By Sardar Khan Niazi
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has decided to hold anti-inflation protest rallies in all provincial capitals, in Karachi on November 13, in Quetta on November 17, and in Peshawar on November 20. The last rally in Lahore will culminate in the long march towards Islamabad. PDM terms it as a movement to rid the country of PTI.
The politicians after the formation of a certain government forget their duties for the voters whom they had promised of a peaceful, progressive, and secure country, instead, they start organizing protest rallies and long marches only to snatch power from their opponents.
When is the gambit of protest rally going to end? We had better completely outlawed it to avoid damage to the economy. Instead of playing with the fate of people, opposition politicians should take on the problems of society to improve the living standards of the public.
We need to improve our political system and the policies of all the political parties if we want to have actual democracy for the common people but the current outdated system simply empowers the privileged class.
It is no secret that now Pakistan is going through hard times. On the human development index, it ranks at 154 out of 189 countries. At this time, 39.3 percent of Pakistanis are living below the poverty line. The joblessness rate is mounting with each passing day. It is being dreaded that Pakistan will run dry by 2025.
In order to eliminate the problems, we need to improve not only our social sector but also the economic one. Amidst unfair distribution of resources and lack of sincere efforts to work for the welfare of the people, a menace of power struggle has hurt the country.
Some dishonest leaders deprive people of their basic rights due to their longing for power and money. No country can have progress without a high literacy rate and vigilance among the common people. There are many flaws in our education system. Although the literacy rate of our country is 60 %, just two percent of our people go for higher education.
Pakistan enjoys abundant resources, including an excellent geographical location. It is the duty of our leaders to show sincerity to the country. The role of every citizen including opposition leaders is also substantial to make certain prosperity of our country. Many people do not display sincerity for their country because of more focus on their personal gains.
Nevertheless, when it comes to censuring the government, opposition people do it without comprehending and identifying their own duties as citizens of this country. The need of the hour is to understand that change comes by doing things at the right time.
If we begin paying due tax in time, the growth of Pakistan will no longer remain a distant dream. Instead of condemning the opponents, if we continue to play our part for the betterment of the country, surely Pakistan will make progress.
The opposition parties who pride themselves on having mature parliamentarians in their leadership need to ensure that the fight against the government should not go to the point of no return. For the sake of democracy and stability, the opposition should act sensibly and honorably.
History will judge them well if they do the right thing now. Perhaps reckless elements among them that do not care much for democracy are not willing to act sensibly.
Disturbingly, there are signals from the opposition that it may try to force the government that may have unpredictable consequences for the democracy. Now is the time for good sense to prevail. Too much pressure and too much adventurism by the opposition could be a recipe for disaster.
