Adil Najam
The stream of disturbing images from Islamabad continues. It has left one dumbfounded. But one must never be silent in the face of injustice. Of the many disturbing reports and images that have been floating in, there is probably none more poignantly disturbing than this one from ARY:
Violence, of course, can only beget violence, and one saw this too in the manhandling of the State Minister for Information, Tariq Azeem. Yet more evidence that violence is replacing discourse as the mode of disagreement in Pakistani society.
This is not a question of which side you are on. Ultimately you have to be against violence. We have written about shameful violence and police brutality before - tearing down the shalwar of a young man in a ‘missing persons’ protest and then also against the lawyers during the CJ movement. But this is not just shameful; it is needless. Now there are also reports of muzzling the media; another tactic we have seen before. It demonstrates the government’s slipping grip on power, but it also demonstrates a society that is so torn that every issues - may it be religious, social or political - has to end in violence.
The government, after all, has already gotten the verdict it wanted. At least let the people vent out their anger. There is nothing to be gained from this violence. For a nation that has already lost so much, this is merely also losing whatever little dignity that might have remained. As I have written already in a comment elsewhere, history shall judge the merit of the decision that was given by the Supreme Court on the 28th of September, but the violence of the 29th of September was shameful and needless and will remain (yet another) blot of our national political psyche.
Come on people don’t tell me you are still weeping over Bangla…if it were not for Gen. Akhtar Malik and his brother…you would have lost the entire Pakistan.
Besides, koun see tuoap chaalaa lee hay Bangliown nay….the enitre country is falling apart much like the whole of SA Asia and all beacuse we don’t rule with justice and equal rights for all regardless of their fatih, color creed etc. etc.
Pakistan is a great country and Inshallah due to prayers of pious individuals and sacrifice of many pious Muslims it will Inshallah gain glory, but with prayers and once equal rights for all are protected adn given.
Well said Mr Harris Siddiqi,
It saved me saying it. The problem with us is that we are so embrioled in western culture that we are quite happy quoting their twisted views about our beloved nation. Any one in their right mind would think, that no one in the westernised countries is ever going to say anything good about Pakistan. Our country which is the most strongest in Islamic nations cannot be looked upon favourably by the west.
Patxpat obviously does not read anything favourable to Pakistan. He should have read Indian books commenting about how the Indian army went about destroying the image of our army. Mukti bahni which was in reality indian soldiers would go about looting, raping and anything else they could do in Pakistani army uniforms to destroy pak army image in the eyes of East Pakistanis. It looks like that you have been an expat for so long that you have lost the ability to distinguish a lie from the truth.
I took an oath 35 years ago to uphold the good name of our nation, to defend my country through thick and thin. I still hold that very close to my heart. My country comes first, it will still be there after all of us.
It would be very patriotic if people could confine their views to the betterment of our nation. Get out there do something without any reward or personal glorification. May ALLAH forgive our indiscretions. Ameen
There is always light at the end of the tunnel, but you have to get to the end of tunnel first.
With Regards
Sallahudin