You know why, because it’s not Edhi’s job to provide ambulances, medical facilities and cold storage to the masses. Taking nothing away from his unprecedented and unmatchable efforts to mankind, he is being used by corrupt ruling elite to fizzle out the pressure that would have been directed towards them otherwise. I visited Bagh District in Oct 2005 when earthquake jolted northern areas of Pakistan and I was really shocked to see that people are waiting for Edhi to arrive and help them. In fact, some of them were a bit annoyed at Edhi as his foundation wasn’t able to gather enough food and medical supplies for the injured initially.
As Edhi went back to his Lord, I am really shocked to see the shameless attitude of our ruling elite. They don’t even feel enough responsibility, forget about accountability, to say ‘sorry’ to their people whom they failed, completely and continuously and it needed a messiah like Edhi to provide the basic needs. They should be ashamed to notice that Edhi foundation has got 1800 ambulances and hundred plus buses to cater the needs of people while depending completely on charity. On the other hand, govt. receives billions in the form of taxes and they aren’t even there to compete with the numbers Edhi Foundation has put forward. Please don’t start on Pakistanis don’t pay taxes; the huge amount of indirect tax that everyone is paying on almost everything, right from toothpaste to cell phone credit, should be enough to at least show some progress. If this tax collection is enough to fund a luxurious trip for Nawaz & Co. with all expenses covered; it should also be enough to buy a 20-30 ambulances and coffin carriers.
Political elite is paying tribute to Edhi and they will definitely welcome more Edhis and Chippas to come forward and take as much responsibilities as they can so that the owners of this country can loot and plunder with full concentration. Let alone ambulances and medical facilities, situation is so worst that I don’t even remember how a government coffin carrier looks like. In the biggest city of Pakistan i.e. Karachi, this responsibility is shared by Al-Khadmit, Khidmat e Khalq, Okhai Memon Jamaat, etc. with absolute absence of government institutions. Sad part is that people don’t even account government for this negligence and inefficiency. Somehow, they have agreed or may have lost any hope.
Becoming an Edhi can be a very good idea but that will not solve the problem that Edhi strives for. Yes, you will get lots of prayers and will help many people on individual basis but you won’t be able to uproot the cause which will, in turn, produce more victims than you can rescue. Moreover, you can’t help people against mass ransack that they are being subjected to by companies and/or institutions like WAPDA, KESC, etc. What will you do? Will you provide gas generators to every household with free monthly fuel quota? You can’t do that and that will bring you back to the square one.
No, I don’t want to become Edhi, I want to turn his dream of a healthy and prosperous society into reality and for that, I will account the govt. I may look rebellious but that’s the only way forward if you really want to solve the problem, right from the root.
