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End of my silence
For weeks now I have tried to keep silent for I felt that the political class and its military and foreign handlers would finally show some sense. But no sir. Common sense is the only form of intelligence totally extinct in the land of the pure. I say it despite the fact that within an year of our new democratic experience the country was again brought to a virtual martial. I cannot thank the three sides, the government, its challenger in the PML-N and the Army, more to have pulled back in time in order to prevent an absolute crash. I also laud the unprecendented role played by our army chief to save democracy, when in the past our army chiefs have always used such volatile political conditions to advance personal agendas. But that is besides the point sirs. Had common sense prevailed such day of political confrontation would have never come to pass.
I have had interactions with both President Asif Ali Zardari and Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif since then. Neither of these interactions were exclusive even though the halls of Raiwind and the Presidency both have pledged to arrange exclusive meets, but in both interactions thus far I was part of a small select group. I kept studying the reasons of the inane actions that brought us to the political precipice and could only end up blaming only the sycophants and the bureaucrats. Yes we are talking of tiny men and women with huge egos whose self respect fails when it comes to polishing the boots of their leaders.
Yet, after having opposed the very idea of the long march, I had to travel it also to cover it. And I’ll not pretend that I did not worry of the human and political cost of something as unpredictable as a bomb blast in such a huge gathering. Was it not irresponsible of our leaders to let people risk their lives for something that has thus far failed to bring about any substantial change. Hollow and half baked promises cannot provide you with bread, butter, shelter or even dignity. And during this period of silence I had to endure some personal traumas which educated me that in this great land of ours there is no dignity for a common man. Rather when the integrity and cool of a person considered a bit more influential than a pedestrian is not safe, how can be sure of the poor of the country. I have said it in the past and will say it in the future. Our system hones criminals. Nothing else.
If the PPP and the PML-N leaders were bent on making prats of themselves one would have hoped better attitude from other more seasoned parties. But no sir. A video of a girl being lashed originated from Swat one of these days but guess what our friends from Awami National Party and their government in the NWFP, instead of conducting serious investigation of the incident have thus far tried to cast aspersions on the veracity of the footage and the intentions of the TV channels who kept playing it for considerable time. The conservative intellectuals have not helped either. A senior TV anchor and journalist of the same clique recently told me that the footage was a conspiracy against the COUNTRY’S NUCLEAR ASSETS!!! I know two plus two is invariably always four but how does this twisted perversion of maths adds up really beats me.
But excuse me sirs. Do we really need proofs to qualify how cruel the Taliban is? I think not. I do not want my daughters to grow in a society where being a girl or a woman is crime in itself. All I can do is pledge t0 fight such negative forces even if it results in the demise of yours truly. And before that time comes I must submit that I am truly disappointed in the politicians and the ruling elite and since I am not any disillusioned supporter of Musharraf but a believer in the current system since ages, it is saying something.
| Print article | This entry was posted by Farrukh on April 7, 2009 at 7:38 am, and is filed under General. Follow any responses to this post through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site. |
about 1 year ago
sir your website is actually very informative but wat u said about Musharraf was rather wrong or i do not know but what i knnow is that Musharraf is an honest man always whether in his rule or now not ruling but we see inshallah Pakistan has a great future
thx
ali affan usmani
about 1 year ago
Dear Mr.Pitafi,
Circumstances have changed a lot since the last time I commented on the state of affairs in Pakistan. Then it was the blame game and denial on the part of the Pakistani public and media. Now the skeletons are out in the bare open. The disbelief of the Pakistani people that the Pakistani state could foment trouble in India leading to the Mumbai attacks is now accepted fact all around the world. All the insinuations and holier-than-thou attitudes that the Indians can even “hint” that Pakistan could be blamed for the Mumbai attacks are now reduced to whimpers in the face of the Talibani assault on the very echelons of a state. All zionist-hindu conspiracies articulated by imaginative minds have bitten the dust, after having realised that the enemy is within the family.
The human mind seeks external factors to blame while absolving or undeplaying the self’s role. It is a natural self-preserving instinct.To change,one must accept responsibility and not blame external factors for the imbalance. Wisdom lies in then working hard on the self to restore balance and health once again.
The cancer of Taliban which the pakistani mindset has conjured up is a reflection of the working of the pakistani mind. Approportioning the blame on the USA for creating the Mujahideen or India for being the “eternal enemy” is baseless and inappropriate. Time has a great way of bringing out the truth in myriad ways. A few years ago, the present situation in Pakistan was beyond forecasting.But slowly as the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, the devilishnessof the ISI’s strategy to bleed India has been nailed and exposed everywhere. What were once unsubstantiated claims have now become accepted facts. When you wish misery to your neighbour, how do you insulate yourself from the karma that is generated?
Now that the USA has the pakistani political establishment by the balls,and the hypocrisy of the army and the ISI established, the double game of these two institutions in creating,using the Taliban both as a shield and proxy, is outnumbered. All the punjabi swagger and prestige which caused a feudal mindset and laziness in the system will now stand to crumble.The more the Pakistani citizen uses the Taliban as an excuse instead of showing some spine and getting rid of them, the more the game draws into a deadlock where the Americans have no other option but to launch direct attacks on the Taliban in Pakistan. Naturally the public will be “outraged” on the infringement on their sovereignity by foreign powers. The army will play safe, running with the hound and also with the hares, taking losses as collateral damage. Where does this whole episode leave the ordinary pakistani? The ultimate sufferer is the poor man on the street who just wants to survive another day,politics be damned. But again, it was the same man on the street who nurtured hate against India and allowed the cancer to grow in the form of religion.What goes around comes around. How Pakistan emerges from this crisis,once the dust settles among the ruins, is a well anticipated and eagerly awaited mystery.
With Best Regards
Raza