NAJM US SAQIB<\/p>\n
All of them were smartly attired. Their cell phones were switched off. The discussion had just started.
\nPessimist: The next elections will also be managed. The deserving candidates will be denied victory, thus, making a mockery of the democratic system. There is no room for democracy, rule of law, or justice in this country anymore. Even the winning candidates know they didn\u2019t stand a chance. How could they claim the reserved seats which they never deserved? Prices have gone up too. Only a few could manage the hefty amounts at short notice. On the other hand, the government of the day is counting its days. It knows it could be shown the door anytime.
\nOptimist: Too gloomy. Doesn\u2019t reflect the entire spectrum. The mere fact that we don\u2019t have a military rule and the democratic process was allowed to continue \u2013 come on \u2013 why don\u2019t you see the enthusiasm with which the voters came out? It takes time. It\u2019s only seventy-odd years. Let us not lose hope. The fact that all stakeholders are serious about the process of economic recovery is good enough for me to stay optimistic about the future of this country. Corruption is everywhere. No country is immune to this evil. Let democracy take its roots.
\nRealist: The form of government is not important. It\u2019s the people that matter. Guns are more powerful than logic and truth. Power and not intellect rules. Why so much hue and cry over rigging or corruption? Aren\u2019t we all greedy? Don\u2019t we want everything for ourselves? Those who criticize are either financially sound or couldn\u2019t succeed in reaping the \u2018fruits\u2019 at the right time. Man as a man is a man throughout the world. Stop living in a fool\u2019s paradise. You get what you deserve. This is the hand you are dealt. Face it.
\nOld man: Paradise is good. Stupidity and wisdom have nothing to do with it.
\nLady in red: Laptops and motorbikes are being distributed whereas more than twenty-six million kids are out of school. How many of us respect the Constitution? How many parliamentarians have read, understood, or tried to follow Art-25A in letter and spirit? Paradox within paradoxes. The women who are talking about gender inequality are the most influential in society. Have a look at the figures. How many maids are being ill-treated by the lady of the house? Ask any working woman how they are treated by their male colleagues. On the other hand, see how the harassment laws are being exploited by women left, right, and center. Talk about the justice system and fair play\u2026!!
\nOptimist: Patriarchy has been taken over by matriarchy. Come to think of it, in cities, almost every household is run by ladies. The problem is poverty and not societal paradoxes. Look at the bright side of the picture. You had a woman prime minister \u2013 twice. Now you have a woman chief minister. Tomorrow you might have a lady chief justice of the Supreme Court. Who knows?
\nPessimist: Where do you go if you want justice? The judiciary itself is looking for justice. Senior judges are complaining about interference. Little do they know that by admitting the fact, they are tainting every verdict the superior courts announced in the past. In the absence of justice, how do you expect the citizens to have peace of mind? Police is ineffective and law & order are being controlled by thugs and dacoits of the Kacha and Pacca areas. I wish I could leave this place.
\nRealist: Leave this place and go where? Live in Canada or the US as a third-grade citizen? Be your own plumber and carpenter? You people need to decide. You cannot have the cake and eat it too. You want to have the positives of both worlds at the same time. It is not possible. To begin with, why don\u2019t you come to terms with ground realities and reduce the gap between what you say and what you do? Aristotle will not visit your area to tell you that justice could be found only in classical literature. It is not \u2018them\u2019 who hurt you until they hurt you physically and financially. It is \u2018us\u2019 hurting ourselves by creating an idealized aura around us. Stop dreaming.
\nOld man: Dreaming is good. It keeps you away from reality. Hence, less hassle.
\nLady in red: In hindsight, Zia ul Haq\u2019s time was much better than the present one. At least, we had hope for a better future once the tyrant disappeared. The vacuum in our thought process now is appalling. Hoping against hope? Even that seems difficult now.
\nRealist: Comparisons are good to prove a point or two. Otherwise, there is no use to talk about the past. You cannot change the past. Full stop. Instead of sulking, try to find out reasons of being in an ongoing state of inertia. Realization is the first step to start moving in a definite direction. If the Supreme Court reverses its own decisions, don\u2019t curse the system. You cannot change the system, can you? You cannot leave the country, can you? Then accept life as it is. You don\u2019t have a fourth option,
\nOptimist: I don\u2019t understand. That is like accepting everything as fate. Not sensible.
\nPessimist: Thirty-seven years in government service and one could not construct a house for the family. Those who spent most of their time outside the office, have farmhouses. What do you get by being honest and upright? Oh, I hate this world.
\nOld man: In the pursuit of happiness, without defining its contours, somewhere along the line, we have lost track and become masters of our fate. One day, you should visit those who have farmhouses. They are surrounded by ghosts as well. They also hate this world, but they won\u2019t tell you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NAJM US SAQIB All of them were smartly attired. Their cell phones were switched off. The discussion had just started. Pessimist: The next elections will also be managed. The deserving candidates will be denied victory, thus, making a mockery of the democratic system. There is no room for democracy, rule of law, or justice in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[12978],"class_list":{"0":"post-408300","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-article","7":"tag-najm-us-saqib"},"yoast_head":"\n