‘New’ ideas, anyone?

This country is meant for the ruling class which is a super-affluent; good at barking out orders


Saadia Qamar December 02, 2014

It’s sad how we take our country and citizens (especially who earn their livelihood in this nation-state), for granted. It’s really sad to know. This country is meant for the ruling class which is a super-affluent; good at barking out orders but not abiding by the rules themselves.

Be it a political dharna or a show of mass weapons, we do no justice to anyone on the streets by blocking the roads with containers. Large-sized containers.

I suffered gravely when the roads were blocked, and so I understand, others did too; who were on their route to work at the same road-end. It’s sheer apathy and negligence to show off your valour when you have an empty stomach to feed and look after others in your home.

I say this because I suffered, because I am voicing the concern of the majority of those unheard voices who were frustrated on the roads. No one cares. Sick ones better stay home and die, the ambulances will be stalled on the given jammed-up road to the nearest hospital.

Yesterday, there were no roadmaps to follow as heads-up. There were containers all around and nobody could access their homes directly via their own vehicle, park it at home and travel; bon voyage, it was better if you were walking as a pedestrian towards your desired place, more than half the way.

Also, this country is not meant for the common man but rather for those who are in power, those we call the officials and ultra-rich. It’s all to their taste alone. Suffice it to say that we are a nation besotted with them. Come rain or havoc, things will happen as they deem fit to rule us. There is just no one institution to blame in this country. The “absolute power, corrupts absolutely” dictum holds very true for all of them.

Though I reached work after a delay of one-and-a-half hours, there were others on the road, and I think about them. But more so, I wonder what next? How will I ever reach back home, today? Given what I have suffered, what about tomorrow?

In the civilised world, is this how you conduct business and earn a livelihood, is this how you make others suffer, under the belt of your mighty power? Is this really how this nation-state, this country, will progress in the future?

Published in The Express Tribune, December 2nd, 2014.

COMMENTS (2)

Stranger | 9 years ago | Reply

The only solution I can think of to combat Taffic Woes is ( Unless U can afford a helicopter of your own ) make the public transport more user friendly . Discourage people from using their private transports. This will reduce the num of vehicles on the road and that will lead to clean conjustion free areas.

Asad Shairani | 9 years ago | Reply

Lets start with ET clearing the road they've blocked outside their office!? :)

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