My Pakistan of 1976 and 2012

This is undoubtedly a historic fact and event that Pakistan came into existence in the holy month of Ramazan which in itself signifies that we the Muslims were given a new country where Muslims could live peacefully and comfortably but regretfully one way or the other over the past so many years the conditions are so bad in Pakistan that a person like me is to think many times whether to visit or not to visit our beloved home. I am pretty confident that I simply cannot be all alone facing such like situation but perhaps others did not make it public like I am doing it but it does not mean that everything is ok in Pakistan though I eternally wish that everything should be perfectly ok back home, aameen.

I flew out in August 1976 from Lahore overseas on employment and since then quite fortunately I am out of my country though quite naturally for countless times I have gone to Pakistan both on official and private trips for many reasons and during different months and to various cities as well but it is really very much painful for me to pen that over the past few years I am more afraid than pleased to go back to the country where I had grown up, completed university education and worked for some years too. Being a proud Pakistani national it is quite but natural those despite enjoying much better life overseas which I could not even think if remained in Pakistan, I still have great and inborn love for my beloved Pakistan whose green passport very rightly singles me out and personifies me in the foreign land. As a matter of fact, love for the country increases more than what one feels while living in the country and, therefore, I simply cannot be an exception to the cardinal principle of national patriotism. I very vividly remember that when I flew out from Lahore many crimes like bomb blast; hurling hand grenade; indiscriminate killing; throwing acid on face; kidnapping for getting ransom money; drug peddling; car lifting and gang rape etc were almost unknown to me at least if not to others. However, from this it should not be construed at all that then Pakistan was a crime free country in those years but nevertheless we were not that crimes ridden as we notice now. Peoples’ lives and their properties irrespective of the city or town they lived or the language they spoke were much more secured than what we have now. People including women, children and senior citizens could go around with in the city on almost 24 hours basis without any fear and fright but alas it is no more so in the same city which had been too peaceful and enjoyable.  What has gone wrong where and how is a question which I doubt many can answer.

Needless to mention that during those olden days which now have become part of our glorious past, all the notable government agencies namely police, FIA and other like agencies responsible to maintain law and order situation were very much there though those simply cannot be compared with present police, FIA etc but yet the crime rate was much less than what we have now. The above mentioned heinous crimes were unknown then prove what? Perhaps these forces were more efficient and diligent than what we can boast of now. Undoubtedly now when the situation has become very much explosive our same police, FIA and allied law enforcing authorities are very much laced with latest equipments and gadgets whereas their manpower has also been much increased  but regretfully public at large did not get any respite and instead they are suffering more and more. No city or town be it capital like Islamabad or commercial hub like Karachi is safe now as the vagabonds are found to be on the top in each and every place irrespective of location, population and size of the place. The wicked ones reign from east to west, south to north in all four seasons and that too on 24 hours basis and they act the way they like the best without caring the least as to who is being targeted by them and for what. Perhaps it is now destined that innocent lives are nothing but made an easy prey for the scoundrels in my beloved Pakistan.

Last but not the least, none had even thought what to talk of hearing of load –shedding even though at that time too we Pakistanis were in crores and our sources and resources must have been a bit less than what we can boast of now but yet everyone of us right from Quetta to Peshawar and Gilgit to Karachi had been getting uninterrupted supply of electricity whereas now when my government claims to have put Pakistan on the road map of progress the whole country is facing the brunt of load shedding but why and how. The worst part is that each one who has his say in our power corridor namely president, prime minister and minister do issue statement very often saying that power crisis is known to them and they promise to ease up in coming months but the ground reality is much different than that claimed by our VIPs. Isn’t is shameful that Raja Pervez Ashraf, PM has said a few days back that there will be no load shedding at the time of Sehari and Iftar but this has again proved nothing but a blunt false promise. Just yesterday I have seen in tv screens that people came on streets, lit fires and blocked roads in some cities because they faced 10 to 20 hours load shedding. Just calculate yourself that how Sehar and Iftar will not be subjected to power off if the duration extends to even 18 hours simply because there is just 9 hours gap in between Sehar and Inftar (in Kuwait Sehar ends at 0342 and Iftar is at 1842) so how load shedding can be avoided in the given situation. How to trust none but PM if he cannot keep his words and that too during Holy Ramazan? Am I mistaken to say that then PM did not issue such lollypops?

I am very seriously thinking to go on Eid to Pakistan but I doubt to go unless I am my own enemy or please you enlighten me if you have any magic wand to solve the riddle or puzzle.