I am no political analyst. I am an artist at heart who loves the colours of life and I teach to make children open their eyes to the beauty of nature and explore the creativity of their minds. But more than that I am a cricket fan. Its a mild term used compared to my feelings for the game.
My first heart-break was the realisation that soon Wasim Akram would retire from Cricket. And I thought that, that was it .... No Wasim bhai : no Cricket! I was a proud teenager. Proud of Pakistan's successes in numerous sporting arenas. Why I continued to turn into a bigger cricket freak was because I hoped that now Akram would be serving Pakistan Cricket with other matters such as coaching or just being the leading ambassador of the game; going around the world and promoting Cricket in Pakistan. There would be many a tournaments where we would see our super stars perform and Akram somewhere behind the scenes for all his efforts ... Alas! a teenager's dream of her super-hero.
But in reality, although Wasim Akram continues to rule Cricket through his inswinging yorkers in the commentary box these days, and with his late reverse swings when his team is in hot waters, it is sad we do not get to see enough of him in Pakistan anymore. But its been years things have been like that. Sports stars retire, they either run their own academies or they are simply gone and forgotten. The most prominent faces on TV are of Ramiz Raja, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. All class-acts; representing Pakistan on their own.
So what is wrong with the system? Why don't we see deserving faces at positions worthy of their calibre. Everything is wrong with the system. Infact, there is no system. There is no institution left in the country that is working as it should work.Neither for Cricket nor for any other field. Sportsmen who are suppose to work for the betterment of their field become philanthropists. Almost every other cricket star, singer, actor who has earned a name through his immense talent, skills and hardwork takes up Herculean tasks of building up schools, hospitals or NGOs of some other kind to help people with the basic necessities of life. Rock stars leadng political rallies and pop-stars conductiong religious gatherings to motivate and support humanitarian causes like flood-reliefs.
There is nothing wrong for any person to be compasionate and caring. Infact, may God bless these good souls for sacrificing their precious time and money in their efforts to fill the gap created by those in power. Due to their unprecedented lack of shame, incompetence and corruption, today Pakistani singers, actors and sportsmen are running hospitals, schools, private academies and even political parties to ensure the country continues to function in the best possible way under the given circumstances - Time that could have been spent on taking their skills to another level and their mere apprearance could result in lump sum of funds for good causes that should primarily be the duty of any government in power.Celebrities are a support system for their countries. They don't run the countries. In Pakistan they do!
If there ever was a time for everyone in the country to chip in and participate with whatever goodness they have to offer, it is now. If cricketers can run hospitals; rockstars can become political guides and an artist can turn into a political analyst; if a popstar felt the need to bring a halt to extremism in the name of mordernization and cricketers felt the need to demonstrate excelling in the field they are known for while taking up social work and fulfilling their religious obligations, all simultaneously; to guide these cornered general public to be more active in practical terms rather than adopting escapism in the name of religion. If TV artists have braved to guard the media front to fight foreign invaders in this time of 4thGW (Fourth Generation War) ie MEDIA WAR, coming up with record breaking shows like HUMSAFAR to revive cultural norms or instilling patriotism through epics like DASTAAN; it is now the duty of every one of us who has access to information and knowledge of the facts, who is wise to make the right decisions and let them be known to those arond him to voice his thoughts.
All those common men and women and all those celebrities who have in their own capacity played their roles ... let me tell you that it is not enough. Do not think you have done your duty and you are a responsible citizen, a good person and that is all you can do. It is time to take a leap forward, get politically involved in the situation our motherland is facing, speak up, make it known whom you are following, whom you are going to vote for or have you even given it a thought as yet?Conduct intellectual debates with your family, among your friends, neighbours and peers. Be confident of your choices if they are not based on prejudice rather on thoughtful analysis of whom you want to rule you for the next five years.Your participation is needed and if today you shy away from it then I hope you wont have to regret it later, for each one of us matter. Know your value, participate enthusiastically and know this that those shining stars stand much taller than us who today have stood up to lead the desperate nation!
I hope that in times to come Afridi, Akhtar and Akram get time to focus on Cricket than building hospitals; or Junaid Khan worrying for an academy in his remote hometown at this young age; I hope Salman Ahmed can compose more music instead of converting into a politician or Shehzad Roy writing school curriculum. Its been time Junaid Jamshed composed another heartening Naat or do I just want to listen to more of them. I yearn to see Wasim Akram more often in Pakistan Cricket and not ignored by PCB despite his open offers to serve Pakistan Cricket. I would not like to see Fakh-e-Alam soldiering up cold mountains and down the deepest ditches to carry dead bodies from the rubble of earthquake hit buildings in the absence of any Civil Defense organization in the country. Waiting to see all this and much more that is needed managed by a capable leadership. In addition to that celebrities and civil society all chipping in to ensure any help needed by the state is granted whole-heartedly. My single choice for the leadership role is Imran Khan. And finally, when this war is over, I wish I can get enough time to write more articles on Cricket rather than politics and make a few more paintings for my heart's delight!
Written by:
Hafsa Siddique
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