AGL 40.15 Increased By ▲ 0.12 (0.3%)
AIRLINK 127.80 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (0.08%)
BOP 6.70 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (1.36%)
CNERGY 4.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.10 (-2.17%)
DCL 8.88 Increased By ▲ 0.09 (1.02%)
DFML 41.44 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-0.34%)
DGKC 86.50 Increased By ▲ 0.71 (0.83%)
FCCL 32.61 Increased By ▲ 0.12 (0.37%)
FFBL 65.01 Increased By ▲ 0.98 (1.53%)
FFL 11.61 Increased By ▲ 1.06 (10.05%)
HUBC 113.27 Increased By ▲ 2.50 (2.26%)
HUMNL 14.85 Decreased By ▼ -0.22 (-1.46%)
KEL 5.08 Increased By ▲ 0.20 (4.1%)
KOSM 7.38 Decreased By ▼ -0.07 (-0.94%)
MLCF 40.60 Increased By ▲ 0.08 (0.2%)
NBP 61.20 Increased By ▲ 0.15 (0.25%)
OGDC 196.36 Increased By ▲ 1.49 (0.76%)
PAEL 27.04 Decreased By ▼ -0.47 (-1.71%)
PIBTL 7.35 Decreased By ▼ -0.46 (-5.89%)
PPL 154.48 Increased By ▲ 1.95 (1.28%)
PRL 26.32 Decreased By ▼ -0.26 (-0.98%)
PTC 16.28 Increased By ▲ 0.02 (0.12%)
SEARL 87.11 Increased By ▲ 2.97 (3.53%)
TELE 7.78 Decreased By ▼ -0.18 (-2.26%)
TOMCL 36.29 Decreased By ▼ -0.31 (-0.85%)
TPLP 8.87 Increased By ▲ 0.21 (2.42%)
TREET 16.67 Decreased By ▼ -0.99 (-5.61%)
TRG 62.98 Increased By ▲ 4.36 (7.44%)
UNITY 28.51 Increased By ▲ 1.65 (6.14%)
WTL 1.35 Decreased By ▼ -0.03 (-2.17%)
BR100 10,143 Increased By 142.6 (1.43%)
BR30 31,424 Increased By 422.1 (1.36%)
KSE100 95,094 Increased By 901.7 (0.96%)
KSE30 29,531 Increased By 330.4 (1.13%)

Many people around the world live and die but very few of them sacrifice their life for a selfless cause, create history of a heroic achievement and the living nations in recognition of their achievements preserve their place of burial, which keeps on receiving homage from all walks of life in all the days ahead.
One of such figure is Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, for achieving a sovereign state of Pakistan, enabling us to live in independence. Around the world, many countries are providing public access 'free of charge' such places. However, in Islamic Republic of Pakistan, its own citizens are being charged 'Entry Fee' for access on offering 'Fateha and Homage' at the Tomb of their 'Father of Nation' in Karachi.
The act of restricted entry into the tomb of 'Father of Nation' tantamounts to charging a son or daughter for visiting the tomb of his/her own father. Moreover, the charged entry of citizens into a tomb for Fateha is against the teachings of Islam, inappropriate and un-justified in all respects.
But why the public entry into it, is restricted by payment of entrée-fee? Why not FREE? If government can bear great expenditures on maintaining huge lawns of Presidency, Prime Minister House, Governors Houses, Chief Ministers Houses, Residences of Ministers and others; then why not for the 'Mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam.'
Why the maintenance charges of the mausoleum are subjected to 'Entry Fee'? Why government dignitaries and political leaders chosen by public voting, are exempted from paying entry fee to visit Quaid's mausoleum? Why each common citizen of Pakistan is not given equal right? Why this discrimination, disparity and double standard of fundamental rights?
No doubt, ever-since independence of Pakistan, each government in its tenure has paid attention for proper maintenance, security, sanctity and improvement in preserving our Quaid's mausoleum at Karachi. But why none of the leadership of Pakistan, so far, considered it proper to fix-up the bearing of its maintenance charges from government's treasury without any direct share of public, though the taxes being paid by citizens and foreign remittances feed national exchequer.
In fact, it is not only the predecessors of governmental machinery but the present political leaders and all publicly elected representatives, in their speeches, themselves quote, praise and claim to be the true follower of the founder of Pakistan and they have been representing said feelings by hanging a portrait of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in their offices.
Will all present elected representatives of public in national assembly would like to debate and formulate 'Free Entry' of all citizens of Pakistan, like them, into the Tomb of Quaid-e-Azam? Honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan is requested to personally intervene in this just cause of 160 million citizens of Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2008

Comments

Comments are closed.