By: Hamna Jalal
Being among youngest countries with 64% of population under the age of 29, being a democratic country with freedom of expression and being a country with history-proven the most generous public in the world, Pakistan owns an unimaginable level of potential which is abandoned by mere thoughtlessness. Thoughtlessness of media in news coverage, thoughtlessness of students in determining careers, thoughtlessness of voters in defending their party and thoughtlessness of the general public in their idea of good citizenship. Without having to criticize the governments, the list of fate-determining national affairs in utter need of rectifications, is crazily long. The real thoughtlessness emanates when the extensive list yet to be amended is hopped to reach a dead end of criticism and right claiming talks on the part of the public.
Inordinate deal of Pakistan’s future depends on other than governance.
Right in exchange for responsibility. But the mantra is opposite for the majority of Pakistani public when it comes to criticizing government’s performance; a group of laymen neither of whom have submitted their taxes, can be witnessed on every other street gossiping about what the government is doing right and what wrong. How about the idea of a country where taxpayers do not even comprise of even half of employed country’s population? That is how Pakistan is. Here, the idea of cynicism takes a deeper turn, where voters cast votes without being able to trust the government with their due money.
While being the hot topic, politics of Pakistan seem to be kept on rolling with each passing day with all political parties exhibiting their respective power show and giving internet an opportunity to burn with the unwanted and unconceivable opinions of public as political events unfold. If we honor top twitter trends as the international representative of our focus, we are surely among the lame nations of the world. Either some celebrity’s personal life’s affair or some politician’s domestic matter or some politician’s body language during an assemblage gathering, the questionable engrossment of the public through unethical commenting is overpowering. The most wretched factor attached to this reality is the fact that the most of such public is youth to whom Quaid-e-Azam strictly guided for hard-work without commotion, focus constricted on goal and avoidance of politics before right time. Millennials and Generation Z are brimming with talent, exploding with available information but misguided and lost within the streets of old patterns where one’s own struggles against societal corruption and one own action do not determine one’s patriotism. Where one’s fate is controlled by governments. Where facilities are distractions not tools to make success come easy.
Belonging to a country where sheer development is obligatory on many levels, does not justify unpatriotic deeds on the part of the public. Democracy has criticism as its essential element, but the base line of democracy is a public fine enough to decide for themselves having confidence and dignity in their actions. Social media inconsiderate controversies, non-payment of taxes, excessive involvement of youth in politics and disruption of youth from real goals are all doing no good but rusting the roots of the nation about whom Jinnah once claimed to become an example for the world one day; if the direction remains the same, that one day stays out of sight.
A practical demonstration of Pakistan’s brighter future is clear. A country which resides a seventeen-year-old who visits Mars, which is protected by the world’s the sixth largest military force, which is among most beautiful lands for tourism, which resides world-known young knowledge banks, does not appropriately fit into the category of third world countries.
Pakistan owns plentiful resources to become one of the leading states in the world, the mere obligation is to comprehend, admit and exert the resources with a direction that not only safeguards the state’s future but also modify of wrong patterns of conduct instituting the Pakistani public general mindset.
The writer is a freelance columnist. She can be reached at hamnaajalal@gmail.com
