Since November the 3rd we here in Pakistan have been going through various phases of shock and horror at what the seemingly misled government can do to its own popularity within the space of a month. We have witnessed a stock market meltdown, the closure of all news channels and the brutalization of the judiciary at the hands of the government.
In the last few days we have received a visit from Lord Mountbatten, we may as well just call him that because this is the role he is currently playing. After this visit a seemingly hell bent upon democratic party has suddenly but not surprisingly changed its tune. For after all we are quite used to the ways of the Daughter of the East by now. Whatever message “His Lordship” brought from his highness of the oval office seems to have struck a chord of some sort of harmony amongst the various strata of our government and its all fair and free from now on or is it?
Most of the news channels are now back up having signed various accords and agreements to not “Defame” the government. I wonder how one can defame a government which is gaining fame in media bullitens all around the world for outdoing the gestapo in its suppression tactics. However there are still few noble souls who have voted not to tow the governments line. The people at this one news channel and their various subsidiary channels must be saluted for having stood so steadfast against this storm of suppression by our countrymen.
Some very positive steps have come about also in the recent days due to various forms of international and internal pressure on the government. Today about 3400 people of the Republic of Pakistan were released from their unlawful holdings by various government agencies. Seemingly to appease the Lordship as well, because in truth we do not really give a damn about our own countrymen unless someone from the white halls appeals for their release. We couldnt care less for they are just mere pakistanis. Also the grand election commission of the Republic has now announced that election will be held on January the 8th 2008, that they will be free and fair and transparent and that all parties should cooperate to ensure that. Hilarious is it not? that the Election commission has to ask for support from all political parties to ensure the fairness of the elections? Obviously they cannot do it themselves.
What the government is failing to realize here day by day that this is not the Pakistan of Zia’s times. The public is well informed, aware and pissed off at their actions. Most of them are just not coming out from their rat races of a life because they are afraid or too involved in living under the various plethora of anxieties this country thrusts on them, to do anything other than slave. Still a storm is brewing and one can see its outbursts here and there. For instance at the press club today at the protest rally organized by the KUJ and participated in by many eminent journalists of this city. There was an outbreak of police brutality and baton charging which led to the journalists giving arrests under duress and protest, 150 or so in number as the various reports suggest. They were later released but many are badly injured. they are not the only ones injured, everywhere one goes these days.. the entire nation feels the injury of this disaster in their hearts. We may not have much but most of us are proud of the few things we have, and foremost among that is our ever resilient spirit. Does the government really think it can crush the spirit of millions of Pakistanis all around the world who are grieving at this loss to their homeland? the loss of freedom our forefathers gave their blood and tears to form? Nay… this is pure folly of a strategy whoever is planning or executing it. The nation stands at the doorway to chaos, and in such times.. a mere spark can set of a fire so intense nothing in the world will or can control it. We really need to put our collective heads together and bring some kind of form to this madness, we need to discuss things instead of taking actions, we need to stop this great nation from spiraling into anarchy. This is all we have, let us not end it this way.
“We want to live in the present and the only history that is worth a tinkerÂ’s damn is the history we make today”Henry Ford