I was appointed as the Resident Editor of Jarida Today for the United States of America. So, it’s natural for me to talk about what’s happening here in America. It’s common knowledge, even for those who are blind or deaf, that the presidential elections are in full swing in the United States. I’ve been here for a long time and have witnessed firsthand how democracy here is truly by the people and for the people.
Here, people contest elections for seats, but it’s the citizens who fight for them. They not only support their candidates but also contribute financially. The candidates don’t need to spend a single penny of their own because it is the people who give both their money and their votes. Their involvement in politics is solely to serve the nation.
I’m writing this decades after an experience I had back in my own country. My friends once gave me an opportunity to earn some money by exporting bath towels. However, to export the material, I first needed to prepare the paperwork, which was a difficult process. After that, I required an export quota for the towels. But that quota had already been decided by the members of the National and Provincial Assemblies (parliamentarians), and it involved a hefty sum in the form of kickbacks.
I protested and demanded a fair process. Everywhere I went with my grievances, I was told that these individuals had spent a lot of their own money to get to their positions (parliament), and now it was time to recover those funds with interest. At that point, I realized they were ‘right’ in a sense… when they spend, they have the ‘right’ to sell ‘anything’ within their control. Our economic strategy, justice, planning, development, and even politics were all up for sale.
My fellow countrymen, learn from Americans. Spend your money on your own ‘horses’. Feed them, nurture them, and then those very ‘horses’ will take you to the top. Another point I would like to discuss here is that Americans elect only those who have been tested before. Their veterans are revered, and their loyalty to the country is unquestionable. Not a single individual in the US system is doubted.
I openly say that my country, Pakistan, has served America wholeheartedly and continues to do so. But sadly, we’ve shown that everything the rulers had done for the US was for personal gains, not for our nation.
For example, when Pakistan brokered peace between China and the US in the 1970s, also known as the Nixon-China rapprochement, we asked for nothing in return. Instead, our country was split into two. Now is the time to unite our veterans, those we can trust, and stand with the media that teaches us to live with pride. We need to learn to kiss our women without foreign cosmetics.
Our food should be traded, not smuggled. Health and education should be free, and in providing education on healthcare, we should assess how many compassionate hearts are being trained. Jarida Today should become a media outlet that teaches the people of my country to become the best versions of themselves.