Polarized and divided by vested interests

DURING his speech at the Calcutta Convention on December 28, 1928, MAJ, in reply to Jayakar, a leader of Hindu Mahasabha, gave an articulate answer to the allegations. He stated, “We are all sons of this country. We have to live together. We have to work together and whatever our differences may be, let us at least not create more bad blood. If we cannot agree, let us at least agree to disagree.” Quaid stated this in a different context, but it is relevant to the situation in Pakistan today, where polarization and hate politics have blinded our thought process. Few misguided elements have embarked on a path to further divide this country, through a poisonous “social media” campaign, which is sowing seeds of discord.

A web designer from Lahore posted fake news on WhatsApp/Facebook that a British Muslim of Pakistani origin was involved in the fatal stabbing of three minor girls and wounding of 10 others in the UK. This resulted in widespread anti-Muslim and anti-immigration riots by far-right white extremists. The frequent misuse of the internet by a few miscreants associated with political parties to spread fake news, against their political opponents and state institutions, has exacerbated this misuse. An unethical brigade of Keyboard Warriors has been formed, many of whom have made a living out of it. As if this were not enough, a few analysts, devoid of any vision or journalistic code of conduct, have started spreading sensationalism to gain their ratings. Most of them are the ones who have benefited from the largesse of a land mafia magnate.

Popularity in politics is not permanent. It is a transitional form. The only thing that matters is the survival and existence of Pakistan. The lives and safety of over 240 million citizens are far more important than the selfish pursuits of a few in this game of thrones. There is no room in democracy for individuals with fascist tendencies, who are not willing to engage with political opponents. Differences exist between political parties and this is part of a multi-party democratic process. Each party has its own ideology or manifesto. Those who appeal to the electorate by striving for a welfare state for all its citizens survive in the long run. This is what distinguishes a democratic system from a fiefdom or an oligarchy. In the words of MAJ, “Let no logic, philosophy or bickering stand in the way of our reaching a compromise”.

In the elections of January and February 1937 for various provincial assemblies, Quaid’s message of “Unity, Faith and Discipline” was taken to millions of Muslims in every nook and corner. Today, we miss all the three basic tenets of the motto he gave to this nation. Personal squabbles, jealousies, prejudices and intrigues among people held hostage by their insatiable greed are a menace to this country. Pakistan is a sacred trust that makes it mandatory for all citizens irrespective of their political leanings, creed or ethnicity to work together and ensure that the economy develops and strengthens so that we can protect our sovereignty and territorial sanctity. Sometimes, public discontent with a party at the helm benefits the opposition. But this may be a passing phase. Ultimately, performance and delivery to the masses is the decisive factor. Mere resort to political rhetoric or exploitation of religion has never been successful.

Anyone in doubt should look at the unfortunate fate of Muslims living in India. Mob lynching of Muslims has become a common occurrence whenever there are general elections. Ask the Palestinians about the meaning of a nation state, where they can live with dignity. It is true that there are many problems facing the citizens of Pakistan, which need to be addressed. The priority of every political leader and state-funded institution should be to serve the people. It is the taxpayers who pay their salaries. The judiciary has a very important role to play. It is one of the three constitutional pillars of the state which should be apolitical and pass judgment on the basis of laws and the constitution. The welfare of citizens cannot be sacrificed to individual interests, nor to the short-term strategic interests of its former colonial masters and their allies, nor to those who have sworn loyalty to another state and its constitution. Millions of innocent Muslims were slaughtered when they tried to migrate to this country in 1947. Thousands of sons of this soil have paid the supreme sacrifice to defend the geographical sanctity of its borders from the evil designs of our enemies. MAJ’s vision was foiled and hijacked when martial law was imposed in 1958. MAJ maintained a register of all the documents. The pre-independence register and the documents were secured and maintained by the AIML Office Secretary at its Head Office in Delhi. This complete register for the period 1906 to 1947 was handed over to Pakistan. Syed Shamsul Hassan, former Office Secretary of AIML, has stated that this register “was irreparably damaged after martial law was imposed in October 1958. The Head Office of the Muslim League was sealed. Later, the entire register was bagged and dumped on the roof of “Muslim League House” under the open sky as the premises were allotted to Pakistan Insurance Corporation.

I took the matter to the then Foreign Minister Manzoor Qadir, who intervened and the report was transferred to a barracks in the Pakistan Secretariat. It was only much later, towards the end of 1966, that it was transferred to Karachi University”. Thereafter, efforts were made to “recover and preserve whatever had survived the vagaries of nature and human indifference”. Such was the prejudice of the Junta of 1958 and the Raj-trained bureaucracy against Quaid. The way they harassed Madre Millat Fatima Jinnah when she rose to restore Jinnah’s vision reflects their venom and vengeance. Enough damage has been done to Pakistan by these men without vision, intellect and ability to govern. Jinnah Saheb could never have imagined that Pakistan would become a haven for the Land Mafia, which would wield so much influence in the affairs of state.

—The writer is a regular columnist and lives in Lahore.

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