My Motherland Pakistan

[KediKesenFare3]

*As regards public attitudes I think the mosques could help a lot. Instead of craving for spiritual purity and going after Ahmadi's etc in order to cleanse Pakistan of evil they could implore their followers to focus on physical hygene. How about creating some purity on the streets etc. In the Western world they have a saying "cleanliness is next to godliness". This sort of thinking has to be fostered.

Funny, in Turkey we say "temizlik imandan gelir", which literally means "cleanliness comes from [a true] Iman [faith]".

Interesting fact:

Before Erdogan was elected mayor of Istanbul in 1994, there were frequent water cuts, garbage piled through the streets and air pollution. He solved the problems in just three years.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/opinion-erdogan-yigit/

Erdogan started his political career as Istanbul's major and the first goal he achieved was to solve Istanbul's completely disastrous garbage management, air and water pollution. His reaction was always "temizlik imandandir".

Edit/
When I visited the mosque as a child/juvenile to learn about Islam and reading Kur'an, we were also taught in personal hygiene.

 

[Path-Finder]

Hi,

This is my 4th visit to my motherland in the last 34 years---and it has been the most disappointing visit so far---.

I have visited the cities like Islamabad---Lahore---Multan---I traveled by road.

I was shocked to see the amount of filth and trash filling the streets and side walks of the cities---. The smell of rot and decaying filth is present in all these cities---lesser in Islamabad----less in Lahore but more in Multan---.

The cities are growing without any any personality and character---. The houses in Islamabad are outrageously large---in Lahore close clustered and in Multan one on top of the other---with no finesse---.

Multan was and is the filthiest of all these three cities---disgustingly filthy---even good areas are trash heaps---.

Actually---there are no good areas left in multan---. Totally out of control and rampant construction---with no regard to the building codes---and no one to enforce them either---.

It truly looked like a nation in chaos---looked like people with no direction---a ship without a rudder---total lawlessness on the roads.

As usual---doctors on strikes and poor suffering---.

Never have I observed the plight of the poor in such a distinguishing and open manner in my prior visits as I did now---.

The hope that there was in 2007 for the poor---is no more to be seen anywhere. It is all about greed---theft and plunder now---.

Go to Rawalpindi near Nala Lai on Sadar Road. Near the chicken Butchering that happens daily! Most disgusting smell i ever smelt in Pakistan was there.

 

[Proudpakistaniguy]

If you want to improve cleanlines standard of countries /cities then

1) Have lesser population per square KM which makes thing's easier to manage
2) Put proper system of cleanliness at place by providing bins and collection of rubbish from door to door weekly by charging some fees

 

[VCheng]

Well If you visit DHA or Bharia town you will witness a different Pakistan because these housing authorities provide you dust bins and regular facility of collecting rubbish from doors to doors on regular basis .even most villages in Pakistan are clean and provide great atmosphere

Where do you think all that rubbish ends up?

 

[Proudpakistaniguy]

Where do you think all that rubbish ends up?

The infrastructure to collect household and other refuse/garbage/recycle system just do not exist in big cities of Pakistan thats why everyone throws the leftover, food/peels/carry bags on the street and If there are no waste bins and proper infrastructure of collecting rubbish and cleaning roads then where should people throw their garbage? Its not just fault of People but government as well because same people behave as soon as they land in Europe and USA because European countries have this proper system at place and you often get penalty and now they are even charging you for plastic bags to protect environment and discourage people to use shopping bags

 

[VCheng]

The infrastructure to collect household and other refuse/garbage/recycle system just do not exist in big cities of Pakistan thats why everyone throws the leftover, food/peels/carry bags on the street and If there are no waste bins and proper infrastructure of collecting rubbish and cleaning roads then where should people throw their garbage? Its not just fault of People but government as well because same people behave as soon as they land in Europe and USA because European countries have this proper system at place and you often get penalty and now they are even charging you for plastic bags to protect environment and discourage people to use shopping bags

I was referring to the lack of properly managed landfills and other proper disposal facilities (such as for sewage), not just where bins are provided or not, all across the country, from the northern areas to the plains right down to the coast.

