Page 4 - Urdu Link - May 25, 2018

P4 – PAKISTAN LINK – MAY 25, 2018 OPINION
Pakistan Link n By Mowahid Hussain Shah Freedom’s Burden

uman condition is inter-
Advisory Board H dependent.
Th e poet John Donne
Dr Sohail Masood wrote in 1624: “No man is an is-
President land.”
Arif Zaff ar Mansuri What does in-
ArifMansuri@PLpublications.org dependence entail?
Th ere is no super-
Editor independence.
Akhtar Mahmud Faruqui
afaruqui@pakistanlink.com If it is a choice
between slavery and freedom, then
Editor Urdu Link & Bureau Chief (Pakistan) the Quaid put it aptly: “Supposing
Shabbir Ghori you were asked which you would
urdulink@yahoo.com prefer...a rich England under Ger-
Resident Editor Urdu Link many or a poor England free, what
& Director Video Operations would your answer be?” (Inter-
Anwar Khawaja view with the Quaid, “Dialogue
akhawaja@pakistanlink.com with a Giant” from the 1944 book
by Beverly Nichols, “Verdict on
Manager Sales & Advertising India”.)
sales@pakistanlink.com In May 1940, when Europe
was on the verge of collapse before
Regional Offi ces
Hitler’s armies, Winston Churchill
was installed as Prime Minister of
YKKB Britain, and in his inaugural ad-
ykkb03@gmail.com dress on May 13, 1940, before the roots of Muslim Nationhood, un- Quaid-i-Azam M. A. Jinnah with members of the Cabinet Mission Plan
House of Commons, he said: “I der the camoufl age of more prov- Undermining democracy and pitulation can serve as the pathway
Sacramento, CA
Sacramento@plpublications.com have nothing to off er but blood, inces and/or administrative units. national cohesion is the crushing ahead.
toil, tears and sweat.” What then happens to the nation power of big money, which has in- Th e bondage of mental defeat-
San Fransisco/Bay Area, CA Freedom imposes two princi- fested all sectors of society, making ism prevents a realization sinking
Sanfrancisco@plpublications.com pal burdens: “Supposing you were hypocrisy out of democracy. in that a dysfunctional indepen-
(1) Responsibility: Th e chief Th e path to freedom is strewn dence is better than permanent
New York, NY asked which you would
Newyork@plpublications.com being security and governance. with obstacles. For larger goals, subordination.
(2) Resistance: Resistance prefer...a rich England compromises may be necessary. To protect the human dignity
Houston, TX against wrongdoing and against under Germany or a But not over-compromise. Over- value of all citizens is the unavoid-
Houston@Plpublications.org what threatens the nation. For compromise detours into over-de- able burden of freedom. No nation
example, tribalism, provincialism, poor England free, what pendence, which enfeebles char- can sustain continuing despair.
Phoenix, AZ sectarianism, and ethno-national- acter and confi dence. It morphs But that can be meaningfully re-
Phoenix@Plpublications.org would your answer be?”
ism, all of which – if left unattend- (Interview with the Quaid, into dependence on those who sisted only if those entrusted with
Ontario, Canada ed – can erode the foundations of themselves are dependent on big- leadership roles convey credibility
Ontario@Plpublications.org the state. “Dialogue with a Giant” ger powers. in fi ghting for fairness.
Th e inclusive sense of belong- from the 1944 book by A self-defeating hurdle is the Freedom brings with it the
Letters to the Editor ing and a collective stake in the oversize one-man show in all seg- priceless gift s of dignity and iden-
wellbeing of the nation is funda- Beverly Nichols, Verdict ments of state and society, includ- tity. Pakistan was particularly
Readers are welcome to express their opinion
in these columns. Please keep your letters mental. Its paucity led to the 1971 on India ing military and civil. Th e results blessed to get the gift of indepen-
brief and to the point. Letters without full disaster. It still remains undiag- are self-evident. dence through the Quaid. Sixty
name, complete address, and a daytime
phone number will not be published. nosed. as a unit? Yugoslavia? Insuffi cient safeguards are one years ago, Maulana Abdul Kalam
Also, copies of letters sent to other news- 100 years ago, Maulana Zafar Looming over the horizon is reason why the concept of fairness Azad wrote “India Wins Freedom.”
papers are not encouraged. Letters can be
mailed, faxed or e-mailed to the Editor at Ali Khan had warned about the the cloud of discord/fi tna. Was it has weak roots in society. Th ose But take a look at the perennially
the Pakistan Link Headquarters address pitfalls of fragmenting Balkaniza- wise to unleash a free media in an servile toward the powerful be- humiliated 200 million Dalit of
listed below.
Pakistan Link (ISSN 1074-0406) is pub- tion. In its insidious planted form already politicized polity? Has it come tyrants toward the weak. India. For them Indian indepen-
lished weekly for $85 a year by JAZ LLC, now, it continues to gnaw at the proven to be a cementing force? No confrontation and no ca- dence is hollow.
DBA PL Publications, LLC.
Periodical postage paid at Anaheim, CA
and additional mailing offi ces. Th e Neglected An American’s Letter to Sabika Sheikh
POST MASTER: Send address changes to
Pakistan Link, P O Box 1238, Anaheim, CA
92815 Ministry of
The management has the right to refuse n By Michael Kugelman education. You wanted to be a diplo- and again and again and again.
to print any advertisement, news, article,
letter or any other material. In case of Foreign Aff airs Washington, DC mat and hoped to help improve US- I’m also struck by something
any errors in advertisement the manage- Pakistan relations. else: your death has taken a powerful
ment will not be liable for more than the
amount paid for the advertisement to the ear Sabika, You were from Karachi, where perception harbored by many Amer-
Link. It’s been several days terrorism and other violence haven’t icans and turned it fi rmly on its head.
Advertisements in Pakistan Link are n By Col.Riaz Jafri (Retd)
placed in good faith. The newspaper is not Westridge, Rawalpindi Dsince the school shooting at been as frequent as in earlier years. Nearly eight years ago, a News-
responsible nor endorses the contents of Santa Fe High School in Texas, where And you lived far from Pakistan’s week headline infamously declared
any advertisement. In case of a frivolous
lawsuit, the plaintiff will bear the total cost ver since the Mian Nawaz you, a 17-year-old most confl icted regions in the west Pakistan to be the most dangerous
of the suit, including but not limited to the Sharif government (which is Pakistani exchange and north. country in the world. Today, many
Link’s costs and the attorney’s fees.
Eironically continuing as per student, were among Still, given your country’s many Americans — who oft en fi xate on the
PM Shahid Khakan Abbasi’s own the 10 victims. affl ictions — including the extrem- fate of Daniel Pearl and the discovery
Since then, I’ve
Information for admissions) came into power, Paki- learned a lot about ism that you reportedly sought to es- of Osama Bin Laden — continue to
view Pakistan as a dangerous place,
stan has been without an eff ective
cape by studying in America — you
Subscribers Foreign Minister. Now the portfolio you from media re- had good reason to come of age too and especially for Americans.
The printing of Pakistan Link is unfail- has been passed on to Mr Khurram ports and the moving testimonials quickly. And yet then there was you: A
ingly completed by Wednesday every
week and its copies are handed over to Dastgir who is already dabbling from your family and friends. Indeed, in Pakistan and beyond, Pakistani student gunned down at
the mailing house for prompt dispatch pathetically in the insurmountable- You were blessed with many so many confl ict-scarred, disease- school — by an American terrorist.
to the subscribers. The Link should for-him defence aff airs of the coun- admirable qualities, but what par- ravaged, and prejudice-victimized In America.
reach its destination on time if there is
no delay at the post offi ce. If a delay is try. What kind of a joke is this with ticularly stands out is your pure and young people — and many more It’s as if the lens through which
occasioned it is in no way attributable the nation, especially when we are unadulterated optimism. traumatized by the travails of their
to the performance of Link’s manage- AMERICAN, P31
ment. In case of delayed receipt of Pak- having the most trying and dete- Indeed, in a deeply troubled global peers thanks to the powerful
istan Link or missing issues, please con- riorating by day relations with the world where many nightmare sce- vehicle of social media — have had to Views and
tact your local Post Offi ce and submit a opinions ex-
“Publication Watch” form. most powerful nation of the world? narios have come true, you still dared grow up way too fast. pressed by
Can’t we fi nd ONE full-time, ca- to dream of better things. In short, it wouldn’t have been
pable and competent person in a In a speech you made at a re- surprising if you’d become jaded. authors and
PAKISTAN LINK nation of over 200 million blessed treat for foreign exchange students in Or at least a bit cynical. contributors
articles,
in
But you didn’t. You were an op-
with thousands of bright and out- North Carolina earlier this year, you
Headquarters standing intellectuals to head our said you “prayed every night to wake timist to the core. letters, opin-
P O Box 1238, Anaheim, CA 92815 foreign ministry? up to a world of peace.” Until the moment you died. ion pieces,
Tel: 714-400-3400 reports, advertisements, etc
Fax: 714-400-3404 Why is the Ministry of Foreign At a time when the US global How cruel and tragic that the appearing in Pakistan Link
E-Mail: Editor@PakistanLink.com Aff airs being subjected to such ne- image is suff ering beyond belief, you country you so admired, and that and Urdu Link are their own.
glect? Is it by design (hope not) or just still saw the good in America. Your gave you so much hope, didn’t only
due to some “manufacturing” defect father recalled that before you ar- let you down. It killed you. Th e paper neither shares
Pakistan Offi ce in our rulers; one just cannot dismiss rived here, you studied US history “to Now you are one more victim nor endorses them and thus
42 Rehman Court the situation so lightly and has to give learn from the best.” of a sickening American gun culture should not be held responsi-
Plaza Square, Off M. A. Jinnah Road it a serious thought. You believed America provided that has literally been the death of so ble for the views/opinions of
Karachi-74400, Pakistan the writers & advertisers.
God save Pakistan. a safe and special space to receive an many people in this country—again
www.PakistanLink.com