KARACHI:
History teaches us that when a virus or a contagious disease gets out of hand, it does not end before inflicting unimaginable losses to human life. However, the spread of the coronavirus or any other disease does not happen in a vacuum. It is usually facilitated and abetted by the humankind. We either create conditions that accelerate the spread or fail to follow practices that curb it.
Pakistan is a nation where people from top to bottom seem to presume themselves to be immune to any weakness or errors. While the country is in grip of multifarious crises, our parliamentarians are engaged in the war for power. Though politicians have the right to hold political meetings, they have no right to violate the principles that jeopardise the life of the public. They must realise that the second wave of the deadly virus is on the rise and SOPs must be strictly followed in order to stop the spread. Similarly, people should also realise that no one is immune to the virus and anyone can get infected, especially when they become overly optimistic and neglect precautionary measures.
While our economy is in a shambles and the coronavirus is on the rise again, our leaders are busy settling scores in the lower and the upper house of parliament. Instead of framing and implementing laws for social welfare to uplift the lives of the people, our politicians are puffing themselves up, and their opponents down. We as a nation have wasted 73 years in trivial and superficial things instead of promoting peace, progress, and prosperity in all sectors across the country. It is time our leaders confess their omissions and move forward as a single entity to make Pakistan a free and strong state where people lead a happy, healthy and prosperous life.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, October 29th, 2020.
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