As I write this piece ; I wonder why sometime the world needed intellectuals like Karl Marx and Trotsky. Why there was need of Maoism in China ? Than why the world needed Obamaism today . All pointing towards socialist virtues. All talking about bridging the gap between the rich and poor . Now the way it got executed was sometimes a shame when you read about Stalin and later Mao. But the thought in essence was important. Equal rights to all and most importantly its access.

Recently finished reading about Spartacus a Thoracian Slave (more than 2000 years ago) taken in by the Roman Empire and how he was thrown in as a Gladiator to please the Roman crowds; then sold to the house of Batiatus eventually to win his freedom and alongwith him for many more. Unfortunately ; his revolt against the Roman Empire was short but within years his partner Cerxis almost stood at the gates of Rome. Ironically; the model he presented was that of free world and equal partnership. But shows that the quest for equal treatment and freedom is not recent. The struggle is ancient.

Than came Islam with our Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who started freeing slaves with Hazrat Bilal Habshi as the earliest example and stood shoulder to shoulder in terms of war, work and effort with Sihaba e Karam to spread Islam and gave us the motto that all are equal and only our deeds make us superior. Islam; as many would say otherwise ; for me is the ideal most form of a socialist religion . Zakaat and its spending is the ideal example. But then teachings are for those who can infer them. Life is sometimes not simple.

Sometimes I wonder that our forefathers won freedom from the grasp or the slavery of the British Empire to sadly leave us in the grab of the Unionists who as history tells us were the most afraid of the expected treatment of them as power gets transferred to the masses. This is the sole reason which you see that post independence whilst India brought genuine Land Reforms and did away with absolute power of feudals . Pakistan stayed miles behind as the same were in power . They slowly became our Kings and Masters of our fate. It became all but clear that those who control muscle , money and power is above the law and eventually the worldly super beings for us. The infection of the term VIPism started to spread and as a Socialist Pakistan became a Capitalist Pakistan . More and more of such Pseudo VIP’s started emerging.

Lately ; there has been a lot of hue and cry against the VIP culture . But isn’t this the case every year when we see an isolated case which manages to reach media . Let it be death of a common citizen by bullet at the hands of a Pseudo Feudal or a VIP or a picture of a maid standing as her Masters enjoy luxuries of life or as a child dies or gets delivered on the way to the hospital. Ironically, our conscious only wake up on behest of such incidents. If you google VIP culture in Pakistan ; you would be able to see a blog or two or a notion of protest every few years. Yet it stands. Wonder why ?

Main reason in my view are two :

Reason 1 : Driven by those who are VIP’s themselves.

The cause of anti VIP culture comes from those mainly inclusive of political leaders like Imran Khan who like protocols themselves. Don’t like standing in lines and want special treatment and large homes with privileges of not going to the floor of the house where he got elected. Many of those civil activists ; some I would not name as not being too public take protocols where landing at Karachi airport. Never have I seen some one important standing in the queue with common Pakistanis. How come this be successful if driven by those who cherish it for themselves to see only for it to seize for others only?

Reason 2 : In a latest stats its expected that by 2020 more than 50% of the world’s wealth would be controlled by less than 1% of the world population . I am sure that if this global data is extrapolated in Pakistan may turn out to be much worse for us. Its because our rulers or prominent Pakistanis have gotten used to this kind of pampering. Guards, protocols, no lines etc etc. They ; their spouses and their kids . We are seeing a new generation coming up who may end up being the same Roman lot against whom Spartacus revolted!

One day as I drove at a major intersection of Dubai. I saw H.H. Sheikh Mohammed in his car driven by himself next to me awaiting for the red light to go green. No protocol or security or no pride. He has developed because of this attitude one of the best cities of the world “Dubai” which is rivaling any top city of the world. Wonder why he doesn’t need the same privilege as our Masters of Fate in Pakistan want to cherish for themselves though he is 1000 times more successful and deserving. Maybe; this is the reason for his success and his people’s devotion towards him. Maybe this is what we all want in our leadership.

