OTR

Promote love and affection rather Sowing seeds of hatred

Members of the medical profession like all other sections of society are also concerned about the long term effects of political instability in the country. Whatever we all have achieved today is because of Paksitan hence it is our duty to do whatever we all can do to promote love and affection within the society, work for its progress and economic development for which again peace at the borders and a stable political government is extremely important. In order to acquaint themselves with the prevailing Geo-political situation in the region, the healthcare professionals have also organized some discussions with the important members of the society from time to time.

Pakistan Society of Physicians Karachi( now defunct) was the first professional specialty organization which started inviting eminent politicians, writers, intellectuals, poets and jurists to its annual conference to benefit from their views and they were all asked to comment on the prevailing situation. Some of those who were honoured by inviting them as Chief Guest at such meetings included Justice (Retired) Nasir Aslam Zahid, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Senator Javed Jabbar, Poet Habib Jalib, Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Yousufi etc. Pakistan Society of Rheumatology also at its conference held at Lahore a few years ago organized an interactive session with noted intellectual, poet and writer Amjad Islam Amjad which proved highly informative and useful.

During an ENT Conference held at Quetta in early 80s perhaps it was 1981, a group of eminent ENT surgeons from all over the country had a detailed meeting with late Nawab Mohammad Akbar Khan Bugti. Contact was established with Nawab Akbar Bugti through Prof. Imdad Baloch an eminent ENT surgeons and those who were present in this meeting included Prof. M. Jalisi, Prof. Imdad Baloch, Prof.Shabih Zaidi, Prof. Mahmood Raza, Prof. Siddiqullah Tareen, Prof.Mohibullah and many others. I was lucky to be part of this delegation. Nawab Sahib was very kind and he hosted a very delicious dinner which was followed by question-answer session. While most of the participants were busy praising Nawab Akbar Bugti, I asked Nawab Sahib for forgiveness in advance and then sought permission to ask him a few questions saying that I do not know whether I will ever get such a chance in future to meet him and talk to him. After Nawab Akbar Bugti gave permission I asked him a few pertinent questions regarding the role of the Nawabs and Sardars who are alleged to be the main obstacle in economic development in the province, his decision to become Governor of Baluchistan in Z.A.Bhutto’s Government, then how he developed some differences with him and parted ways, why he was so annoyed and always talks against Punjab and the Paksitan Army etc. I must admit Nawab Akbar Bugti Sahib listened patiently and then gave his viewpoint on different aspects. He offered very convincing arguments and reasons for his attitude on all these issues. Those who produce traitors in other provinces these days will not hesitate to produce “Traitors in Punjab” as well in the days to come, he remarked. At the end of the sitting, we were all convinced that Nawab Muhammad Akbar Khan Bugti was as patriotic Pakistani as anybody else and the propaganda against him was not based on facts and reality. The discussion went on till 1.00 AM early in the morning when we left his residence for our hotel. When we came out, Prof.Shabih H.Zaidi asked me to offer some “Sadqa” as I was going back alive after asking such pinching questions to a Saradar and that too at his residence.

A few years ago again, while we were having a meeting of Pakistan Hypertension League at Quetta, through the courtesy of Prof. M.Ishaq we had a sitting with Mr.Mahmood Khan Achakzai the leader of Pukhtunkhawa Mille Awami Party at his residence.. We asked him about the situation in Afghanistan and how we can have peace with our neighbor, our relations with Afghanistan and India, insurgency in Baluchistan, the quantum and force behind the separatist movement, the atrocities being committed by certain enemy forces and their agents in the province of Baluchistan and how to overcome all these problems?. Again Mr.Mahmood Khan Achakzai was very humble, straight forward and forthcoming. He shared with us his own viewpoint on the Geopolitical situation in the region and in the province and what steps we need to take to correct and defuse the whole situation. He has his own viewpoint which may or may not be shared by some. We also had a detailed meeting with Dr. A. Malik a former Federal Health Minister at his residence and talked to him in detail on all these issues as well.

After listening to these politicians from Baluchistan, one thing which was very clear was that they have some genuine grievances, have their own viewpoint on various issues facing the country but that does not mean that they can be or should be called as enemies of the country. In fact they are as patriotic Pakistanis as anyone else but when malicious propaganda against them is promoted and patronized, it creates hatred which we should avoid at all costs. Difference of opinion should be accepted and respected and efforts should be made to convince each other through healthy dialogue and discussions.

Pakistan at present needs complete unity and the need for such a unity was never so great in the past that it is felt these days. We all know that there are many international forces active in Baluchistan, not many including even some of our friends and United States is happy with the development of Gawadar Port, the CPEPC and they are bent upon creating law and order situation even promoting terrorist activities. Hence, political stability in the province and in the country is of utmost importance. Hence, it was not at all in the national intererest to topple the elected Government of Baluchistan a few months before the general elections. Those who have done it, what message they have sent to the people of Baluchistan? Situation was improving and the political government had undertaken many steps to normalize the situation but after this development, the gains have been destroyed.

The situation is not so good even in the province of Punjab. If the objective of those who had brought in this “Caretaker Government” was to create permanent hatred in the minds of the people, they have accomplished this task exceptionally well. Have we forgotten that execution of Z.A.Bhutto and even assassination of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto could not eliminate PPP but all this has resulted in hatred among the people of interior Sindh? So much so that despite the massive corruption and no worthwhile development work undertaken in the province, the people of Sindh still vote for the PPP as a revenge to something which is now known as “Judicial Murder”. Murder of Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti has ruined the chances of any fruitful dialogue with the potential Baloch political leadership in the province. We keep on losing precious lives due to terrorist activities every day and there is no end to it yet in sight. Now through victimization of Nawaz Sharif, selective targeted accountability and the treatment being meted out to him and his daughter in Adela Jail is going to leave its impressions on the people’s mind for ever. Those who are inflicting these wounds must remember, such wounds never heal. There is no denying the fact that Mian Nawaz Sharif remains one of the most popular political leaders in Pakistan and in the province of Punjab in particular. Targeting him will further create permanent hatred for which the country will suffer. Just look at the economy, the price of US$ and the Stock Exchange what was the positon when Nawaz Sharif was in power. The day he was disqualified, the Stock Exchange has crashed, US$ keeps on flying, the investors seems to have lost confidence, we are not attracting foreign investment any more, many other development plans and projects have suffered and could not be completed on time. The situation is going to become worse in the days to come. Efforts should be made to promote political reconciliation, dialogue and accommodation rather than creating further hatred. Political problems need political solutions. Military might alone is not a guarantee of security unless it is accompanied with economic development and political stability. We have seen it in the recent past when Nuclear power Russia could not hold together and was disintegrated into different States. One can control and govern people earning their love and affection and not through force. But we as a Nation has unfortunately never learnt from our past mistakes and keep on repeating the same mistakes again and again every time expecting a different outcome which is not possible.

Tail Piece: During the Election 2018 after the shocking mismanagement of the process of counting votes and announcing results at the polling stations, failure to provide election results on Form 45, the honourable course left for the senior leadership of Election Commission of Pakistan is to resign. Daily DAWN in its Editorial “Time to Move On”  Friday July 27th, 2018 has also advised the ECP Leadership to resign. The following couplet by Lt. Gen. Mahmood-ul-Hassan seems very appropriate on this occasion: