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.
I don’t know what is more apalling; the violence that was exacted, or the divided opinion among Pakistanis for and against it?
Those defending gun and danda do not realize that bombs and suicide attacks are all they are going to get in return. You cannot win the war against extremism as long as you believe that you can beat people into submission. All you will end up doing is creating more extremists; and not just among the madressah uneducated.
Zahid Khan of ANP said the same thing in different words: “If you push my back to the wall, there are only two possible outcomes. Either I’ll be on your feet, or at your throat”.
Yesterday’s developments are ominous.
There is no point in saying “God Bless Pakistan”, if this is what half of the Pakistanis stand for.
As a show of his protest, Mr. Kurd was burning the order of the Supreme Court right in front of the Election Commission. This is a lawyer disrespecting the rule of law which he has been assigned to uphold??? That to me is the simple case of contempt of court.
Had the lawyers protest & their political masters been peaceful, everything would have been fine. Lest a few got overly emotional and kicked the doors of the car being driven in the ECP, they immediately announced themselves as RIOTERS. Rioters all over the world are dealt with STICK & TEAR GAS and this incident was no different. So what if a few journalists got bashed (they always want to be IN the action)? Can you tell a difference between the two if you are a Police-wala charging head-on on rioters?? Journalists all over the world get injured (even killed) during riots and this incident was no different.
The journalists are no different than the Black Coats. They clearly displayed their ‘highly ethical’ morals by severely bashing government ministers!
Simply, it was a riot and the rioters got dealt with accordingly while they also got a chance to hit a few government functionaries, end of story! Great TV coverage though, may get a few ads! If the Black Coats and the so called chest-pounding politicians think that they have the support of the Pakistani common man on this crusade of theirs the same way as that of the CJ-issue, the are gravely mistaken and are in for a rude awakening.
These lawyers threaten to be-siege Election Commission and Supreme Court, and then launch riots. Govt has to respond to this.
Looks like lawyers and opposition got real pumped up after Cj restoration and simply could not swallow SC ruling against them.
Why not let the people of Pakistan decide on Classof71’s list/diatribe?
The army and civilian Ziaists have been making these same arguments for three decades. If the people still vote for PPP and Benazir Bhutto then maybe it is time for Classof71 and others of his ilk to shed their anti-bhutto hysteria and think up new arguments.
Also, to describe MQM thugs as the party of tax-paying middle class is a travesty. MQM’s bahevior is as fedual as it comes and Altaf Hussain, though not born in a feudal family, behaves worse than a Nawab or jagirdar in refusing to tolerate dissent or criticism.
The images are a true reflection of our society. Today these lawyers are the so called beacon of hope for Pakistanis and just yesterday they were threatening to torch the office of the EC and were threatening to set the building on fire. They were acting like a mob and were handled like a mob by the security forces.
Kurd was heard on national T.V stating that he planned to take the mob inside the EC’s office and tear up the nomination papers for Mushy. With these clear threats on record, what should the law enforcement do to the mob? escort them in so they can manhandle the EC and the P.M who was also inside? Come on guys, use some common sense.
When lawyers become a political party with their own political agenda and a candidate then their profession means nothing, they are just political dogs barking when they get a chance and their so called “pur aman” procession was on the T.V screen for all to see. I was watching it live and was wondering why police is not taking a harsher stand.
As far as the media is concerned, all I have to say is that they have a long way to go before they can be given full freedom in a country like ours where abusing power is a part of our genes, be it the power of the uniform or of a T.V camera. For almost half an hour AAJ T.V reported that Pervaiz Elahi’s car mowed down ten people during it’s exit which turned out to be one guy whose foot got under the tire. The exact words reported were ” Chief minister sahib sahafioun ko rondne ke baad wahan se farar ho gaye” . I was watching it live and the journalists were standing in front of his car, when his driver tried to back up the car they surrounded it from all sides. Now I am no expert in security protocols specially in a country that has no shortage of teenagers willing to go to heaven using the shortcuts, but i saw it as a security threat that had to be dealt with quickly and effectively and that’s what police did.
I would like to say that we should not let emotions take the best of us. If the verdict of the supreme court is to our liking then the court is free but it is shackled in the chains of dictatorship if we don’t like the verdict? People like Kurd, Aitezaz, and Munir Malik who are nothing more than the mouth pieces of a political party trying to prove their loyalty to the leadership are running this movement. Kurd who was the biggest supporter of the Apex court just few days ago said after the recent verdict ” mai laanat bhejta hoon aisi court per aur aisay faislay per”.
I am not defending violence as a general rule but I would like to ask all readers what might they have done if they were the chief of security for the P.M and were tasked with clearing the way so the P.M could leave the building. Keep in mind the situation in Pakistan with suicide bombings, and the value of the target. Would love to hear your ideas.