The Pakistani Spectator

I am a citizen of Karachi, there are a lot of things happening in this beloved country of ours. We are not safe that is the complaint of the common Pakistani man or woman.

The basic right of any human living in any country is security, there is no doubt about that. There is no control over terrorism, there is no doubt about that as well. I know that it is extremely difficult to catch these Godless souls, but who is responsible for the chaos that follows? Me, You, or the neighbors?

The 12^th of May (when a bunch of gangsters controlled the whole city of Karachi) still remains a thorn, pinching us, but one thing I fail to understand is, after a situation like an attack or gangster fights, where are the authorities?

Our dear Nazim, who I shall say it, the only man to have worked sincerely for this city, can’t be held responsible. Whose jurisdiction is the police, the Rangers, who have been sitting in the city since I don’t know when? Where did the special tactic units go?

When there were people looting shops, cars, buses, people, where do the authorities go? Where were they when we needed them when there was a bomb explosion in Mosque in Gulshan and 3-4 KFC employees were burnt alive inside KFC near the mosque?

Where are they when the Super Highway is blocked and the Headquarter is on the Super Highway?

Where were they when there were some nuts burning motorcycles and cars outside the Aaj News Television Office in Karachi?

When there was total chaos in just 5 minutes after the death of Ms Bhutto, Where were the authorities?

Where were the authorities for 2 days? When my city bled? Where was this Army when there were ambulances burnt? When Fire brigades themselves were set to fire? When babies died because doctors were not able to reach the hospitals? When men, women and children were not able to reach home that night? When innocent people were thrown out of their own cars and stabbed ruthlessly? On their very own streets?

Where were they when streets were echoing with the sound of gunfire and there was no electricity?

These army people get houses and apartments allotted in the best parts of cities all over Pakistan. And the money is taken from their salary during their time in the Service. It doesn’t feel anything to them, if you calculate it, it would come about to 2 million rupees. But if I (a civilian) wants to buy the same property it would cost about 10 million rupees or perhaps even more.

The part of the budget of Pakistan that goes to the army is almost half of it.

If our (taxpayers) money is going to make these servicing gentlemen to stay in their barracks when we really need them, Should we really pay our taxes?

Or those of us who STILL believe in honesty(for example, me), pay our taxes, but what can we do? Except despise them?

The attitude of civilians towards this (previously) most respected institution of our beloved country is not due to ill intent; it’s due to the ill done to them.

If teachers stop teaching they are not going to be loved, if doctors stop caring for patients they are not going to be loved, if lawyers stop going to courts they will not be loved; they’ll be despised!

I once wanted to join the army, I had a passion for it’s way of life. The uniform, the respect they used to get. But now things are quite different

We, Pakistanis are very emotional people, if loved they love back in return and never forget your kindness. But if hated they still don’t hate you, they just wait for you to change.

As a nation, we are still waiting for the people making decisions to change, so that this discrimination against civilians and Officials may stop. And this social unrest stops.

Unity Is Strength!

Keep Faith…