Adil Najam
I have written too many depressing posts recently. I want to make this one different. Actually, I want you to help me write this post.
I have quickly jotted down my list of wishes for Pakistan for 2008. New Year Wish Lists are supposed to be short and succinct. They need not be entirely achievable – they are, after all, “wish” lists.
Here is my wish list. Seven seems like a nice number for the list. But, please add to it if you wish. And, then, please let us all work together towards turning a few of them into reality!
#1. Human Dignity. Human rights are all about dignity. So is development. Indeed, development is nothing except human dignity. Dignity comes from one’s work and worth being respected by others. Dignity comes from all of the other things I mention in this list. It is the sense that one is a full and equal member of society and also that society recognizes this fact. I wish that no Pakistani – rich or poor, but especially the poor – would even be deprived of human dignity.
#2. Living Livelihoods and Wellbeing. Economic growth, bullish stock markets, tall skyscrapers, booming highways are impressive things. But what I wish for is decent livelihoods for all Pakistanis. Livelihoods that give them the material resources that can create a decent quality of life. Livelihoods that afford them the human development and well-being that should be everyone’s right.
#3. Peace. World peace will be nice too and I do pray for peace everywhere and for everyone. But let us start at least with peace within our hearts and within our society. An end to the culture of anger and the politics of violence that has beset us.
#4. Tolerance. I wish that each one of us will be secure enough in who we are that we would not feel threatened by those who are different. I wish that we will have enough confidence in our beliefs, our identities, our values that we will neither be threatened by nor will we threaten the beliefs, identities and values of those who differ from us.
#5. Justice. The root of my name, Adil, is ‘Adl’ (meaning justice). I take my name seriously. I take justice even more seriously. You cannot have a good society until you have a society that is ‘just’ in every dimension of that word. I wish 2008 will see the restoration of the Judiciary, but I wish for deeper manifestations of economic and social justice too. Ours was not a very just society even when these judges were in office and it will take much more than their restoration to achieve a just society. But their restoration is a necessary first step we must take.
#6. Democracy. Democracy is a very simple concept. It is the proposition that if any decision is going to effect me then I have the right to effect how that decision is made and by whom. Free and fair elections do not give you democracy by itself. But while elections are not a sufficient condition for democracy, they are usually a necessary condition. So, I wish for free and fair elections and an end to military rule. Equally important is an institutionalized respect for the Constitution. So, I wish for the restoration of the Constitution – ideally to its original 1973 content. Democracy cannot come without the freedom of speech and information. So, I wish for the unshackling of the media.
#7. Jurat-i-Tehkik. When Faiz Ahmed Faiz raised his hands in prayer one of the things he asked for was “Jurat-i-Tehkik.” A literal translation would be something like “to dare to research.” I understand the intent to be the search for knowledge. To dare to know – to find – that which we do not know. To dare to find out that which might threaten the things which we think we know. My final wish is for this quest of knowledge, even if it overturns the dogmas that imprison our intellect. Without Jurat-i-Tehkik we can never truly progress; all we can do is to slip back to the recesses of the imagined glories of the past.
(Note: The links provided above are notional and not literal; they link to posts that are generally related to the issue highlight, but may not be direct discussions on the same).
I think you are aiming too high. :)
I only wish that the year 2008 is not as bad for Pakistan as the year 2007 has been.
sUraj sI ek chIz to hum sab dEkh chukE
sach much kI ab kOi saher dE yA allAh
From ordinary citizens’ point of view the year of 2007 was one of many other tragic years since the inception of Pakistan. A scheme to murder judiciary that started in March culminated with broad day light killing of Supreme Court in November at the hands of a military dictator. Keeping with its traditions Pakistan witnessed the most tragic of deaths when Benazir Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi at fateful Liaquat Bagh. But this is only a citizen’s perspective on year 2007 and we have been told since our birth that citizens of Pakistan are nothing but stupid. Recently our dictator with absolute wisdom brought us to our senses by saying that we are not even humans.
From our dear dictator’s point of view it was year of great successes with only few small failures such as July carnage in Karachi, sacking of 63 senior judges, October carnage in Karachi again and killing of BB in Rawalpindi. The successes included putting derailed democracy train back on tracks, getting rid of terrorist judiciary, imposition and lifting of emergency both in the interest of nation, delegation of power from General Musharraf to General (retd) Musharraf and last but not least solving BB’s murder case within 72 hours with irrefutable evidence of an audio tape and a press conference by nervous and agitated Brigadier (retd) Cheema. A country where we are still unable to indentify murderers of first prime minister of Pakistan Liaquat Ali Khan identifying BB’s murderers within 72 hours is no mean achievement by any standards. In order to appreciate these successes you need to be in
My Wish List for 2008
Pakistan and India open borders like USA and Canada and we become the best friends in the world.
Pakistan shakes hands with Israel.
Whoever wins the elections I wish them best and I wish to stand behind them to give them the opportunity to prove them self.
I wish to see Pakistan politicians less corrupt.
I wish to see Free media matured.
I wish to see that every Pakistani on earth acts in the interest of Pakistan and Pakistan becomes friendly country to the world.
I wish we muslin learn to respect others religion and there worship places.
I wish to see end to extremism and wish to see Muslim scholars going after extremists.
I pray for all the poor of Pakista to have the best year in 2008.
I wish to see our faith for all is stronger than ever.