Understanding Pakistan’s Civil Society
By Shahzaib Hassan
Don’t know what to say and what not, because the situation of the journalism and journalists is getting worse with time. As days are passing, quickly and impulsively fast, I can’t imagine the change in the quick flux. However, something which is clearly seen, in this time of continuous fluctuation in the tumult of the political situation of the country in the run-up to an elections are the series of threatening intimidations to the journalists being received. Today, an article was written by Pervez hood boy in the dawn newspaper wherein he has mentioned someone has badly intimated him via email, which is, he said; has not depressed him for a second and he has not lost a sleep over it.
As i think this article needs me to state it in points so that every person to whom it reaches, can be able to read, endorsed and support it while knowing the facts and understanding the situation.
Firstly and importantly, one has to say and admit that limitations are being imposed to the freedom of speech in Pakistan sometime by means of religious fanaticism, and other times by the help of orthodoxies. Even, i should mention, some institutions in Pakistan wanted to plunder this right of the oppressed citizens.
Secondly and carefully, it is need of the time that Pakistani awam has to be aware of some facts from the past that Pakistan which is our motherland has been under threats of severe injustices and corruptions. It is the diseases exiting within institutions and it is not happening from outside. What I meant to say, by stating it is that, from our self a threat is continuously emerging and apparently one way or other destroying our sense of pride in the nationalism of our country? Pakistan is therefore getting weakness and diseases which are detrimental to its health and survival.
Thirdly and significantly, I would say, in Pakistan civil society is deprived of things which are not only important but instrumental in determining the fate of the country. For instance, civil society is not aware of the political situation, first and foremost impediment in the development of the country which is still far off from the realization. Also, as we go on the streets of Pakistan and asked from its citizens what are the rights that civil society must have? They supposedly don’t know. Similarly this the problem not limited to any one place, province of Pakistan, it is the situation where by every normal individual who is the worker, are into it. People were not aware of the facts, as they have gone into the deep slumber and slept. That’s why people here neither know citizenship nor entrench in the feeling of having rights. Where, one can go same is the case and same is the situation.
Fourthly and filthily is the fact that in a state if people don’t know what to do and what has to be done, if there is seen a sharp injustice and threats. Then is the time, one can predictably can say, people are far from knowing and understanding of the political situation of the country they are living in. especially about the courts where problems are being solved, and instead this, people will move into feudal systems to ask for their problems to be solved. It is the state of worst kind that so little countries in the world have perceived.
Fifthly and finally it has to be said, such a state where civil disorders are on peak, inequality is on the rife and understanding is below than normal of politics in the minds of masses and if there again, is the situation, that voices which have the ability to speak up is band, barred and abandoned by several ways, that is time particularly of the demise of the state.
These are the points one has to look up. Until and unless we don’t reach out to every citizen of our country we can’t have a pace towards stability. It is great time one has to see carefully in the turmoil every day is being cooked in the heads of the state, by the help of power of intimidations.
Furthermore, it is believed that a state where coerciveness, force to create resistance and dragging of one’s another leg lies, there is little sense of transparency and awareness, for sure there is lag of ability to do justice to all the citizen’s and to their problems.
In the end, one has to say under above aforementioned points, freedom of expression of the ideas, freedom to write up and freedom to decide in the choice of whether and whether not, is not secure. State will definitely be failed in providing assistance, and help to all the individuals equally and efficiently.
The contributor is a student of Political Science at Forman Christian College, Lahore.
