Standing up for One’s Rights

It was quite heartening to watch over a private TV channel transporters of Hafizabad thrashing a Police traffic ASI left and right who had booked one of them allegedly for not paying him the illegal gratification. Well done the transporters for standing up for your rights. It is sincerely hoped that the Hafizabad Police will not take any reprisal and retaliatory action against the transporters on the ‘pretext’ of their taking the law in to their own hands but in the process in order to actually protect the ASI of the corruption and misuse of his authority.  As a matter of fact an impartial judicial inquiry be held and the ASI, if found guilty, must be dismissed from the service to serve as a deterrent to others.

At the same time, how do I wish that all Pakistanis emulate the Transporters of Hafizabad in standing for their rights and hand out the same treatment to any public servant – administrative, judicial or political -demanding illegal gratification for doing even the most legitimate work for the hapless and helpless public.

Pakistan Zindabad

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)