Autor: Abul Rohan Baloch
In Pakistan, the politicians and civil servants are highly regarded and respected due to their role in running the important policy-making and administrative affairs of the country. They are also called the elite of Pakistan due to their significant role to mould societal norms, values and ethics. It is now almost one and half years’ old incident when a Kuwaiti delegation arrived Pakistan to meet newly elected PTI government leaders. After the delegation returned from a meeting with Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, they pointed out that one of the Kuwaiti diplomat’s wallet was stolen. The footages of CCTV revealed that the person who stole the wallet of Kuwaiti diplomat was identified as Mr. Zarar Haider (PAS/B-20), at that time was serving as Joint Secretary in federal ministry of Industries and Production Division Islamabad.
Recently, thousands of bureaucrats were found involved in drawing petty amount meant for poor and poverty-stricken widows under Benazir Income Support Programe (BISP). Such disgusting incidents have become very common in Pakistan these days because the social and moral values have degraded to such an extent in Pakistan that these embarrassing events hardly get any attention in the country. These things have become part of daily culture in society and people involved in such shameful incidents do not feel ashamed owing to the reasons that society and its cultural values do not consider such acts as reprehensible acts anymor4e.
The cultured societies do not grow and thrive by acquiring more affluence but by upholding and adhering to their moral and cultural values, and inculcating such a social and scientific education to its young generation that promotes respect for humanity, rule of law, honesty, righteousness, loyalty with nation, reliability, trust, standing with truth and justice and resisting tyranny.
In any society the prevalent culture happens to be the culture of ruling clique that imposes its cultural values upon underprivileged masses through education, mass media and other means. The great Greek philosopher, Aristotle once said that “because rulers have power they will be tempted to use it for personal gain”. Since India’s partition in 1947, Pakistan has been ruled either by military dictators or feudal, tribal elite that are fundamentally corrupt since British Raj in Indian subcontinent. Consequently, they made their degenerated cultural values the common values of society. Thus, the contemporary Pakistani society is confronting with several socio-economic problems and among them the deterioration of cultural values is the gravest issue faced by society yet society as whole does not realize the malice it is afflicted with, rather society feels proud of it.
The open and systematic corruption is only a single dimension of degradation of moral values. However, it has broader connotations in the perspective of Pakistani society that is typical in various manifestations such as governance through violence, torture, hypocrisy in political and religious leadership, lying, cheating masses through false political slogans and various ideologies, pervasive corruption, violence against women and children; extreme injustice, intolerance against religious minorities like Ahmadis, Hindus, Zekris and Christians. Even though the Ahmadhia sect has tremendously served Pakistan in the fields of services, science, technology, education and modernization, yet there exists extreme hatred against them and we do not have enough courage to appreciate their contributions in serving the country. On the other hand, hypocritically, glorifying and extolling military generals, sardars, feudal lords, Syeds and wealthy and deference for wealth, ostentatious cars, bungalows are traits of the society. There is abysmally no respect for men of integrity, intellectuals, academicians, teachers, hardworking and competent people. Hence, our society is suffering from a delusion in which everyone wants to lead a king’s lifestyle, but no one is prepared to contribute in the progress and productivity and be part of an economic-driven workforce.
The judges, generals, politicians, religious scholars, civil servants, journalists, businessmen in fact all professionals are devoid of faithfulness, humility and accountability. They easily fall prey for the charm of money and thus, compromise on their moral and ethical principles and values. The women are treated worse than animals, the only refuge for women to survive is to get marriage. Without the meek support of male, the well-off and independent female life and livelihood is impossible. Adulteration, fake medicines, organ sale, increasing number of depression patients, drug addictions are common phenomenon in the society. Competency, innovation, integrity and truthfulness are considered extremely hateful characteristics of a man. Hence, everyone is after obtaining more and more wealth irrespective of the fact whether to employ fair or foul means.
After one day, the holy month of Ramadhan will begin in Pakistan and with the beginning of Ramadhan, you will see few vulgar but beautiful faces on electronic media teaching religious morality and ethics to the majority of the masses. The anchor-persons who sound pretty honest, knowledgeable and patriotic will utter absolutely fine sentences and words. However, completely different in practice, they will tey to blackmail corrupt politicians and bureaucrats to extract few favours from them and get their share from loot and plunder but if you hear them on media, you will find them arch revolutionaries. Another unfortunate fact of society is the prevalent trend among people preferring luxurious and idle life over hardworking; sycophants are highly esteemed in political parties. Similarly, in almost all political parties, the ideologues, sincere, committed workers having true leadership qualities are suppressed ruthlessly.
Due to deteriorating moral and ethical values, you can hardly trust anyone in Pakistan. False oral evidences are presented in courts, even professional witnesses can be bought to present them as witnesses to adduce evidence in your favour or against your opponent.
Doctors cannot treat patients, teachers cannot teach students, engineers do not build viable infrastructure, yet they are proud and respected professionals.
Rule of law is a concept about which nothing is known in Pakistan because the military runs government, businesses, construction companies as well as housing schemes. Politicians have, in true spirit of meaning, assumed the role of paid workers that are always ready to play second fiddle roles and to be stooges of establishment. Bureaucrats are only facilitators in corruption, they have nothing to do with serving masses. Our educational system has been formed in a way that teaches to acquire wealth but does not teach how to become a good human being.
The corruption is now not only a phenomenon in government offices but from big corporations to small shops, it has penetrated at every level of society. Any cultural and moral crisis in a given society does not restrict to a single field of life instead it permeates to every aspect of social and political life. Similarly, the administration is not immune from this cultural decadence either, which can invariably be witnessed from brutal and inhuman behaviour of law enforcing agencies that is meted out with citizens on daily basis. The social life is profoundly affected from the cultural malaise suffered by society for example when families consider a marriage proposal for their female children, they see how corrupt and apt to earn money through grafting the boy is? Our curriculum has been designed in a way to teach bigotry, hatred and make pupils mere beasts of earning and acquiring wealth even if at the cost of human suffering and disloyalty with nation, friend or general public. Thereby, the society in Pakistan has reached to the nadir of moral, cultural and ethical decadence which leads to slavery, ignorance, barbarism, violence, loot, plunder and ultimate destruction of civilization as it happened in earliest civilizations. To illustrate such situation, the English poet, intellectual and prominent civil servant, John Milton, wrote that “How oft, in nations gone corrupt, and by their own devices brought down to servitude, that man chooses bondage before liberty. Bondage with ease before strenuous liberty.”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Balochistan Post or any of its editors.