While the Taliban pull out of Buner after their “preaching mission” there has come to an abrupt end, albeit after a series of negotiations, the entire country is confused as to what their intentions are and why they are doing what they are doing. One day the spokesman says our entire constitution and what not is haraam, the next day he wants osama over for dinner to sample the new mutton curry he has just discovered and the third day he establishes a institution whose sole purpose is to make love marriages possible.
Seems a bit out there does’nt he? this great spokesman of the hordes of the north. Perhaps he is sampling some of the fine powder which helps finance their campaign from time to time before making these statements, or perhaps the Taliban should stick to text and grisley videos of head chopping as the art of public speaking seems to elude them so far. However this is not very surprising because these folks are what? 15000 or 20,000 strong at most and most of them are still uneducated on the norms of a civil society? So one can hardly expect them to be media savvy or as dedicated to sound bites as they are to their cause?
What is really suprising to me is that even though most of the political parties have now fall in line behind the stand of “halt the invaders” there is still a considerable force missing from this cadre. I speak of the lawyers movement who we all not so long ago celebrated a triumphant return to power with at the Chief justice House. That night was proclaimed by many including myself as a watershed in Pakistan’s history and a new dawn of justice for the people of this land. So why is there nothing emanating from the ranks of the judicial and the educated fraternity of lawyers over the acceptance of this parallel system of justice imposed and sanctified by our mute parliment within 45 minutes? Where are the suo motto actions now from the great giver of justice and adal Iftikhar chaudery and the cries of dharna from Ali Muhammad Kurd? If I recall correctly at last count the long march was something to the tune of a million strong treading towards the green zone, so why doesnt this million man march now head towards SWAT to route the so called taliban forces right back to Afghanistan? For after all with so many people behind you I doubt if any might including the armed and equipped talibs can stop you. Hell if the Army and the govt had to bow their heads to the judicial cry why not the Taliban?
I guess the problem that the lawyers must be facing is that Insaf khan and Qazi will not accompany them in this march against their brethen. that would make the march numbers drop just a little, who knows the lawyers might even find them standing on the Malakand borderline with their Hamnawas as so clearly pointed out by a JUI leader on national telly. Still as the harbingers of justice to this land and the so called saviours of civil society and intelligentsia they should have atleast condemned the flogging videos and the various aggressive overtures that the Taliban are making on the airwaves. Perhaps the Chief Justice could understand that saving the lives of the people of this land is also as important as saving the tree line of muree?
I know I know, I am a cynic I seem to find faults in corners I should not look into. I am also a Pakistani and by that very fate i am condemned into an emotional existence spent on clasping to whatever ray of hope is offered from the dark skies for the safety and sanctity of this country. I thought the lawyers movement and the re emergence of the judiciary were that hope. Alas that I am being proven wrong as the sound of silence from our lawgivers is deafening as the Talibs take over slowly and impose a parallel system of justice which they claim is not even answerable or challengable by our supreme court. To me that is the undoing of freedom itself, and if that is the case then the honorable justices should retire to azure shores quickly because the new lawmakers seem to have a penchant for head hunting the old guard wherever they shift to. I hear the guest palace in Saudi is being renovated for new arrivals, ahhh the luxury of being transported to safety as the people scream for release from hell, but then those who sit in the halls of power never hear the voice of the people, justice in Pakistan my friends is deaf as well as blind!!
As published in the 9th issue of The Green kaliedescope
My dear friend, we are living in the sub-continent. We are and have always been ruled by a bunch of hypocrites, no matter which country we live in, India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. Many have made a call for a revolution, but the so-called-revolution dies down as soon as their immediate personal goals are met. People are often blinded my words and actions which are momentary, they are eternal only in memory. What some change? Don’t expect an Obama-revolution here any time soon!
PS: As you can see, am a cynic too =/
PPS: Shifted to an independent domain =P
I am glad that I never believed in long march and the so called struggle to restore “Chief Justice”. People laughed at me when I said that it is not right for Chief Justice to resume the position, his impartiality will be questioned. People would think that he is favoring those who supported his movement. I also believed that the struggle to restore chief justice is to have a judiciary that is not loyal to current ruling party. So if things go wrong the new government could easily be sent home with out any opposition from judiciary.
My belief further strengthened when Chief Justice of Pakistan after resuming the office did not take suo-motto action against national reconciliation ordinance. He did not take action against illegal parallel judiciary in NWFP.
Judiciary never questioned the corruption spread by so called corporations run by Army. They mostly question things that provide an excuse to cause bad publicity to elected members of assembly.
Judiciary my friend is now the part of the ruling elite, the establishment.