Adil Najam
According to a news item published in the Express Tribune, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has “revealed” that families of several militants were “hiding” in Karachi and that “the government will take strict action against them.”
I have learnt to ignore most of what Mr. Malik says. Yet this statement made me stop in my tracks and wonder whether he had actually said this? If so, what did he really mean? And if it means what it seems to mean, could even he mean what this means?
I wonder about this partly because I have not yet the same news being carried by other mainstream newspapers. Maybe, they too have come to ignore Mr. Malik’s theatrics. Or, maybe, the intensity of other news is keeping this little item out. I hope it is not the later; because if it is so then something really important is being ignored. In fact, I hope it is because he did not say this; because if he did then one should worry about the state of law and justice in the country even more than we already do.
I assume that everyone will immediately understand why I am so incensed by this statement. But for those who do not, let me spell it out: the statement above suggests that it is a crime to be related to a militant, that those who are related to militants are (and should be) in hiding, and that it is our state’s policy to “take strict action” against anyone who is related to a militant!
Since when is it a crime to be ‘related’ to a militant?
What is indefensible is the idea that it is OK to punish – nay, “take strict action against” – the family of militants just because they are related to someone who turned out bad. This notion of guilt by association is not just disturbing, it is a travesty of the basic principles of justice.
Prof. Najam, I am not a PPP fan and a have a strong dislike for Rahman Malik. But even then, i really appreciate your mature and respectful tone and raising the question of whether he said it or not. In our current environment where everyone plays dirty and everyone is on a smear campaign to malign everyone that they have the slightest disagreement with, it is good to see at least someone with decency.
Taliban are engaged in propaganda warfare and they are disseminating propaganda to undermine our efforts in the war against terror. The question of reconciliation with Taliban is not possible as their ideology coincides with the Al-Qaeda, however those elements who want socio political change can be taken in to the mainstream and as they can be rehabilitated.
You have written against the Jiyala-in-chief. I am afraid now you will not be spared either. All the jiyalas will be after you I guess. Enjoy their attacks.
Prof. Najam, you are being too kind on Rehman Malik by assuming that he may not have said this. As a former PPP supporters who has given up on ZAB’s party because of thugs and charlatans like Rahman Malik and Hussain Haqqani invading the party, I think that this ghundagardi mindset is now what defines the new generation of jiyalas. There politics is all the politics of ghundagardi and blackmail.
It is not Rehman Malik only, it is his boss too who has started talking strange things. Today he said that dictators have played with Pakistan without realizing that there are so many people who are playing with Pakistan now. As a matter of fact, ever since Mr Zardari’s installation, people around the world have started talking about Pakistan’s break-up or “Balkanization” to sort out its problems. Are you listening Mr President! If you are then please read: http://pksecurity.blogspot.com/2010/10/are-you-listening-mr-president.html