Pakistan is a country plagued by natural disasters, endemic political corruption, religious fundamentalism and is claimed by many to be the central headquarters of Islamist terrorism. And it’s a nuclear power. Fatima Bhutto, scion of the Pakistani political family, addresses the current state of her country in her Opening Address at the Sydney Writers’ Festival 2011. Fatima Bhutto is an Afghan-born Pakistani poet and writer. She is the granddaughter of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and niece of Benazir Bhutto (both assassinated). She is active in Pakistan’s socio-political arena but has no desire to run for political office. She currently writes columns for ‘The Daily Beast’, ‘New Statesman’ and other publications.
Categories: Law
We should emphasize absolute justice, which means justice for everyone regardless of religion, color or creed.
The thirty articles of the Universal Declaration of the Human Rights are a good starting point to re-establish what we have lost in Pakistan in the last four decades.
True it is that absolute justice paves the way to each type of success and it should be ensured every where through out the world. Pakistan need not to be singled out. However, what is an absolute justice remains debateable as each interprets it differently. Here one has to see an other aspect which is specially connected with Miss Fatima Bhutto. It was her grandfather who denied even the basic justice to one very innocent religious community(Ahmadiyya) in Pakistan and that is the day one, when this country started its journey to current state which has correctly been percieved that Pakistan is now at the verge of collapse.
Few years back when Miss Bhutto used to write for Urdu daily Jang Pakistan, I drew her attention about the injustice done by her grand father to which she turned a deaf ear. Merely speaches will not bring the results. She belongs to a renowned political family. She is very learned and has very upcoming and bright ideas so she should throw the first stone by demanding that injustice done to Ahmadiyya community be repealed and 1974 Constitution of Pakistan be restored in its original shape. What will be her response to this demand will judge how bold and sicnere she is to her call for absolute justice.
Justice needs courage …..
Thank you Zubair Khan for sharing history of 1974. I agree with your analysis.
Yes, justice requires courage, honesty and strong heart. Holy Quran sets a perfect standard for justice in the verse below:
O ye who believe! be strict in observing justice, and be witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or against parents and kindred. Whether he be rich or poor, Allah is more regardful of them both than you are. Therefore follow not low desires so that you may be able to act equitably. And if you conceal the truth or evade it, then remember that Allah is well aware of what you do. (4:136)
I hope Fatima Bhutto should find guidance in this Quranic verse and at least acknowledge that her grandfather initiated constitutional oppression of Ahmadis and this oppression has also created death and destruction for Christians and Hindus in Pakistan.
To me better would be if through some means (by email etc) her attention could be drawn once again to this aspect.
Good idea.