Adil Najam and Owais Mughal
The faces of 2009 have been, for most part, sad faces.
There have been a few exceptions – like that of Shahid Afridi raising his hands after Pakistan’s T20 victory – but the exceptions have been few and far between. The faces that stand out in the images from Pakistan in 2009 are the faces of resilient judges, of thick-skinned politicians, of all-knowing media mavens, of courageous soldiers, and, indeed, also the faces of murdering suicide bombers.
But the faces that represent the reality of Pakistan in 2009 more than any other, are the faces of the Pakistani police. That feelings of angst, that feelings of living on the edge, that feeling of not knowing what might happen next, but, above all, that feeling of grit and a defiant resolve to keep standing no matter what the odds, are all captured in the faces of the Pakistani police that we have see too many times in 2009 as they battle on the front-line, one bombing after the other.
In gratitude, and in respect, we at All Things Pakistan feel that a most worthy choice for the Pakistan Person of the Year 2009 is the Pakistani Policeman.
All too often we, including on this blog, focus on the lighter side of the Pakistani policeman. The Pakistani cop is an all too familiar figure, one who does not often get the respect he deserves, and when the light-hearted comments are made out of fondness, it is all too easy to forget just how difficult their job is and just how under-resourced and under-appreciated the Pakistani policeman really is.
This has always been true, but was never more true than in 2009. All too often in this murderous year, the Pakistani policeman’s life – very literally – was the only thing between a suicide bomber and his would-be victims. 2009 saw too many Pakistani policemen paying the ultimate price in valor, in duty, and in courage. Today, we wish to salute all of them. Today, we proudly salute the Pakistani policeman who has stood – and who continues to stand – in defence of all of the rest of us. In a war where the front-line is every street and ever neighborhood, the Pakistani policeman guards the front-line.
Today, we wish to register our gratitude to the Pakistani policeman. Today, we wish to thank the Pakistani policeman. Even as we continue to pray for him!
Inspired choice, indeed.
I am also like those who may not have thought of this choice, but now that yo make it am surprised why I had not thought of it.
Nearly always we ridicule the police, yet even in ordinary times, they are essential to our security. It is about time that recognize this and honor them.
Thank you ATP for making this choice.
Pakistan has suffered much, much more than other countries have in America’s on going crusade to curb radical islamic militancy. No where is the damage greater then at the epicenter of the earthquake; we have been pulverized by the heedles American military, been under seige by absolutist Islamists, and we have bore the brunt of international strategic goals.
There is no denying that Pakistan has suffered, and amid this suffering the Pakistani police has taken losses, too. But I would not make them the person of the year, far from it, I would not even nominate them. Don’t get me wrong, those in the force that have stood defianin the face of death and evil, deserve our love, our respect, and most importanlty, our aid. To say that the Pakistani police force is infiltrated with corruption is an understatement, it is overrun with it. Our police is a double edged sword, with one it seeks to slay our enemies, but the other edge has all too often ran across the throat of the innocent and spilled the blood of the helpless. No, the Police force of Pakistan does not deserve this award. But don’t ask me, I don’t know who does.
This is not an award that we have to give, we can hold it, suspend it until we find someone truly worthy of the love of this great nation. Giving awards frivolously lowers it worth—such as Obama getting the Nobel Peace prize makes that gold worth no more then a base metal.
Lastly, there are amongst us who look up to the American style of democracy, don’t. There are those who consider Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Adams pillars of wisdom and farsight, do not engage in this fallacy. We do not have to look back, for the past is no better than the present. We have a tendency to remeber the “good ol’ days.” Well, those days are as a figment of our imagination as Disneyland–yes it exists, but we created it, it is not a natural manifestation. If Pakistan is to succeed, we have to be ushered in a new age of reason and thought, be inspired by the past but don’t aspire to it.
Anyone who considers the leaders of the American revolution pertinent to our revival is deeply mistaken and that kind of thought leads only to chaos and more sorrow. I do not have all the answers, but let us start with shedding the archaic notion of a Muslim Ummah and creating a Muslim state. Let us keep our religion to the prayer mats and not bring it near the seats of power. It’s a start, but it will help.
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” -Benjamin Franklin
Good choice of “policewala”.
Certainly, the Pakistani policeman, standing tall and protecting all and in the line of the fire deserves far more than mere few lines of kudos. They deserve better pay, better benefits and certainly better training. If I may add, they need “war time” benefits. It takes great courage to perform your duty knowing that between you and the madness, there is nothing!
If the outward posture of Pakistan security is Sparta, the inward posture of Pakistan is a police state. Good, decent, hardworking Pakistanis are between rock and a hard place. That the outward is imposed due to historic belligerence of a neighbor is no reason to have imposed a police state on the ordinary law abiding citizenry.
But to say that Pakistani police is under-resourced, or that the state of the police needs to become state-of-the-art of the police state, without a word of reforms, sends shudders down my spine.
The executive in Pakistan is not an example of Jeffersonian principles that some of the posters have become accustomed to living in the US. Pakistani governments do not have any shadow of Washington. Jinnah is but a wall hanging and not to be followed either as an example of decency nor of intellectual reasoning. Pakistani are not read Miranda Rights but accorded with “Danda Might” where there is an encounter with the police.
Not too long ago, a usurper had used an ordinary policewala to slap the Chief Justice of Pakistan; in public. The dignity of his wife was mishandled. (The claim, that Sultan Mushraff did not know, is the extent to which none of them seem to know the extent of the police state, because they are themselves abusing power.) No fault of the thoola, poor guy did what he was told. It was all within sight distance of the entire police power. If there was no shock to decency, then all senses of shock is lost. If the office of the Chief Justice is not safe from abuse of power, no one is protected.
The rights of ordinary Pakistanis should not be part of this equation. To register FIR of the weak, the powerless, the distressed should not be the privilege but a right.
I am with all for better security of Pakistan and Pakistanis. But those who are tripping over to praise police without the need for asking in balance the need for police reforms, are getting on a tiger they will not know how to get off. History shows that Hitlers are raised on the shoulders of SSs’.
Better security will be achieved when there is not better perceived security but when there are better rights of the citizens. It is the ordinary citizens who will defeat failed ideas when they can get comfort from better ideals. Ideals of justice and equity. Ideals of Jinnah.
The reforms of police should come with reforms for police. The high appreciation should come with low limits on use of police power.
Yes Paksitan Policeman is the person of the year. We salute their bravery and commitment. And we also need to salute the bereaved families of security personnel who lost their loved ones to protect us.
Very well put. A better choice than Pakistan police and rangers is unimaginable.
I hope and pray that Pakistanis find unity in their common suffereing, and in the courage and sacrifices of their security personnel.