Betrayal Of National Flag
Pakistan In Picture
Asem Mustafa Awan
Pakistan came into being on August 14, 1947, for a host of pertinent reasons. In the process, whole communities were uprooted and displaced with hundreds of thousands being killed or separated from their families. It was a heavy price to pay but for what? The state of the national flag is an indictment of what we as a nation have become.
There are survivors who witnessed and survived the migration in 1947, though in declining numbers. These people should feature prominently in functions and events and should be honoured. Instead, they are overlooked and forgotten by the political elites and the bureaucracy.
For 75 years since the inception of Pakistan, the national flag in front of the Parliament instead of being a symbol of progress and pride has become a symbol of apathy and disillusionment as the nation awaits its aspirations to actualise.
The photo by Sultan Bashir tells the story of the ruling elite and their degeneration over 75 years. The national flag in this deplorable state raises many questions. The parliamentarians see it daily but do not regard it important enough to give their attention to what is a national symbol of pride and honour.
The picture shows that the nation that was once projected to be the ‘Asian Tiger’ is now reduced to ‘malnourished and undernourished’ individuals standing in lines for the subsidized bag of flour.
Those responsible for this gross neglect should be named and shamed as this attitude to national pride and honour is deplorable and despicable.
The ‘ Land of the pure ‘ has all the resources as mentioned in Pakistan Studies subject but somehow these not benefiting the beleaguered citizens as empty promises and commitments go no further than the government paperwork.
It is time for the people at the helm of affairs, especially the justice department, to take individuals to task who bring a bad name to the nation as a whole. Maybe, the law demanding accountability should be revisited to give teeth to hold those at the helm accountable with severe retributions.Equally, those with dual nationalities should not be allowed to hold public office as despite their love of the land, their loyalty changes hands when subjected to scrutiny.
How long this flag will stay like this only time will tell. It is hoped and believed that as it was not repaired on March 23 [The Pakistan Resolution Day], it would be repaired for August 14 [Independence Day] to its original looks and honour.
The present state of the national flag is disgraceful and a betrayal of the national flag.The writer is a journalist based in Islamabad and writes on a wide range of issues.
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