“I am a fan of overdoing something, but not running it into the ground. They are complete opposites with only a fine line separating them.”
Criss Jami
The cold cruel January evening , memory of which still haunts my mind . I was surfing channels and simply couldn't believe my eyes at the news of murder of then Governor Punjab Mr Salmaan Taseer . We as Pakistanis are designed and immune to anything unexpected but there was something about this incident which was wrong . A series of events flashed in my mind and made me sick at my stomach .
It was a fine dine with my friends in of the restaurant of Lahore in the month of November One of my friend said , Hay Look behind and I saw that some familiar face was standing in a waiting area for tables to be cleared and finally after a while got a not so special table and ate his lunch silently and then one of the restaurant guard came and said . Sir your car is in no parking and blocking other cars and now we have a spot please park it there and I told him to wait and with all the leisure time in universe I went and saw my car blocking that person car with him sitting inside . No guards , no protocol and even he had a courtesy to say , Sorry young man I disturbed you while eating I need to go now so please move your car . I shook his hand and apologized for my wrong parking and saw him leaving alone . I said to my friend I still don't believe he was Governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer , that was my first introduction to him .
In a country where tyranny rules , where your ability to decapitate poor is considered mark of respect , where pomp and show is next to godliness , he was different and naive . Naive to understand the fact that his words should wear the cloak of hypocrisy , naive enough to guard his tongue and resulted in his death . Now this story is like any other daily story but thats not my story .
My story begins after his murder . A born Muslim , born to a father who was prominent freedom fighter and a close aide to Ghazi Ilum Deen Shaheed , was refused last burial prayers . No tear or remorse but sweats were distributed . All politicians were wise enough to not do the greatest sin of condemning this horrific act . On top of that Murderer was awarded a title highest of all and regarded a state guest and a National Hero by our provincial Govt and during his proceedings was welcomed like no one before . According to poles 69% Pakistanis considered the murderer a hero and 20% were neutral and rest opposed but on National scale no one dare to de- glorify the New National Hero of Pakistan . Then many of my friends said we will not become the pawns of the brutes and we will change things . Many of them found a new Hope in form of Kaptain . But he himself bowed in front of new National Hero on Indian TV talk show by saying I cannot condemn and name any individual associated with extremism because of Salmaan Taseer incident . I listened and smiled and told myself we are still there . Someone said we must all fear the evil but there is an evil we need to fear the most and that is : Indifference of a good man . We have become indifferent to even ourselves and good has become evil in its true glory .
Pakistan Peoples Party has a long tradition of cutting cakes and celebrating everything but to my surprise no official PPP statement or activity on the loss of their governor .A year has passed and Mr Salmaan Taseer is still considered un holy to take his name and his murderer has a status of demigod , we still feed the weak soul inside us who accept tyranny and lies of the brutes and ready to become pawns of their petty game . Extremism is so easy. You've got your position, and that's it. It doesn't take much thought. And when you go far enough to the right you meet the same persons coming around from the left.
Today after a year murderer is un disputed Hero and Late Salmaan Taseer is mark of shame and dis respect . I watch and smile and waiting silently for the moment when 69% becomes 100%.
I would like to share few lines from his one of the last days tweet ..
Gharut Gari Ko Dekh Kur Ahle Yakeen kee
Hairan to Us par hain jo Kafir na hooa .
Pakistan Zindabaad .
Shaheed e Insaaniyat. That's what the banner reads at the governor house gate..so Taseer isn't a mark of shame or disrespect..and the murderer is by no means an 'undisputed' hero.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Mumtaz Qadri committed a heinous crime. He is a murderer. It's a shame many among us think of him as a hero or draw parallels between him and Ghazi Ilum Din Shaheed.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that I believe Late Salman Taseer's stance might be just (and was) but there is a way of working things out. Instead of holding a press conference and vowing to secure a presidential pardon after the verdict from the preliminary court, he should have taken the right course of arranging a top lawyer for her to defend her case in the higher courts.
@ Abu Bakr . My father once said that man tongue has a power of life and death and may be Salmaan Taseer father didnt tell him that . I totally disagree his way of poking the people with his twisted words which probably he didnt mean to begin with . If I would be his advisor I would said him to publicly apologized for his statement but my story starts after that .. Salmaan died of his error of poor choice of words and poor strategy of putting himself right on the front line in such a disputed situation .
ReplyDeleteBut Mr Qadri enjoys which any politician wish for .... even those who condemn him use the word BUT , like wise supporters of Salmaan Taseer use the word BUT ....... so after a year its Mumtaz Qadri who is hero to remember not Salmaan Taseeer
@ Rabia ... Hmmmm yes like wise Qadri isnt my Hero but what about 170 Million people in Pakistan ... I mean year has passed and people anger and rage against Salmaan taseer not so wise statement and stance is being cooled down . I mean people supported Qadri right after incident , there was an explanation . They were angry .. , but if you support someone a year later it means its not anger which is deriving force , its your general sensible mature decision . thats why I sadi after a year Qadri enjoys a support of clear majority so he is un disputed hero ...
ReplyDelete