17/12/2020
As the country is gripped by the recent energy crisis, former Prime Minister and the present Secretary General Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, while having media conversation with Dawn news, disregarded veterinary professionals in his attack politics towards the establishment, tattled foul statement concerning incumbent Director General Oil, ridiculized animal doctors profession, which has instigated intense anger and fear of insecurity among the veterinary professionals across the country.
A short clip which is being circled through the social media platforms, witnessing the mockery over a noble and highly educated professional community of veterinarians. In the clip, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stated to emphasize that the recent energy crisis has emerged due to establishment’s blunder to choose a veterinary professional for the Director General Oil post. He associated the crisis with an unqualified veterinarian, degraded the veterinary professionals, demoralized them by calling “Dunger Doctors” in a very derogatory tone. Dunger is a punjabi slang for a veterinary doctor. Further, he added insult to injury by jeering “He ain’t a medical doctor, rather a dunger”, as if he wouldn’t have passed this sort of censuring, if it were the other case.
It is not the only event where veterinary community have been deliberately disregarded, rather it has taken up a usual contemptuous term in their dirty vindictive politics. This terminology —son of a dunger doctor, has been recurrently used as a phrase of demeaning their political rivals. It has prominently rolled into a vernacular in their political rallies.
Notwithstanding, Pakistan being an agricultural country, where agriculture play central role in economy, while its major backbone being livestock sector, engorging poultry and fishery as its sub-sectors. Livestock sector play a key role in economy by contributing 58.9% in agriculture while sharing 11.1% in AGDP of total 18.9% AGDP by agriculture. This sector promotes socio-economic development, poverty alleviation, foreign exchange earnings and most importantly, food. It gives us milk, meat, eggs, beef, mutton, poultry meat, skins, hides and several other biproducts. About eight million families are involved in livestock business, and more than 35% income comes from livestock sector. Under these circumstances, it is sheer ignorance to agitate personnels who are associated with this sector.
Moreover, the already neglected veterinary professionals, who are further ridiculed by such offensive phrases will only traumatize country’s most rewarding GPD sector. Veterinary professionals work day and night to uplift these sectors, provide quality products, enhance the economy, and hence, Pakistan is the 4th largest producer of milk in the world. The role of veterinarians is central to the economoy and well being of an agricultural country. Veterinary professionals are working untiringly to curb the diseases of animals. Devoid of basic facilities, they are the front men to check the zoonotic diseases that spread from animals to humans. Last but not the least, they work at par with the medical professionals in latest researches, vaccines development and several other organizations. Their importance in no way is inferior to others.
Despite all these, they are ridiculed, demoralized, disregarded and demeaned in one way or the other in the community, by politicians, and the common men. In abroad, these veterinarians are highly valued, regarded with the utmost importance and in no way disregarded like this. They are encouraged in every way and hence, these nations have developed eventually.
The entire veterinary community have felt severe sense of insecurity, demoralization, and disregard. It needs immediate salvation, or it can unify the veterinary community for legal proceedings. The former Prime Minister needs to apologize for his statement from the entire veterinary community, apprise himself of the importance of this profession, and the role of this community. Further, he should take earnest steps for the shortcomings of this sector, and the hurdles of these neglected professionals in Pakistan.
