Flawed, but not without Faith
There is perfection nowhere. It is in imperfection that we mark our individualities. I am a Pakistani, the product of what you see as years of flawed politics, feudal conspiracies, terrorist attacks, women indiscrimination and flagging institutions. But even when pigeonholed through a myopic lens coloured dimmer by a negative international picture of my country, I have never been more proud of being a Pakistani than I am now.
We have come through one of the toughest years in our young history — tougher still because there has been no one tangible issue to blame everything on. We have been hit with drought, floods, mindless acts of terrorism, mass political instability and natural and infrastructural disasters. We closely avoid being bombed by the superpowers for one reason or the other and a few days before general elections in our country the entire world looks to us as a forgone conclusion.
But even with a silenced media we speak. Even with the ‘rightful’ judiciary in abeyance we some how dispense justice. We are ready to elect leaders from recognised offenders who have not once, but twice, flagrantly disregarded public trust and looted the country blind. The other options for a leader is a military foot soldier turned politician who has turned despotic after eight years of fairly liberal rule. But I still remain hopeful. There is a voice out of middle Pakistan that is after years of complacency taking note and making itself heard. People my age from my background are taking to the streets and with an encouraging disregard for personal comfort are risking jail, beatings and social censure to try and make a change.
We are a young nation where our learning process, political accountability and continuity of systems have been cut short by successive military dictatorships that intercede to ‘save’ the country. Let us go to the dogs. Let us go the very edge of the precipice and fall over. Only in falling, making mistakes and doing what is wrong will we learn how to stand up for ourselves and call for greater accountability amongst those whom we elect. By making mistakes we will learn what not to do. We will create leaders from us. Each one of us will lead.
We have come through one of the toughest years in our young history — tougher still because there has been no one tangible issue to blame everything on. We have been hit with drought, floods, mindless acts of terrorism, mass political instability and natural and infrastructural disasters. We closely avoid being bombed by the superpowers for one reason or the other and a few days before general elections in our country the entire world looks to us as a forgone conclusion.
But even with a silenced media we speak. Even with the ‘rightful’ judiciary in abeyance we some how dispense justice. We are ready to elect leaders from recognised offenders who have not once, but twice, flagrantly disregarded public trust and looted the country blind. The other options for a leader is a military foot soldier turned politician who has turned despotic after eight years of fairly liberal rule. But I still remain hopeful. There is a voice out of middle Pakistan that is after years of complacency taking note and making itself heard. People my age from my background are taking to the streets and with an encouraging disregard for personal comfort are risking jail, beatings and social censure to try and make a change.
We are a young nation where our learning process, political accountability and continuity of systems have been cut short by successive military dictatorships that intercede to ‘save’ the country. Let us go to the dogs. Let us go the very edge of the precipice and fall over. Only in falling, making mistakes and doing what is wrong will we learn how to stand up for ourselves and call for greater accountability amongst those whom we elect. By making mistakes we will learn what not to do. We will create leaders from us. Each one of us will lead.
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