MOTHER's LAND OR?

milindpanho · August 6, 2011, 8:00am

Re: MOTHER’s LAND OR?

Today Tuesday the 25th July this senior citizen since morning is in shock and hardly till this evening felt any real desire of eating something except for his diabetic medicines. I feel having today lost everything earned during this long life; rather having today been snatched from me.

   I worked for 18 years in Pakistan. My resignation for a better life abroad was not accepted.  Instead my service was terminated and due to Zia-ul-Haq’s one Ordinance I could not even appeal for forfeiture of my funds.  Twenty Five plus years I am working abroad.  I am a true and honest Pakistani viz till today I have not taken anything concealed underneath my baggage, never used Hundi.  I work in such a Department and on a seat where I helped many Pakistanis in getting nationality of the country I work but I myself never applied.  My wife and daughter with “thirsty” eyes looked to those around us getting foreign Passports.  Had I obtained nationality I would had been entitled for a pension equal to Pak Rs. 150,000 a month even draw able living in Pakistan but I wished to remain a Pakistani where my Grands who brought me up are resting, where my mother is buried and so on.  I always taught my daughter that Pakistan is “our Pakistan”, Pakistan is “our motherland” etc.  During last year visit to Pakistan on a gunpoint my this young daughter was looted in Karachi resulting since then she is getting treatment from a psychiatrist. Even this did not distract me from that I am a Pakistani and  Pakistan is my motherland where one day I am to return for old age living and get buried lastly.

   I have read and even seen in my life that sometime one single word or a moment changes the whole mindset of a person.  Three four months back there was a TV talk show hosted by Kamran Shahid.  Prominent figures including audience were sitting and the topic was about Pakistan.  The debate was opened when first Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan stated that it is “Quaid-e-Azam Ka Pakistan”.  A senior citizen called intellectual Dr. Mubark Ali promptly cried that “it is not of Quaid-e-Azam, Pakistan is of no body, it does not belong to anyone”.  Over this the senior columnist Mujeeb-ur-Rehman Shami gave a very befitting response applauded by the audiences.

   The so called intellectuals or so called moderates always criticize that our mostly illiterate Mullas were still restricted to the issues if shalwar should be below knee or above knee.   Seeing Dr. Mubarak Ali I could not stop wondering why West had reached to the level where it is today while our intellectuals still are harping on issues if Pakistan is our’s or not.

   That moment of Dr. Mubark’s statement changed my whole mind.  Today this 09.00 am I have surrendered my green Passport along with Application Form for my foreign Passport because now I have no face to say to my daughter “Pakistan is your’s” or “Pakistan is our’s”.  I have betrayed the souls of my Grands, my dear mother, I have betrayed my primary school which enabled me to work abroad with such perfection that foreign government recognizing my capability has granted me nationality.  I have read one’s place of birth and country is “mother land”.  I have actually seen people kissing the earth when disembarking from plane when disembarkation used to be through stairs.

   Today this moment I am confused if I have betrayed the “mother land”? But is or was Pakistan “my mother” land because according to the interpretation of Dr. Mubark the land of Pakistan is not mine, your’s or his mother’s land.

apna ghar to apna ghar hai.