruitment using Sindh Public Service Commission as a tool for promoting cronyism, favoritism and corruption.

Should the informed citizens of Sindh compromise with the current political, social and economic conditions or it is their duty to strive to establish a progressive and prosperous society on the basis of social democracy, freedom, justice, fraternity and solidarity where the resources of the province should be treated as the sacred trust of the people.

Sindh is afflicted by a scourge that has endangered the right of lower and middle class citizens to an honorable living. It deeply and chronically suffers from the unfair and unjust distribution of economic and production resources among the various segments of its populations enhancing the socio-economic disparity. This has rendered voiceless over half of the population and paved the way for the elite to continue to hold the reigns of political power in autocratic regimes. These autocrats indulge with impunity in corruption, loot and plunder and amass enormous wealth which they freely use for the perpetuation of their power.

In today’s Sindh, no department from top to toe is free from corruption. Both the political and administrative apparatus of the province is involved in plunder. The raids, arrests, and prosecutions by the National Accountability Bureau have failed to stem the endemic corruption and corrupt practices. Over 500 officers from various departments have returned billions in plea bargains, and have been silently reappointed to lucrative positions notwithstanding the clear orders of the superior courts.

Quite recently, the NAB and the Anti-Corruption Establishment have arrested, investigated and prosecuted senior officers for corruption, illegal transfer of state lands, embezzlement of funds and wheat stocks. Among them, there are half a dozen provincial Secretaries. A District Food Controller who happens to be the husband of a woman MPA was arrested a week ago for embezzlement of wheat stocks of over Rs.930million.

A Food Inspector is under trial for pilferage of wheat worth of millions. Over a dozen flour mill owners have been prosecuted for misappropriation of wheat stocks in league with Food Controllers and their Inspectors. All this pilferage, smuggling, hoarding, profiteering has been causing shortage of flour in the province and the country. The scourge seems unstoppable unless the laws of prosecution and trial and the anti-graft institutions are further strengthened to get maximum convictions of corrupt mafia.

The Local Council Service officers in the province have been found involved en mass in corruption and pilferage of funds. The political leadership from their respective Corporations, Municipal and Town Committees has been equal partners in these corrupt practices. The development works shown in papers are not traceable on the ground. Hence, we have the existing shamefully dilapidated civic amenities.

The current political administration has damaged beyond imagination the administrative structure, education, healthcare and civic amenities in our towns and cities and left the general populace at the mercy of the callous, corrupt and unresponsive officialdom, fending for the security of their life, honour and property. If the hold of the oligarchs on political power is not challenged by the informed sons and daughters of Sindh by joining hands in a well-organized political party, this systematic loot and plunder of the resources of the province will turn it into a wasteland and beyond recognition.

We, the so called silent majority, will be equally responsible for this vulgar crime. It is time to confront the menace than crying over the spilt milk later.

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