The creation of Pakistan was achieved with a great and noble objective — to establish a just, honest, and welfare-oriented state based on Islamic principles, where all citizens would enjoy equal rights and the law would apply equally to all. Unfortunately, immediately after independence, instead of stabilizing the state, certain self-serving, opportunistic, and selfish individuals began using it as a means to gain personal wealth and power.
The system devised for the resettlement of refugees, the distribution of evacuee properties, and the allocation of state resources was soon plagued by widespread fraud, false claims, forged documents, and political favoritism. Those who were not truly entitled to benefits exploited the system, depriving genuine victims of their rights and laying the foundation for mistrust and disorder within the state machinery.
Over time, this trend became entrenched, and corruption came to be seen as a “normal” part of life. Police stations, which were meant to ensure the protection of citizens, became instruments of oppression. Courts, once symbols of justice, began to bow before influence, power, and wealth instead of delivering fair judgments. Educational institutions, intended to shape future generations, fell victim to favoritism, cheating, and financial transactions.
As a result, nepotism, thuggery, and politically backed elements took control of society. The ordinary citizen, once the cornerstone of the state, now began to feel vulnerable and abandoned. His life, property, and honor became unsafe, and there was no one left to listen to his grievances.
When the law applies only to the weak, while the powerful roam free without fear, it breeds despair, deprivation, and a spirit of rebellion — ultimately hollowing out the foundations of the state. This is not merely a social or political crisis, but a threat to national security and survival.
If we still fail to awaken and rebuild our state on the pillars of honesty, justice, and accountability, then the very ideology of Pakistan — for which millions laid down their lives — will be buried forever. And future generations will remember us only as a lesson in failure.
Altaf Choudhry
20.05.2025
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