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A do-it-yourself kit for reforms
Some people in Pakistan think that a revolution is heading for their country via Tunisia and Egypt, Mr Right said switching off a TV channel showing a heated debate on the subject. “I can only call it day-dreaming. No courier companies offer services to deliver revolutions in gift parcels. Revolutions come on foot, when millions join the march.”
- PUBLISHED: Mon 7 Feb 2011, 9:29 PM UPDATED: Tue 7 Apr 2015, 9:46 AM
“And the millions in our country are not in a mood at present to start courting a revolution because it can be more devastating,” I said. “The Pakistani people cannot afford any more chaos.”
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“But my friend, there are many people who think it is the best recipe for reshaping the future of the country and removing dead wood,” Mr Right stressed.
“During a general election some time ago, somebody had scribbled graffiti outside a candidate’s house: ‘Piles are treated here by the sword.’ The candidate was a Hakim (doctor) by profession and his election symbol was a sword,” Mr Right said.
“During the French Revolution, headaches were cured by beheading,” he laughed.
“Revolutions are costly, no doubt,” I said. “But there are people who think that a revolution is like an ice-cream vendor who comes on a tricycle playing beautiful tunes to woo children. A revolution brings in its wake a lot of bloodshed and destruction.”
Mr Right agreed. “That’s why we don’t need it now as the country has already witnessed a lot of bloodshed and economic chaos experienced during a revolution only, thanks to corrupt and incompetent leaders.”
“Bigwigs in the ruling party say that the revolution call by certain quarters is unnecessary and untimely because the PPP is yet to complete five years in office whereas in Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak has been in power for 25 years,” I pointed out.
“I really admire the people of Egypt for showing so much patience,” Mr Right commented. “We Pakistanis are impatient by nature and don’t let even our dictators to complete more than 10 years.”
“But the actions of the PML-N suggest that it is not interested in power at least before the PPP’s five-year term ends,” I pointed out.
“In fact, Nawaz Sharif is helping the PPP in every way to remain entrenched in power,” Mr Right observed. “Though his 10-point recipe for better governance will be hated by the ministers who will be axed during the pruning of the cabinet, it will make the prime minister happy for being able to show some guts. “Is it a sign of a revolution lurking around the corner? Don’t you think the events of Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen might trigger a tremor in the Pakistani politics too?”
“Well, we have a tradition of importing only prime ministers from abroad and not a revolution,” Mr Right said. “But if some people are really interested in change, they must use a Do-It-Yourself kit to have their own revolution.” “What do you mean by ‘own revolution’? I asked.
“It’s a revolution which comes from within,” Mr Right remarked. “The Pakistani people will see it coming when jaywalkers on the road will start using zebra crossings, a traffic policeman will stop accepting a bribe to let go a motorist who is guilty of jumping a red signal and power thieves will voluntarily surrender illegal connections.”
Najmul Hasan Rizvi is a former Assistant Editor of Khaleej Times