Friday 26 April 2013

What reminds me of Britain whilst living in Pakistan?


There are many things that I yearn to see at times for example weather, greenery, pollution free environment, shopping centres, style sense, potatoes, buildings and their centuries old history, National Health Service, devout and deferential public officials, saying “Cheers!” especially as a goodbye and above all the very delightfully charming accent. I hope my audacity of not mentioning English premier league and the famous fish and chips will be winked at.
There are many times when I miss UK for example when someone calls toilet a “restroom” or a “bathroom” as it changes and destroys the whole purpose and implies of a room where you’re having a dump while  snoring or pissing in the bathtub. But here, I would only pen down the things that I believe can make someone like me proud to be a part of that country, even for as little time of 6 years and at times really creates an urge to make our homeland like theirs.
In England if one bumps into someone, both of them without even looking at whose fault it was, would profusely apologise to each other. This might sound only an ordinary promotion of courtesy but in reality it has helped them to grow a culture of responsibility. A tolerant society, where people not only accept their mistakes but also own others’, is something that makes me miss UK.
Here in Pakistan, people overtly represent their school of thought, be it of political allegiance, religion or part of the country they live in. Flags are waived, anthems are sung, oaths and pledges are recited and all the “isms” are repeated and grasped day in and day out. Whereas, in the UK, these traits are hardly noticeable except on special occasions and yet they are among the nations who are most proud of their history and of what they represent. A balanced society, where no one over emphasises or tries to push their views on others, where opinions are cherished, and reactions are not directly in the opponent’s face, is something that makes me miss UK.
Britishers are famous for their culture of decency and fair play. These individualities of impartiality, veracity and serenity cannot be well judged other than by the art of queuing. Brits find it so important that understanding how to line up is included in new citizen’s test. In Pakistan, however, perfect examples of creating chaos in public places by undisciplined behaviour are very frequently found. Hence, there is an alarming rise in Pakistan’s crime graph, solely due to the lack of discipline. A disciplined society, where everyone waits for their turn and not just barge in anywhere they feel like, is something that makes me miss UK.
In England, the rule of law prevails. There are judges who have character and courage to admit that they might overreact in sentencing. A Judge who was hearing a case of a thief, who confessed that he stole heating oil from a village hall, at the Worcester Magistrate Court, refused to sentence the thief and said “My wife is on a small village hall committee. I feel very strongly about this sort of behaviour. I feel I would overreact and consider that he should undoubtedly go to prison for this. It would be wrong for me to sentence him. I may be seen to be biased. Whereas, in Pakistan it may seem that rule of mob sometimes prevails, when a sitting High Court Justice does not only reject the bail of the accused but also adds salt to the injuries by reciting some poetic couplet while doing so. It does not seem to bother the Honourable Justice that everyone knows that he was once arrested because of the orders of that accused and the Honourable Justice has filled and fought cases against that very accused as a practicing lawyer. A society where everyone adheres to the rule of law and where justice for all is not different from the justice for tall, is something that makes me miss UK.
Among the abovementioned issues there are many attributes that the world and especially us the Pakistanis should learn from the United Kingdom, to become better human beings and hence a better nation. Making a brew is definitely one of them.

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