 

[war&peace]

Hi,

In 2007---all these cities were fairly very clean---. Some trash noticeable on the streets of these big cities.

I noticed the change in 2014---. 2015---not that bad either---but this time---I was just blown off----so much trash and filth---specially in the middle class areas---it was shocking.

I think in 2007 there was this district govt system with Nazims and naib-Nazims and I think they were quite good at keeping their towns clean but the patwaris and the ugly democracy destroyed the real democracy and ruined everything.

Funny, in Turkey we say "temizlik imandan gelir", which literally means "cleanliness comes from [a true] Iman [faith]".

Interesting fact:

Before Erdogan was elected mayor of Istanbul in 1994, there were frequent water cuts, garbage piled through the streets and air pollution. He solved the problems in just three years.
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/opinion-erdogan-yigit/

Erdogan started his political career as Istanbul's major and the first goal he achieved was to solve Istanbul's completely disastrous garbage management, air and water pollution. His reaction was always "temizlik imandandir".

Edit/
When I visited the mosque as a child/juvenile to learn about Islam and reading Kur'an, we were also taught in personal hygiene.

Cleanliness is half the faith in Islam as per hadeeth (saying of the holy Prophet (ﷺ)) and since most of our cities are streets are no where to be qualified as clean shows how much religion and faith we put into practice.

 

[KediKesenFare3]

can we compare our self with middle eastern countries, central Asian countries?
I have never seen such trashed environment there either.
I always wonder, how is the mentality of nation, growing around trash?

Turkish cities during the 90's were as dirty as South Asian cities are today. I don't give up my hopes. I believe that someday Pakistan will be much more cleaner with a much more greener environment. What bothers me most is that foreigners are connecting Islam/Muslim cultures with garbage/dirt/filth.

 

[Mugwop]

One thing I noticed about Pakistan is every developed and clean city has a dump right next to it.
In islamabad I-8 is a clean and a good area, right next to it is I-10 which is congested and not so clean.
F-11 is close to G-11 and so on. The worst thing I came across in Pakistan is the way people drive. I even made threads on it but no one wanted to address the issue. For me it's a very serious issue.

 

[Indus Pakistan]

What bothers me most is that foreigners are connecting Islam/Muslim cultures with garbage/dirt/filth.

Kedikesenfare you know Islam in Turkey inspires me, really does and honestly I hope you guy's do well. There is something I am going to explain which perhaps you might not be aware. That is defeatism. You see in almost every muslim country other than Turkey Islam has been corrupted by defeatism.

What happened is during the colonial period most Muslim countries were either conquered or humiliated by the West in some way or the other. That defeat was internalized by the Islamic clergy. They reacted against the defeat by becoming insular and turning against anything that their conquerer. Instead of sifting through the qualities that the conqurer displayed which enabled them to defeat them, they outright turned against anything and everything that the West represented. This is the burden we still carry. This burden still is holding us back. It is a reaction against everything from the West that is crippling us. Turkish Muslims do nopt carry this deadweight of defeat that makes the rest so reactive and defensive. That enables Turks to focus on the real temporal problems of life rather than getting mired in dogma and anti-West rhetoric.

As regards your point about foreigners think, rest assured the most filthiest by far in South Asia are Indians. Despite them bragging, most Indian's do not have even access to sanitation. Indeed India has the largest number of population who do not even have acces to toilets. Ganges River in India is without doubt the dirties river in the world. Pakistan is far cleaner than India with far better access to sanitation - although to be honest comparing to India is not saying much. I think being Muslim pushes the people to higher level of hygiene then Hindus. Did you know over 626 million Indian's do not have access to toilets?

Link > http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/monitoring/jmp2012/fast_facts/en/

 

[Solomon2]

Hi,

Please understand---it is not about the age---it is about managing the city and maintaining the infra structure---that is what I am talking about---.

Street cleaners and cleaning equipment is there---employees are being paid---city has construction codes but no enforcer---judges give stay orders for useless things---.

