This picture needs no commentary. It was taken at Chak 151 near Sargodha by Mohammad Awais. But it could really have been about anywhere in Pakistan. Or about Pakistan itself.
For those unable to read the board, the big bold red lettering reads, KHATRA! (DANGER!). The smaller prints reads:
Khabardar. Koee ajnabi shakhs shaam aath bajay kay baad gaoN meiN dakhil na ho. Warna apni jaan ha khod zimay-dar ho ga. Shukria. Barai meharbani apni shnakht karwaeiN. Minjanib: Rai Tahir Abbas Numbardar.
Warning. Strangers should not enter the village after 8PM. Otherwise, they will be responsible for their own safety (life). Thank you. Please identify yourself. On behalf of Rai Tahir Abbas Numbardar.
“Warning. Strangers should enter the village after 8PM.”
I think you meant to say ‘Strangers should NOT enter the village after 8PM..’
This says everything you need to know about Pakistan. Its the wild west. There is no law. And therefore everyone takes the law into their own hands.
Case in point: Raymond Davis as well as the two guys on the motor cycle out to rob him who got killed!
Subaktageen (father of Mahmood Ghaznavi) was once stopped by a very old lady belonging to a remote village who complained that someonee has robbed her of all the household items. The ruler tried to pacify her by saying that your village is very far off place from the seat of government (Ghazni) and it is not possible to maintain the same level of peace everywhere specially in remote rural areas.
The granny stunned the ruler by replying that if you cant keep law an order in the whole of the country then rule only the area where you effectively can.
I think the board has a positive side as well. At least the head of local community, the numbardaar is responsible enough to be concerned about the safety and security of his people. I am sure he must have taken other steps in this regard like neighbourhood watch, night-guards etc..
The other side of the picture is inefficient police force. But I will blame the VIP and VVIP security duties as the biggest contributing factor towards ineffective and inefficient policing in Pakistan.
Nice one.
Lets put these boards at every airport.
The notice photo is a great find – a commentary/symptom of a society inching towards wild west and insecurity.
I’ve seen similar notice in a fishing village at Karachi-Balochistan coast. That notice was mentioned in an earlier ATP post here
The wordings of that notice were:
yehaN hamari aurateN rehti haiN
ghair afraad ka daakhla mana hai.
Ba-hukm-e-Wadera, Goth Alla-Bino