Daily Times

By scanning the headlines of English and Urdu newspapers, all one reads is how politicians of one political party level allegations against the members of the opposite parties for whatever the reasons. Taking digs at each other with a smirk is a familiar scene. Many a time, the language used by the parliamentarians is not only against parliamentary norms but also borders on incivility, in other words – street lingo. The show is picking up momentum as the dates for the showdown are near. The newspapers carry roaring news on their front pages.

What’s however missing in press reportage is the miserable plight of the common man who is supposedly the pivot of the democratic system. The problems faced by the middle and lower segments of the society don’t surface in the verbal tug of war between politicians jostling for power. The lower strata of the society perceive the present system in the country as tyrannical and despotic wearing the mask of democracy. When the prime minister of the country publically admits that there’s one law for the poor and another for the wealthy, it leaves no doubt that the prevalent system is unjust. It’s a sad reflection on the judicial system of the country.

When talking about our judicial system and its efficiency, the backlog of hundreds of thousands of cases pending in various courts speaks for the pace at which the cases are disposed of. The Geo TV reported in June last year the number of pending cases in the courts stood at 2,159,655. That’s one reason why crime in the country is on the rise because the people instead of approaching the courts take the law into their own hands. The killing over property matters and for the honour are common events nowadays.

While the politicians and members of the top hierarchy play their power games, the sea of poverty-stricken people scrounges for the crumbs to sustain themselves. The recent protests in Sri Lanka should serve as an eye-opener for this country’s rulers. Hungry Sri Lankans surrounded the Presidential Secretariat to protest against the high cost of living. A similar situation could arise here, as the prices of commodities of daily life are slipping out of the reach of the common man.

While the top hierarchy plays its power games, the sea of poverty-stricken people scrounges for the crumbs to sustain themselves.

A large majority of the people cares less which political party is in power. The public is primarily interested in an efficient administration and supremacy of rule of law. Leaving aside the well-oiled class of the society, the common citizens look angry and have long stories to tell about the maltreatment by government departments. Many agree that road traffic truly represents the efficiency or otherwise of the provincial government. Rarely passes a day when road accidents involving the loss of precious lives are not reported. Sometimes the entire family perishes in an accident.

The recent news that there were about 850 motorbike accidents in one day in Lahore is unsettling. Some must have died and many wounded or lost their limbs thus put on crutches for life. Why can’t the provincial government regulate traffic on the roads, which is symptomatic of jungle life? To remedy the situation, all it needs is the imposition of heavy fines for violating traffic rules. Motorists and motorcyclists would only learn when heavy fines pinch their pockets. It will surely ensure road discipline and bring sanity on the roads. The traffic police could even impound vehicles of those who habitually violated traffic laws. The violators even endanger the lives of the disciplined road-users.

Working of the government departments of public dealing must be made more responsive to public needs. For instance, thousands of weapon licenses submitted with NADRA years ago have yet to be re-issued in the shape of cards, similar to national identity cards. It’s the same old story of backlog. Isn’t NADRA’s system fully computerised? How long will it take to issue licenses in the shape of cards? We notice multi-storey NADRA buildings but license-holders run from pillar to post to get their license cards. Wasn’t the previous system of renewal from the nearest post office more convenient?

Another government organisation, The Lahore Municipal Corporation, is so apathetic to public wellbeing that it fails to exterminate stray dogs that infest many residential areas of the city. Lalazar Colony near Thokar Niazbeg is one such neighbourhood where stray dogs roam in packs, harassing the residents. To make matters worse, the hospitals are out of anti-rabies vaccines.

The writer is a Lahore-based columnist and can be reached at pinecity@gmail.com.