Pakistan is the only privileged country where it won its independence on a silver plate, unlike the Afghans, who had to die and migrate by millions to finally take the reins of the country, which they can proudly call their own. I wonder if we own Pakistan as our country; no wonder it is robbed day and night. No wonder the final nail in our coffin is to die of thirst with not a drop to either drink or irrigate our lands to feed the 250 million privileged people used to the luxury of imports rather than surviving on their own.
This post comes to you at the request of my learned, Lahore-based cousin, Sardar Humayun, grandson of the famed Sardar Ayub Khan, the victor of the epic Battle of Maiwand. His apprehensions are not unfounded, as he shared with me the article raising alarms about how systematically India is blocking the water flow of major rivers into Pakistan.
We still believe that Pakistan will still produce its Basmati rice and wheat to feed itself fully, the way we see them eating day in and day out. Either I see my lazy countrymen eating or talking, sadly trying to lie to their countrymen, themselves, and the world around, still believing better days are around the corner. We see Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa as symbolic remains of the Indus civilization that once thrived on the banks of the River Indus, which today remain buried under mounds of mud. Nobody knows how they perished as a civilization, yet the world knows our end as a civilization, but we still are in slumber, thinking nothing is going to happen.
Tariq Ismail Sagar writes, “India’s dam construction on shared rivers could cause severe water shortages, impacting agriculture and potentially leading to famine. Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts have failed, and the government is criticized for inaction. The author warns of a potential nuclear threat if the crisis worsens. The public is urged to pressure the government to prioritize water security and build dams to mitigate the crisis.”
As I hear sirens for the roads to be cleared for some privileged politicians, bureaucrats, or some tycoon escorted by armed guards, I smile, thinking that one doesn’t need foreign enemies when one has a privileged class such as the ones we have, who don’t think or work, just eat, lie , and sleep, thinking the World Bank and IMF are enough to cater to them, because the world needs them to thrive and prosper, no matter what. Long Live Pakistan 🇵🇰