The city ordinance says no constrtuction within 220 feet of either side of highways---still there are building touching the main roads----.

I am talking about the chaos and anarchy and lack pf ownership of the cities---not economic problems or older towns---.

I imagine this is what the U.S. would look like if, like Pakistan, the U.S. didn't have armed officers of local court - sheriffs - who enforce civil court judgments or federal marshals to protect judges, hunt down fugitives, and manage assets seized from convicted criminals.

 

[I.R.A]

What hurts me----is that there are no ' small beautiful clean ' towns in pakistan---.

What hurts me is that whatever clean green peaceful little towns we had ............. we have already destroyed them.

The people of Pakistan are highly unorganized ................. you can easily study their mentality........ just watch local news during eid days........................ when they have to visit some place for a family outing the whole of Pakistan would go to Murree, Naran, Kaghan and few other known places .............. I sometimes wonder do they go their to spend some leisure quality time or do they go their to get stuck in huge traffic jams.

And by God where ever they go filth and uncleanliness follows them ........ not because they are filthy but because they have this filthy mentality. I come from a place Thandiani ............. it's a tourist spot, with nice weather ............ and it saddens me when I look at how these animals have destroyed that place.

The only solution I see is ......... if somehow all this trash and garbage somehow becomes extremely valuable (like land or something) .......... then you will see how every other Pakistani is busy selling and buying it ..........

 

[Solomon2]

...That defeat was internalized by the Islamic clergy. They reacted against the defeat by becoming insular and turning against anything that their conquerer. Instead of sifting through the qualities that the conqurer displayed which enabled them to defeat them, they outright turned against anything and everything that the West represented. This is the burden we still carry -

I think the "clerical" problem is minor, even manageable. Pakistan and India did not become independent due to some massive religious revolt against British rule; it happened because Indian/Pakistani politics developed to the point that their leaderships wanted to run the subcontinent rather than let the British keep doing so and because the Brits, after fighting two world wars, were weaker and less interested in running their Empire.

But what did the Indian/Pakistani leaderships seek to gain by running the show for themselves? They were looking for what the British had got: economic benefits. Why do you think Pakistan exists? Because the Indian Muslim leadership was afraid the Hindus would grab all the goodies for themselves! So was the point of independence in the subcontinent "liberation" from British oppression or the freedom of local leaderships to loot - that is, to corruptly exercise authority to gather economic fruits that otherwise could never be theirs?

 

[Kabira]

If you want to improve cleanlines standard of countries /cities then

1) Have lesser population per square KM which makes thing's easier to manage
2) Put proper system of cleanliness at place by providing bins and collection of rubbish from door to door weekly by charging some fees

1) not happening, if anything cities will continue to grow because of rural population migration.
2) provincial governments just need to increase funds for cities waste management in expense of some other development schemes.

 

[Mage]

Put proper system of cleanliness at place by providing bins

In Bangladesh Trash cans become trash themselves after few months use. Maybe things are better in Pakistan.

 

[ideasexchange]

I think the "clerical" problem is minor, even manageable. Pakistan and India did not become independent due to some massive religious revolt against British rule; it happened because Indian/Pakistani politics developed to the point that their leaderships wanted to run the subcontinent rather than let the British keep doing so and because the Brits, after fighting two world wars, were weaker and less interested in running their Empire.

But what did the Indian/Pakistani leaderships seek to gain by running the show for themselves? They were looking for what the British had got: economic benefits. Why do you think Pakistan exists? Because the Indian Muslim leadership was afraid the Hindus would grab all the goodies for themselves! So was the point of independence in the subcontinent "liberation" from British oppression or the freedom of local leaderships to loot - that is, to corruptly exercise authority to gather economic fruits that otherwise could never be theirs?

Indians became independent because we didnt want to be the servants of the brits forever.
Very few Pakistani leaders fought for freedom . They wanted a place for muslims.
Gandhi and Nehru spent 20 yrs each in brit prisons.
Jinnah spent 0 days in prison.