Save the country

The recent incident in Lahore is yet another black day in our national history. Many innocent lives were lost during the tussle between two honourable professions.

Even during war between two countries, hospitals are considered sacred places that must not be targeted. Many sensible people, including myself, are still in shock to see such a horrible attack on a hospital.

Every religion of the world emphasizes saving one’s homeland. Quaid e Azam had given us the gift of Pakistan but we are still unable to help it prosper. Most of the time, I love to express my views on ethics , moral values and patriotism. However, the most frequently question asked to me is about the need to deliver lectures on ethics to parliamentarians.

In my view, parliament is a very respectable, honourable and supreme institution. I never ever miss any single opportunity to share my same views with fellow parliamentarians on the need of ethics and promoting moral values in our society.

A number of Hindu citizens also supported the Pakistan Movement, under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-e-Azam, in order to achieve a separate Muslim-majority country. The contributions of the Pakistani Hindu community for national development are remarkable. Even, today many Hindu soldiers in the Pakistan Army are sacrificing their lives to strengthen the country’s defence.

Being a patriotic Pakistani national, I strongly believe that we should not give importance to sectarianism, provincialism and religious bias. We must identify ourselves as Pakistanis at every forum. However, it is very unfortunate to witness some parliamentarians using foul language and indulging in a blame game.

Such an attitude also reflects in our society when we see doctors are on strike, and lawyers are attacking hospitals and public property. This condemnable behaviour, no doubt, leads towards a situation of anarchy, which is not at all in the interest of our country.

When I was in college, student groups were involved in violence in the name of student politics. Unfortunately, there was less education and more bullying in educational institutes. No doubt, students played a key role in the Pakistan Movement but after freedom, Quaid-e-Azam himself advised students to make education their top priority and understand the importance of utilizing their precious time in positive activities to make Pakistan a prosperous and developed country.

Civilized societies are recognized by their high moral values where people debate with logical arguments in a decent and positive way. Today, the focus of every wise country is to pay special attention towards nation-building. Today we need to adopt a ‘one nation for all’ theory to move Pakistan in the right direction. According to this, there is only one nation resides in Pakistan and that nation is called Pakistani.

Every person, living in any part across the country, belonging to any cast, whatever his/her any religious affiliations is, must have a single recognition and that is Pakistani. Quaid-e-Azam said the same thing during his 11th August speech – that every citizen of Pakistan must play their due role for national development and progress. “You may belong to any religion or caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the state,” the great Quaid had ensured.

Today, Pakistan’s regional situation stressed the need to focus on Kashmir and Afghanistan. Our borders with another neighbour Iran are also tense. Our economy is considered the weakest economy of the region. In such a critical time, all sensible citizens, doctors, lawyers, engineers, civil society, and the media, should come forward to bring Pakistan out of crisis.

Students should focus on their education as per Quaid-e-Azam’s advice. All political parties belonging to government and opposition should sit together to devise solid policies to tackle the challenges faced by Pakistan.

It is also our duty to respect each other and behave politely. If we are not bothered to follow such instructions and if we keep on along the path of arrogance then this attitude will lead nowhere but anarchy in society as a whole. I hope that my message of unity will be understood positively by all segments of the society. Save the country.

The writer is a member of the NationalAssembly and patron-in-chief of thePakistan Hindu Council.

Twitter: @RVankwani