Pakistan: Politics of prejudice & hatred

THE FRONTIER POST

Pakistan People's Party's parliamentary party leader and Sindh Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq is neither the first nor the last person who had given vent to prejudice and hatred based on race. His opposition to education institution for the masses is just a mindset that most of the influential landlords in Pakistan especially Sindh have. Interior Sindh, Balochistan, far-flung areas of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had also been victim of this mindset. According to a World Bank report, in Sindh alone, there are 8000 schools that exist and functional only on papers with the Sindh government. These are usually termed as 'ghost schools'. A member of the Planning Commission said last year that out of the 13,094 schools run by the federal government across Pakistan, half of them were ghost schools. Punjab Government launched a campaign to weed out such schools but still there are a large number of such schools in the province while absenteeism among teachers is a widespread phenomenon in the province especially in rural areas. The case of Balochistan and KPK is no different. The state of affairs is regrettable as Pakistan is second to Nigeria where 6.5 million children do not go to school and 80 per cent of them have never been enrolled. The culture of ghost schools and absentee teachers is unheard of in civilized countries but in Pakistan the problem has been persisting for decades in spite of the presence of a monitoring and vigilance system. Education departments of almost all the four provinces are ranked at number one as far as corruption is concerned. Cashing in on the anti-education mindset of many bigwigs of Pakistan, hundred of thousand teachers remain absent from jobs but receive monthly salaries in connivance with the corrupt officials of the education departments. Inability of schools in public sector to perform has pushed the masses towards the private sector for the schooling of their children. Mushroom growth of the private sector schools is the best testimony to this effect. Thousand of the primary schools in rural areas are occupied by the wedras for housing their servants or have been converted into stables for their animals. Each and every government functionary is well aware of this sorry state yet provincial ministries in all the four provinces are headed by the landlords (wderas) or rich men who had no regard for the well-being of the poor man-Pir Mazaharul Haq is also one them, otherwise, the PPP government-an exponent of democracy and claimant to be the representative of the people of Pakistan-should have taken corrective measures to set the education sector right in the latest run of nearly five years in power. The leadership of Pakistan People's Party comprises influential landlords, Sardars, Arbabs, Maliks and Chaudhrys, has ruled the country for the longest period of time second only to the army yet it has failed to serve the masses rather every time PPP comes to power, it adds more problems to the lives of people. Coming back to Pir Sahib, his uncalled for statement opposing the establishing of a university in Hyderabad evoked a severe response from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the strong country-wide condemnation, especially, a complete shutdown was observed in Hyderabad made him realize that he had committed yet another unwarranted folly. Hence living up to the party tradition, he retracted his words of not allowing to set up another university in Hyderabad city and would stand against all such efforts. Biting the dust, now Pir Sahib in a clarification says that three universities would be set up in Hyderabad not just one. What a show of trodden character that is extremely unbecoming of a man who calls himself spiritual leader of many. The truth is that the Sindh Education Minister, in the heat of moment, could not hide his prejudice and hatred against the people and rather expressed his open enmity against the poor masses. After being in the government for nearly five years, the Sindh government and the MQM being part of it did not do much for the people especially in health and education sector. Now in the last 19 days of its rule, it cannot surmount any height or it cannot spring fountains of honey for the people. In fact, none of PPP leader needs to tell the people what the incumbent rulers have done for the people and what they are capable of doing for the country. The nation is well exposed to the social media and has learnt a lot about harsh realities they are forced to live with. Before, the people shut their doors on the ruling elite, the elite must shun their politics of prejudice and hatred.