Equality

And now Asif Zardari has a threat to his own life. Earlier it were the common masses who were the victims of terrorism. Now, however, everyone is getting equal treatment....no prejudice.....same fate....death....when and where, which corner of the street or which market, none can tell. Unfortunate that equality had to prevail in such a disastrous form! Silence!!!!

Time to Act, Mr. President

A joke goes that a suicide bomber was going to hit his target. Just when he reached there he pushed the button of the bomb attached to his vest. The bomb did not blast because of some manufacturing fault but due to shock and a sense of being torn into pieces the suicide bomber fainted. When he got back to senses he was in a hospital but he thought that he was already dead. As he forced himself on the stretcher his eyes caught hold of a beautiful nurse. ‘Subhan Allah’, he at once said thinking that the promise of heaven had been fulfilled. ‘A total of seventy hoors had been promised, where are the other ones?’ asked the suicide bomber again.

Exploiters and opportunists have long been playing their games in the name of Islam which heightens the ignorance of the common lot. To name only the few_ ignorance combined with absence of common sense, rampant social injustice and lack of opportunities are some of the reasons behind the creation of suicide bombers. The deprived, the downtrodden, and the ignorant can easily be brainwashed. Too many fanatical bigots have been created in the past few years. The peace situation, beside many others, should be the core issues for Zardari’s government to tend to. It is time when the government should aim at uprooting the evil rather then just brushing the leaves. It is most obvious that suicide bombers come from backward and neglected areas and possibly have also been a victim to injustice in one way or the other.

The government under Zardari should give more importance the areas that have been neglected in the past. Also, the slogan ‘Roti, Kapra aur Makan’ needs modification. That even the promise of the original slogan has yet to be fulfilled is another fact, a bitter reality that Mr. Zardari needs to realize. For a president like him having a yours sincerely kind of Prime Minister and a clear majority in the assembly, finding a solution to the country’s problem should not be an impossible task. But whether he succeeds or not would become clear in the time to come. However, if the President’s intention is to do nothing he can always leave it to the parliament which has already been given the task to decide on the 17^th amendment and the 58-2(b) issue.

The Enemy Within_II

Someone defined democracy as “Government of the people, for the people, by the people.” But how do we define dictatorship? What is the other name of getting into power from back doors, reigning like a king and caring least for the lot? Wild bats fly best at night; dictators have always been strengthened by the opportunists and supported by those having vested interests_ thus enhancing the span of the dictatorial rule and prolonging the misery of the masses.

For the past few years this nation has witnessed the worst kind of bloodshed ever in the history of the region. Unfortunately, the real culprit remains behind the curtain mostly because it is either a suicide attack or is labeled as one thus blaming the extremists for the blood spilled. July 06, 2008_ Islamabad was rocked yet again by a suicide bomb blast and just to leave one curious, the S.H.O. of P.S. Aabpara was removed from his office a day earlier for the neglect of his duties. Perhaps, he wouldn’t show allegiance to that someone whose word is law of the land.

Bomb blasts so frequently jolt the corners of this country for a good reason, the main objective of which is to divert the attention of the masses from the core issues. I would take liberty of declaring the inflation in general and the rapid increase in fuel and CNG prices as another such bomb aimed at diverting the attention of the masses. Keep ‘em busy looking for their bread and butter and the road is clear for you. What a journey!

Lahore Bleeds Again!!

We have left behind the year 2007. However, the lawyers’ struggle for restoration of the sacked judges and independent judiciary; the inflation, the suicide attacks and our man on top have made their way into the years 2008. Would I be wrong to say that if we could get rid of one of these evils i.e., the last one, we could possibly get rid of the other three problems?

Tuesday, March 11, 2008 two more suicide attacks ruined the day for those who have a heart that feels. Once again our man on top stepped forward with the cliché that the miscreants would strictly be dealt with and once again we’ve been told that security is ‘yet again’ on high alert across the country. If you could see the footage of how the FIA building was attacked after crushing one of the security guards as the terrorist entered the premises after hitting the entrance gate, you would question if the government can take fool-proof security measures to stamp out the suicide bombers.

Late Mard-e-Momin Mard-e-Huq is remembered till day for the gifts he left for the generation to come in the form of drugs, heroin and Kalashnikov. If the history repeats, the future generations would hear the name of the champion of true democracy i.e., our well moderate and well enlightened president. The bloodbath that the nation has had would take some time to dry out. Waiting for the winter of despair to end, let’s see what this spring holds for us!

Also contributed at The Pakistani Spectator