Obnoxious attitudes

We could easily advise ministers, especially when speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, to mind their language. This issue has come up many times before. But the conduct we are seeing at present goes beyond the matter of words. It implies specific kinds of reasoning – which is very disturbing. In his address during the budget session Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda decided that what he had said on a TV talk show about hanging 5,000 corrupt people was not enough. Vawda suggested that such persons, presumably before being hanged, should be dragged through the streets behind jeeps and made a spectacle of.We wonder if Mr Vawda is aware that Pakistan is a signatory to international conventions which ban the use of torture, extreme punishment or degrading treatment even of those convicted of crimes. Even worse is the fact that his choice of language and imagery creates further brutality and disrespect for other human beings in a country that has already suffered greatly as a result of this. To make matters even worse, Information Advisor Firdous Ashiq Awan at a press conference described a national leader as ‘defected’ at birth. This is not acceptable language or acceptable behaviour. Whatever she wished to imply was unbecoming of a leader and especially unexpected of a woman who herself has been labelled in a derogatory fashion. We would think that these slurs would make her adopt greater caution when directing highly objectionable comments against others.Politicians, and those who form a part of the national leadership team, should be setting examples. They should be exhibiting decorum and the normal decencies of conduct expected in any society. Pakistan does not need people to be dragged on the streets or national leaders to be addressed in terms that would not be tolerated at any forum. The fact that this continues to happen sets alarming precedents. In addition to the language being used we have had incidents of violent behaviour in public, and even during the airing of a live TV show. All this can only add to the intolerance to hear others’ views that has already so badly damaged our society. Our country’s leaders must win back the respect of the people by demonstrating that they are able to rise above the very lowest level in terms of social conduct and treat both political opponents and every other citizen of the country with the respect they deserve.

from The News International - Editorial https://ift.tt/2FI5GKR