This messy nation

The recent photos of a new PIA plane being littered by passengers throw enough light on our public behaviour, ethics and etiquettes as a nation. While this kind of behaviour invites censure and punishment in many countries, Pakistanis easily get away with it. We claim to be patriotic, but do not own this country as our home. Presumably, the passengers travelling on that ‘Premier PIA’ plane were the educated elite. What good has their education done if it cannot even nurture basic good manners and civic sense? It is shameful that, while most Pakistanis grumble about the below-par services of PIA, they show a pathetically uncivilised attitude even when the airline actually delivers good service. In fits of frenzy and rage, we resort to breaking and burning our own public property, without having an iota of realisation that we are the ultimate users of such services and facilities. Despite being educated, most Pakistanis feel no shame in throwing trash openly in public spaces and other areas, and then they are quick to blame the government for not cleaning the mess. We as citizens always remember our rights, but conveniently turn a blind eye towards our responsibilities.

Our homes are the basic grounds for inculcation of ethical and moral training, good manners and civility. Then comes the role of educational institutions which reinforce these qualities in us. But the gradual erosion of these characteristics from our society is a serious reflection of the deterioration of our familial, social and educational systems. Until the government strictly punishes people for being unruly and citizens realize their civic responsibilities, behaviour like that mentioned above will get even more embedded.

Fakeha Faiz

Islamabad