In all litigation (Muqadama) there is a ‘Complainant’ and ‘Respondent’ while the case is heard by the judge in an open court. Those who are affected seek relief from the afflicter through a legal process; the roles are clearly defined. In certain situations, at times frivolous cases are filed to get a desired outcome. Even public at large is declared ‘Respondent’, which is termed as a fixed match or ‘Noora Kushti’ in Urdu. It was widely believed that the decline of the sport of traditional wrestling was because of such encounters where the winners were already chosen before the start of the contest.
The people of Pakistan have been hurting, their complaints have gone un-heard. Cooked-up cases have been filed against them. Those in authority seem to be disinterested in providing remedy or relief. There is a famous verse in Urdu poetry which translates as; ‘The son of Mary can cure all diseases except mine’.
Ailment must be detected for effective treatment otherwise it is a futile exercise. What ails the masses or awam? The list is long, but the important issues are utility bills, rent, health, education, food. It is a very difficult balancing act for most people on fixed salaries. Let the complainant come up with the complaints for the respondent to resolve. The judge, jury, aggrieved cannot be lumped together as has been the case in the land of the pure. Who will hear our genuine case?
Utility bills are killers. Most expensive and unaffordable electricity and gas has been imposed on the hapless masses mainly because of greed and mismanagement of the policymakers. A country with 175 billion tons of coal faces acute energy crisis. It reminds me of the decade of the seventies when the oil embargo hit the Western world.
President Jimmy Carter, who passed away on December 29, 2024, in Atlanta, promised his nation that the country will never again face an energy crisis. He established the Department of Energy (DOE) which was tasked to explore all possible energy options that included Solar, Wind, Coal, Geothermal, Shale Gas, Nuclear, etc.
Since then, there has been no looking back. Recently, work has started on converting Garbage into Gas (G to G) to resolve the issue of garbage dumps and the pollution caused by them. In Pakistan, mining followed by power generation has started at Thar.
Next step is gasification of this abundantly available ‘black gold’ which can resolve the prevailing energy crisis in the country. The fuel import bill is staggering (coal $ 2.2 billion, LNG 2.0 billion, petroleum $6.0 billion). There is widespread gas load-shedding in the country.
Despite being an agricultural country, Pakistan faces acute food shortages. The agri sector has been grossly ignored. Even fertilizer is being imported to meet the shortfall ($ 200 million). The recent wheat scandal shook the nation. While substandard wheat was imported, the local production was made to rot. The cotton crop has been badly affected this season resulting in import of this silver fiber (cotton) for the textile industry. Our Bengali brothers often complained about the flawed policy of export of their golden fiber (jute). Today they dominate the export of stitched cotton clothing, leaving us far behind. They export jute and import cotton for their clothing industry. Their foreign exchange reserves are much higher. There is a serious shortage of housing in the cities; the rentals are out of reach. Homelessness is on the rise. People are forced to sleep in the open. The slumps of Mumbai have finally touched the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The people have lost the roof over their head.
Education and health sectors are also largely ignored. In 2024, 1.4 million babies were born into hunger in Pakistan which remains the most climate vulnerable country. While the rich and the powerful go for higher education and treatment abroad the poor continue to languish at home. Instead of focussing on universal primary coverage (currently 64 percent) to narrow the gap of the dropouts, the Chief Minister Punjab launched ‘Free School Milk’ programme. Around Rs 2.0 billion has been spent so far, reviving the scandal of ‘Sasti Roti’ of a few years back. Public sector schools and hospitals are in total disarray while the private sector is cashing in on this serious short coming of the state. It is indeed the best and worst of times. Rich are getting richer, leaving the poor behind to suffer.
Awam Ka Muqadama must be heard at last in an open court where justice can be dispensed with. Respondents must be summoned to redress the complaints. Press conferences and TV talk shows are not enough. Let the suffering masses present their Muqadama. 250 million people with a bulging youth population cannot be pushed around and silenced. It is time to listen not to tell what needs to be done. Good listeners are needed. One of my class fellows who was a member of the college debating team and then rose to be the Chief Justice of Pakistan often complained that I now listen and talk only through my judgements.
There is a famous saying; ‘Zabaan-e-Khalq Ko Naqqara-e-Khuda Sumjho’ (The voice of people carries support of the creator). The voices are loud and clear which should be heard not ignored if the republic must move forward and grow. ‘Yeh Muqadama Humara Hae’.
The judges are required to listen and speak through their judgments. No amendments are required; constitutional boundaries are clearly defined. The separation of power and roles must be respected for a free society to function; otherwise, chaos takes over. Institutions must be strengthened not weakened as has been the case in the land of the pure for the last forty years. The brilliant lawyer, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, must be turning in his grave in the prevailing lawlessness in the country he created through an astute legal battle which even the bullets could not stop.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025