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.
While the protesting journalists of Islamabad are still nursing their wounds inflicted by the club wielding and stone throwing police of Islamabad, the grand vizier of Islamabad is busy congratulating his Commando President for the latter’s successive victories — off the battle field, of course.
The grand vizier, who is always dressed as if going for an Iftar party and who speaks showing as much animation on his face as a Buddhist preacher, in his latest message to his boss has congratulated him on the acceptance of the latter’s nomination papers by the Election Commission. Earlier he had congratulated him on the Supreme Court’s decision allowing him to contest elections in uniform. And before that, he had congratulated him on his “courageous” decision of voluntarily taking off the uniform if re-elected as president.
Meanwhile, before sending his next congratulatory message on how effectively the protesting journalists were handled, he has issued a warning to the protesting journalists and lawyers in the following words: “Those who tried to take the law into their own hands during the scrutiny of nomination papers for the presidential election would be dealt with according to the law.”
I think it would in order for the journalists of Islamabad to keep a barrel of black paint handy. They should make sure, though, that the paint is water-soluble and non-toxic.
MQ,
You are right, its a shambolic situation authored at GHQ. I am at a loss why Mush continues to bring about more blood and destruction when a peaceful way out has been available to him from day one. Please do remember I was once a supporter of him and so I am well qualified to make such a judgement, my open letter is worth a read as it was written as my bit of national service so as to avoid the blood we have had in the last few days, have a read at http://www.otherpakistan.org/archive.html
Feimanallah
Wasim
“The crackdown against protesters — represents the biggest political crisis … and comes at a sensitive time…”
This is how a major news story began in the Financial Times yesterday with an accompanying picture showing police beating the crowds and firing tear gas at them. As I read on, I realized the story was not about Islamabad. It was about Burma! Isn’t it a crying shame that Pakistan has increasingly begun to look like Burma?
MG Saab,
Firstly I vehemently disagree with your comments but I support your right to your view. I believe in this charged atmosphere, it will be useful for you and others on ATP and other forums to have a read of my open letter to President Musharraf which I sent to his website and his staff numerous times. Its title namely ‘Pakistan or Musharraf first’ is instructive of the mess we are in and it is here for your perusal http://www.otherpakistan.org/archive.html
Please have a read and reply to me here or via my website at http://www.otherpakistan.org/today2
Feimanallah
Wasim
This is pathetic to say the least, I personally am sick of these goofy Lawyers. Their shenanigans are absurd and I am glad they the so called