Rafia Ali Abassi
Pakistan’s society has faced so many crises and downturns, it has invariably rebounded and demonstrated resilience. How this does happen and what tools to curb social evils. State’s nose-dives in liabilities and Principled Politics Independence was not an easy task at all for the pure soul, devoted and passionate leaders like Alama Iqbal, Sir Sayed Ahmed Khan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah many others. They Dreamed the Land for Muslims of the subcontinent, which reflects the purification of hearts and minds in the development of mankind, surely for the progression of state and nation. They looked-for showing the true face of Islam and Muslim brotherhood to the rest of the world. But unfortunately, we are failing in presenting the real and peaceful face of Islam, Instead; we have been portrayed as evil. This all because failure of the State’s liabilities, nowadays it is very common to hear the news about the issues of sexual abuses, corruption, money laundering, and political fell into the hands of elites that were more interested in reinforcing the norms and characteristics of society such as feudalism, tribalism, kingship, and false interpretation of religion – sectarianism, extremism for their own narrow, parochial benefits. The political leadership did not act as a countervailing force to diffuse and dilute these retrogressive tendencies by building a more participatory governance structure with institutional checks and balances that would have benefited the majority. People’s attachments with the religion “Islam” were as once followed by the inhabitants of this country but now the societal scenario has changed into vilest. Adding to this; there are many causes like social damages, among the different classes of Pakistan, according to my point of view the discount that growing influence of Islam in our society, we have gone through a radical transformation in past as well as in nowadays that state has been unable to adapt itself into these changes. We are a modern, yet dynamic, versatile, and capitalist country where a dominant Indigenous, badly westernized urban middle-class rules. Gone are the days of feudal and landlord mafia with endless hours of leisure. The so-called liberals- modern Pakistanis, hitherto the role of political parties like Pakistan People’s Party-PPP, PMLN, somehow PTI as well have shaped the Islamic values and norms into false interpretation severely affect the social structure of the beloved country. Weak and extractive political and economic institutions had ruined almost everything. Every year the position of Pakistan has worsened in past as well as in the future; in terms of GDP and debt per capita. From 1994 it was around $419 had increased to more than $1,125 debt per capita in 2018 and so on till the date. Increase in the number of the unemployment, poverty, social discrimination, delayed justice, inequity, corruption are adding fuel to fire. Corruption spread like an epidemic that become impossible to confined corruption to the certain areas. The politics of Pakistan has become increasingly non-accommodative and conflictual. Competing interests of political elites are persistently hostile to each other in their discourse inside the assemblies, in television talk shows, meetings on top. Despite taking serious consideration on a most sensitive topic like tremendously upsurge sexual abuse including transgender, women’s, even child abuse are rapidly increasing day by day especially for few years . These Satan’s acts done by mankind are not forgivable deeds in Islam as well as in our constitution. The Tactlessly negligent response of law enforcement agencies to deal with this evil, who are the culprits behind the brutality, always delay in punishments for the perpetrators of crimes. It is obvious that justice delayed is justice denied. It is estimated that 8 children’s are sexually abused every day in Pakistan, the total number of crimes against children reported last year was more than 3,832 including cases of sodomy, rape, abduction, missing child. Adding more into this; nearly more than 50% of women, trans- genders have suffered from the abuse. Which are severe infringements of human rights these heinous crimes are redressing to gross-violations. Nevertheless, media is considered as an important element of the state. Which basically represents the socio-political behavior state to the rest of the world. It can be termed as a virtual image of nation or state that makes a good or bad reputation. But unfortunately, our society is badly trapped in deleterious propaganda and the media acted as a tool for them in broadcasting the vulnerable contents that are beyond the Islamic principles and especially our traditions. Their role in supporting foreign agenda’s like “Aurat March”- Just think about are they truly representing the women of an Islamic state! Holding up vulgar banners? Is this a way Muslim women should talk about their issues? None other than their motives of gender division in Pakistan. By Promoting Indian movies, western culture, and vulgarity; marked clear contradictions between so-called liberals and Islamic groups. Rather than doing such prohibited acts, they should propagate positively regardless of taking care of political interconnection and own benefits. It can take part in the character building of nation, and should play its vigilant role in social harmony. Awareness programs for election, women’s rights, state sovereignty, and stability and most decisively for promoting the peace. At the end, all the unscrupulous evils needed to be eradicate form the country. It would only be happen when there is a sustainable, well-defined institutional framework and fixed the patterns of government on inclusive political and economic basis. God bless Pakistan
( -The writer is a Student and Researcher of Peace and conflict studies )