PAGE Blog Business Weekly Magazine
Need stressed for reviving the spirit of Pakistan Movement
Pakistan came into being on the August 14, 1947, after a long struggle under the leadership of Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. With Quaid’s deep vision, indomitable will, intelligence, dedication and courage, whom we Pakistanis call Quaid-e-Azam (the great leader), united the Muslims of the Indian Sub-continent under the banner of Muslim League.
The golden principles
Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah once said, “I have no doubt that with unity, faith and discipline we will compare with any nation of the world. You must make up your minds now. We must sink individualism and petty jealousies and make up our minds to serve the people with honesty and faithfulness.”
A firm faith in Allah and religious values, faith in the power of hard work, truth and honesty and faith in each other, were the guidelines he gave the newly emerged nation. Unity among all provinces, among the people belonging to the different sects of Islam and tolerance/respect for the non-Muslims, was his second golden principle. He also laid great stress on discipline, which he said was essential for growth. He repeatedly advocated that to move forward in the world as a developing nation, Pakistanis needed to practice discipline in all parts of life.
Sadly, the inefficiency of the successive politicians, deep rooted corruption at every level and a general lack of civic sense in the people, our country’s affairs are on a constant downslide since its early years. Today, after more than 69 years of independence, we find Pakistan has a poor image on the international level and even within the country we find people disillusioned and frustrated by the state of affairs.
Sadly, at present, the Pakistan that Jinnah had envisioned is nowhere to be found! We are facing a multitude of problems. Bad governance, poverty, inflation, terrorism, religious intolerance, sectarian issues, lawlessness, rising graph of illiteracy and poverty, shortage of power and gas are only a few of the troubles we are facing. Greed, lust for power, corruption, unemployment, putting personal gains over Pakistan’s interests and political/economical instability, are some of the factors which are worsening the problems we face.
Basically, Pakistan is an agricultural country, rich in natural resources like gas, coal and precious metals and has sites of great tourist attraction. But due to the mismanagement and corruption of successive governments, we cannot fain full benefits from these resources.
We seem to have totally forgotten the principles Jinnah laid down for us! Sadly, we have lost faith in Allah and the teachings of our religion. We do not have any faith in our leaders, nor do we trust each other. Attacks on minorities and desecration of their places of worship are something common in Pakistan.
There is no unity among us. Before realizing that we all are Pakistanis, we proudly call ourselves Sindhis, Punjabis, Balochis, Pakhtoon or Mohajirs. We are a sunni, shia, deobandi or a barelvi, before we realize that we are Muslims who worship one Allah and follow one Holy Quran.
Killings due to the difference in religious beliefs are everyday news. As a nation also, we see a total lack of discipline in our country. Whether you are at the airport, a railway station or at a bus stop, you will see people pushing, shoving and shouting at each other. The corrupt politicians squander away precious tax-payers’ money on their extravagant life styles.
Instead of merit, jobs are given out to undeserving persons while the talented and educated youth search in vain for reasonable jobs. Rules are bent and twisted to suit individual whims. We take pride in breaking rules and taking the law in our hands. Criminals go unpunished if they have the right connections.
It was Jinnah’s dream that Pakistan would emerge as a sovereign democratic state, where the law would reign supreme, the politicians would work with honesty and dedication for the state, all citizens including women would play an important role in the development of the country, human rights would be protected and quick justice would be within reach of all, poverty and illiteracy would be eradicated in the minimum possible time and non-Muslims would be treated with respect and tolerance and dignity.
Ahsan Iqbal’s View
According to Minister for Planning and Development Mr. Ahsan Iqbal, there is need for reviving the spirit of Pakistan Movement in order to take forward the country on the path of economic development. He said we are committed with our goal of raising Pakistan to top twenty-five economies under the Vision 2025. He said dreams turn to realities with determination and optimism. He stressed the need for having a positive outlook and confidence in our abilities instead of blame gaming.
Highlighting the geo strategic significance of Pakistan, Mr. Ahsan Iqbal said the country can play the role of a bridge between the regional countries. He said China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project is a gift for Pakistan, which will attract more investment from abroad. He once again assured that this multi-billion dollar project will serve all the federating units of the country.
Mr. Ahsan Iqbal said notable successes have been achieved in different strata of life during the last three years. He said the foreign exchange reserves have rose to twenty three billion dollars and the growth rate to 4.7 percent. He further said political stability and continuity of policies is a pre requisite for development. He said with confidence we have to get Pakistani products a quality brand status.
If we want to make Pakistan in accordance with vision of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, we would have to set aside petty differences and forge unity in our ranks, work with discipline and remained firm to our belief.
