Adil Najam
Today is May 12.
Today marks the first anniversary of the carnage in Karachi.
Today is the day when the resolution on the restoration of the Supreme Court judges was to be presented in Parliament.
Ominously, even eerily, today also marks the 15th death anniversary of the Pakistan’s pre-eminent poet of political protest, Habib Jalib.
May 12 will forever be a date in infamy because of what happened on this date a year ago. A year ago today, I was in Pakistan. Karachi was burning and I wrote: “The city is at war. Morchas everywhere. Clashes, violence, firing, deaths... Khuda khair karey.” What were your thoughts then? What are your thoughts on it now?
Distasteful as it may seem, let me repeat just some of the pictures that were on our front page a year ago. I do so to remind myself, and you, of exactly what it was that we must never, ever, let happen again.
Just as we were doing a year ago, we are again wondering about the fate of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry today. But also at stake today are the democratic gains that have been made between last year and now. Gains that have given hope to so many of us. Gains that must not be lost. But, nor should we lose the struggle for judicial independence.
If newspaper headlines are to be believed then the PPP-PML coalition is also disintegrating and possibly on the verge of breakup (in our Poll, our readers seem to think not just yet).
I hope all of this is being overblown, but a look at the front page of The News suggests that the nation is in despair as the PPP-PML talks falter, that there is renewed pressure on the media including a Supreme Court notice, and the US deal-makers are again having secret meetings to “manage” Pakistan.
I am not a superstitious person. But all of the above gives me the shudder. Khuda khair karey.
@But the potential is always there to appear any
time in the broad day light and its MQM
as usual.
MQM’s desperate attempt will come out
one way or the other, MQM must be dealt with on
Federal level, the terrorism’s potential must be
marginalized. PPP might enter into a sort of alliance.
I think it is already on its way.
Mohammad Qasim & Feroz Waseem
You can protest on the pictures. I protest on allowing the most terrorist party of Pakistan MQM to be allowed to field their candidates in elections. They must first apologize to whole country for their terrorist activities, commit that they shall not do these things again and only then should they be allowed to even register their party.
Picture in this post should not be posted. 12 May is very minuscule in comparision of 1986 Linguistics riots. 12 May can be pre cursor to a new linguistic riots.
I think Mr NS, Jamat and Imran should not play dirty politics on 12th May. Keep in mind, the potential for devestation in Karachi is hundreds times more then 12 May.
We should all see beoynd 12th May and make sure it never happens again.
Too sad an event in our history and too bad that none of the murderers were even charged despite overwhelming evidence about the culprits.
A few verses from Sahir which mourn this tragedy similar to how they did in oppression under British rule.
Ae rahbar-e-mulk-o-qoum bata, yeh kis ka lahoo hai kon mara
yeh kis ka lahoo hai kon mara
dharti ki sulagti chhati kay be-chain shararey poochtey hein,
sarkoon ki zubaan chillati hai, saagar kay kinaare poochtey hein,
tum log jinhein apna na sakay, woh khoon kay dharay poochtey hein,
yeh kis ka lahoo hai, kon mara, yeh kis ka lahoo hai, kon mara
I protest on the pictures you published in this post.