Adil Najam
Salman Taseer – Governor Punjab, businessman, media mogul, PPP leader – was gunned down outside a restaurant in Kohsar Market, Islamabad, by one of his own guards. The guard – reportedly, a Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri – was part of the security Elite Force depute assigned to keep Salman Taseer safe gunned down the Punjab Governor with as many as 27 bullets. Later the guard handed himself to the police and said that he had killed Salman Taseer because of his vocal opposition to the Blasphemy Law.
Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri may have pulled the trigger but let us all hang our head in shame today because Salman Taseer was killed by the intolerance, the hatred, the extremism, the vigilantism, the violence and the jahalat that now defines our society. He was killed by the unchecked abundance of false sanctimony where custodians of morality have been breathing fire and instigating violence. Each one of us, including his own party, should be ashamed today for having tolerated the pall of intolerance that has eventually gunned down this man. Today’s Pakistan is defined by Mumtaz Hussain Qadris. They exist all around us. And it is all of us who tolerate them and their intolerance. It is this tolerance of intolerance that kills.
Today, it claimed yet one more victim.
Just as one example of many that we should have been paying heed to already, it was less than a month ago that a dispicable man in Peshawar was publicly offering money to anyone who would murder in the name of the blasphemy law. The news flashed on the media. Was highlighted in disgust by those like us. Yet, no action was taken; indeed, not even note was taken by those in power. It was ignored as mere ‘josh i khitaabat’ and emotionalism. It was obviously more. The tragedy is that there are too many like this man. Are people like him not responsible for spreading hatred and the results of that hatred? People instigating violence. People celebrating violence. People supporting violence. All of these people are responsible for Salman Taseer’s death. As are all of those who have stood silent and let these merchants of violence sell their wares. (Full story here).
At one level the details of what exactly happened in Islamabad today are less important than what we have allowed to happen in our societies for all the years that have led to this day, but for those who may not have seen the (still developing) details, here is an update from Dawn:
Gunmen killed the governor of Pakistan’s Punjab province, a senior member of the ruling party, in Islamabad on Tuesday, his spokesman said. “Yes, he has died,” said the spokesman for Salman Taseer. Police official Mohammad Iftikhar said Taseer was gunned down by one of his elite security force protectors. Five other people were wounded as other security personnel responded to the attack. Police said earlier Taseer had been shot nine times and wounded near his Islamabad home in the F6 sector and close to Kohsar market, a popular shopping and cafe spot frequented by wealthy Pakistanis and expatriates.
Another police official, Hasan Iqbal, said a pair of witnesses told the police that as the governor was leaving his vehicle, a man from his security squad fired at him. Taseer then fell, while other police officials fired on the attacker. In recent days, as the People’s Party has faced the loss of its coalition partners, the 56-year-old Taseer has insisted that the government will survive. But it was his stance against the blasphemy laws that apparently led to his killing.
Interior Minister Rahman Malik told reporters that the suspect in the case had surrendered to police and told them he killed Taseer because “the governor described the blasphemy laws as a black law.” Taseer was believed to be meeting someone for a meal, Malik said. Other members of his security detail were being questioned, Malik said. The security for Taseer was provided by the Punjab government. “We will see whether it was an individual act or someone had asked him” to do it, Malik said of the attacker.
While Pakistanis with means may be able to escape to other countries there are not many options for millions of others who are poor.
May be (half-jokingly), I propose: Establish a new city along the coast between Karachi and Gwadar–make it a good distance from Karachi. There, provide an internal ‘political asylum’ to those Pakistanis of religious minority and of liberal outlook to start building it.
Create a strict control of people–thoroughly filter out the religious fanatics–into the new city. Despite lack of water and other resources people can build a thriving community using reason, commerce and the sea.
If only we can dream again…
to nusrat , January 5th, 2011 6:10 am
i am an indian and i truly support for a stable and prosperous Pakistan . I want all you Pakistanis to wake up and fight against these kind of atrocities
Sane people like Salman Taseer should have left Pakistan years ago and lived happily abroad.
We had 10 years of Zia Ul Haq who completely ruined the country’s future……. no one complained, in fact most think of that time as ‘wonderful’……!
Nawaz Sharif attacked the Supreme Court and amassed massive fortunes by corruption in collusion with the Establishment (Army)……he is a hero today…!
The Chaudries of Gujrat were foremost in making a quick buck……and did…….. have they been prosecuted?
So many others have ‘taken the money and run’ off…….. who cares………!
No one dares to speak their mind or be truthful about the dark days ahead for Pakistan…….. they are all busy blaming Zaradari – who is no worse than any of the above.
The state of the nation is what it is because of the distorted state of the national mind-set.
By the way, anyone who leaves Pakistan, better think very carefully about the new life they are going to lead in the West. In the US/UK/EU general populace now almost hates Pakistanis and moslems and it will take very little more trouble from this group to turn the tide, i.e. ‘forced’ deportations and internment of this community. It happened to the Japanese in the Second World War…….. I am not saying that this is good……… simply stating the facts on the ground.
If moslems want to live the way they do in Pakistan etc…….they had better STAY AT HOME and lock the doors shut….because the rest of the world (West, China, Africa, South Asia, South America etc) does not give a damn!!!!!!!!!!!
‘nuff said!
For a long time I defended problems in Pakistan in my circle of friends and relatives and attributed them to poverty.
But this was an eye opener. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I have never felt so low about being a Pakistani than this.
I felt deeply sad by the murder and disgusted by some of the comments here that not only justified this murder but threatened those who expressed any sorrow over this.
IF the extremist are really a minority in Pakistan, then why they do they commit these hate crimes and get away with it?
I have no doubt that Qadri would get away with this and set an example for anyone else who dares speak against these bigots.
IF death is really the punishment in Islam for people who convert from Islam, then how are we going to preach, attract and bring others to Islam?
The country is not fine, it is under extreme distress and economy is near collapse. Poor are poorer and middle class is disappearing fast.
agar law mein koi problem tha tu is ka mutlib yay nehi tha kay khud judge ban kar us larki ko mazloom qarar day dia us say agay high court thee wahan jaytay case lartay na kay khud faisla suna dia khud governor ho kar apni adalat per unko itmad na yah phr taqat ka nasha yah phr is ko be political statement samaj kar buk dia ab tu yay he hona tha kay koi aishq khud apni adalat laga kar faisla day dayta or hoa be yay
yay seeda saada sucide case hai taseer sahab khud apni moat kay zamaydar hain