We must not only blame our feudals or politicians or rich for this. Even civil servants and army personnel and their wives and their kids are seen taking this special privilege . Wonder why? Forget Marx, Forget Trotsky and Forget Spartacus . Don’t these believe in the teachings of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who also has despised this behavior of superiority. Even his dear Siahaba e Karam. Let it be Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakar (RA), Caliph Hazrat Umar (RA) or Caliph Hazrat Ali (RA) continued the same after him. Simplicity and equal treatment . Let it be in War or Peace . Still we; who take oath of being Muslims forget this.

God in my view sometimes send indications to the world for his people to see as how evil may look like. I come from Karachi which is part of Sindh and is ruled by a feudal PPP where Bhuttos or Zardaris hold the reigns to the fate of this province sadly. The new generation of Bhuttos who are no ones (politically or otherwise) are being treated lavishly when they come to Pakistan.

Last year when here in Dubai ; we protested against the APS attack vide a Candle Light vigil at Pakistan Consulate. We challenged giving Bakhtawar Bhutto VIP treatment and she left. This year unfortunately ; our consulate staff gave her that treatment which we Pakistanis resisted. On what grounds; being daughter of a former President and a daughter of late BB is not enough . But sadly ; who cares. Every one wants to please their Masters to keep their jobs or their freedom. Sad to see this coming from Civil Servants who instead have become our Civil Masters. Same way they were enforcers of the British empire whilst common Indians fought for independence . Sad indeed . Wonder what would Quaid e Azam say about this today whose own sister Late Fatima Jinnah became a victim of this hypocrisy. Wonder what would Late Liaquat Ali Khan would say who sacrificed first his estates and than his life for the nation. Wonder!

The Solution :

All is not lost. There is one party in Pakistan ; where the principals of equality holds. Where your work is given priority not from where you originate from or how much wealth you hold. All our equal. Where its workers and leaders call each other as Sathi or Bhai (preceded by Name) . Where that it’s the only party which has stood against this VIPism and has it part of its Manifesto to give power to 98% Pakistanis. Infact if you see of it today ; it’s the only party where you can see the candidates coming on merit not on nepotism or wealth or status. This party is nonetheless called MQM led by Mr. Altaf Hussein. Its sad; instead of replicating this party and its approach . It’s a victim of the same today who don’t like a Middle Class leader , who is normal looking (not like a Playboy) and rode a scooter leading Pakistan. But due to their slave mentality want to be ruled by Gucci’s and Armani clad leaders driving Bentley’s and BMW’s and coming from Aitchison’s or Oxford’s . Sadly; that’s how it is and hence VIPism exist in Pakistan today. Hence for the 2% Mr. Altaf Hussein is the Enemy of the State.

I am proud that I stand by what our Prophet has taught and his Caliphs and later the founders of the Nation and support MQM and Altaf Hussein who has stood up and shown the 98% Pakistanis that they don’t need to be slaves of these Pseudo Masters and VIP’s . They have equal rights to the motherland of Pakistan. They have equal right to live and earn and respect. They don’t need to be slaves of these who loot and plunder the nation sometimes as politicians, sometimes as civil servants and sometimes in uniform. They (the 98% Pakistanis) need to be Captains of their Souls and Masters of their Fate (as stated by Winston Churchill) . Unfortunately; who so ever has asked for these rights and to end the VIPism become a Traitor. Let it be Fatimah Jinnah , let it be Mujeeb ur Rehman or now let it be Altaf Hussein. All those are traitors who challenge the status quo and this VIPism and stand up to those who defend their rights to be Masters of the 98% Pakistanis. They are either debuked or banned or castigated .

If today ; I write this . Its because I love my Pakistan and want it to be in its natural form as envisaged by my ancestors who fought the British (in real sense) for their pride and freedom and laid their lives. They didn’t fight and sacrificed their lives and wealth so that their posterity become a slave to the Feudals, Civil Servants and Uniforms later. I want the Pakistan for all not the 2% a few.

Pakistan must rise against this VIP culture. How much more they would resist or give in to this? They must side with true leadership who actually represent them; the 98% Pakistanis and win back our freedom from these Pseudo Masters or VIP’s . Do you want our posterity to be slave of these and their coming generation? I guess NO! . I have chosen . Have you? Pakistan Zindabad!