Farrukh Khan Pitafi's Official Website

In His Dark Materials trilogy, Philip Pullman plays with our imaginations in an uncanny way. In one of his parallel worlds, dark matter is called dust. And quite contrary to our scientific understanding of the dark matter, the particles in his world are conscious and capable of contact with us mortals. Of course, to serve the central theme of the series, he makes the very particles emblems of the angelic revolt against authority. But dust in our humble part of the world is known basically for poverty — as in dirt poor. Budgets come and go and so do governments but somehow our country has not been able to invent a magic wand to rid us of this dusty musty poverty. Magic wands may exist, I would not know, but a sane wizard most certainly does not.

And this has something to do with the ongoing war on terror too. Impoverishment breeds anger, irritability and intolerance. And these in turn pull our legs into the grave of extremism. Since my experiments with my career take me often to stages where I do have to endure my own version of impoverishment, I can testify that the aforesaid is true. It, of course, does not mean that you give every terrorist benefit of the doubt because of his assumed sociology. The handlers of these terrorists make a wily bunch that often has nothing to do with either impoverishment or intolerance — they do it for their own selfish motives and lust. And since most of these terrorists have been so thoroughly indoctrinated and irreparably damaged that their life might be our death, we cannot afford to end this war based only on assumptions.

However, if poverty could be alleviated or the economic burdens on the masses could be eased a trifle, only a fool will deny that this will complement the efforts of fighting the extremists. But how to accomplish that at a time when the nation is already falling into the abyss?

I was keenly awaiting the budget speech to know where our new team of economic managers plan to take our country. The budget speech turned out to be a budget lecture. While it was unusual for a finance minister, sworn in only hours before, to deliver an extempore speech on something as tedious as the finance bill, or mentioning his own children and staff, I must say that it was unusually enjoyable and engaging.

First of all, we learned that the concept of the annual budget was now almost defunct and that the budget speech was a mere formality. The second noteworthy thing was that while we could still recover, the country was officially in a deep economic mess. Third, and this is perhaps the funniest of all, that while the government was cognisant of the general aversion to the concept of Value-Added Tax (VAT), there was no escape from imposing it. It was funny because no one even bothered to notice that the new tax, re-christened as the ‘reformed’ General Sales Tax (GST) had already been imposed before their own eyes while they imagined that it had been deferred. In fact, like the extension of tax deadlines, what had been deferred was the deadline for a note of submission from the stakeholders.

But while I have no love lost for budgetary projections or the official figures, I think the minister’s maiden budget lecture was brutally honest and, at least for me, quite inspiring. It is true that the country cannot escape IMF conditions and there is no point in pretending that we are not in the thickest soup possible. At least a fair admission was something that we had all hoped to get. But one thing that I could not digest was the minister’s nostalgic recollection of the telecom policy of the Musharraf regime. He will have to choose whether he wants to live in the past, which was not as glorious as he would like to assume, or a present that is equally challenging but absolutely real. In the present reality, there is a lot of room for him and he can excel all past achievements, provided he believes in real growth and not a circumstantial one like Musharraf’s. If I was expecting something substantial from the opposition I was deeply disappointed. Instead of protesting against the growing impoverishment in society, our opposition leader was found criticising the 50 percent increase in the wages of the salaried class.

While admitting the truth is a laudable feat in the Islamic Republic, let us not forget that without economic revival we cannot survive. Unfortunately, in the grim reality of our absolute dependence on the IMF, we cannot invest too many resources in economic revival. A report by the Lahore-based Institute of Public Policy has, fortunately, recommended that we should spare some resources for this revival by going slow on macro-economic stabilisation. Development, it argues, cannot be avoided if we want to build capacity in our economy. That I think we will have to do. And perhaps in view of the ongoing war on terror, we can afford to expect some more help from our benefactors.

But one thing is for sure. It is our war and no matter how much foreign aid we receive, only we are responsible for rebuilding our economy. And if we want to rebuild it, for the sake of improved tolerance, we will have to encourage economic activity, by bringing interest rates down, creating new avenues of growth and creating jobs.

Unlike Musharraf’s rule, instead of depending only on unsustainable growth in the service sector, we will have to pay some heed to the manufacturing and corporate farming sectors. And instead of a linear approach towards problem solving, we will have to adopt a comprehensive approach. If the new finance minister and his team can do it, no allegations of lust will come. Many of us, indeed, if of course convinced, will help people understand that every tough measure is meant for their own good including, of course, the imposition of VAT. If, however, the team cannot even begin to think laterally it should know we have heard even bigger speeches in the past.
The above column first appeared in Daily Times dated June 110, 2010. Click here to visit the original.

Last week I expressed my concern over the rising intolerance in our society and how the antics of the powers that be would essentially add to the general disquiet. But today I need not press that point again. The very same week, terrorists attacked Lahore again and ruthlessly killed nearly 100 Ahmedis during their prayers or Friday congregation. The misery of the situation was that we could not even call their worship place a mosque, nor their worship, prayers. This is because a law forbids us to say any such thing. I would have been complacent but when everyone can pour out venom on the tube against the 18th Amendment despite its being a part of the constitution, I think I am entitled to challenge a law that is an absolute negation of basic rights.

Let me make it clear that I am not a judge of any creed’s philosophy, but I was raised in a fashion to express wariness of the Ahmedi ideology. Old habits, they say, die hard and I think I am still not mature enough to actually fight for the rights of the Ahmediyya community. What I am about to say is purely based on selfish reasons and the instinct of self-preservation. I honestly believe that a state should have nothing to do with any faith at all. When a state is allowed to judge your faith and impose restrictions on your freedom owing to some preconceived notions, a dangerous precedent is created, which can be used against any faith, creed or school of thought. Verily, a country that has witnessed the Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case, Zia’s shariah laws and Pervez Musharraf’s ‘enlightened moderation’ can definitely attack any point of view and try to ban it. If the state were to choose my faith for me, even the concept of freedom of choice in any religion would be compromised. This is only one important point. There are umpteen others.

I am sure you are not new to our sectarian history. If the Sipah-e-Sahaba had its way, all Shias would have been declared non-Muslims. Had the Taliban held sway, we all would have been declared infidels. The point is that the precedent that was created through constitutionally excommunicating the Ahmedis from Islam can be invoked again and again and, perhaps, yet again. There comes a time when you have to stand up and stop the appeasement of the irrational few. That time, for me, has come.

Even if your constitution, undermining its own commitment to basic rights and religious freedoms, decides to exclude a group from the majority religion of the country, that should not make the members of that group lesser citizens. I have grown up listening to theories about the alleged conspiracies of this community but, with due respect, what I have witnessed thus far is exactly the opposite. I have seen how conspiratorially a loyal, patriotic community of taxpayers and law-abiding citizens is being ostracised in our society. And how we are taught, albeit between the lines, that the Ahmedis are virtually untouchables. This is quite heartrending to tell you the truth and can just as easily happen to you. The sooner we wake up the better it is for all of us. We should do every bit to reintegrate this segment back into society, even though it now seems impossible to reintegrate them into the faith. And for that we will have to, at least, throw all the restrictions imposed during the time of Ziaul Haq out the window.

Let us now come back to the issue at hand, that of the rise of intolerance. I firmly believe that the recent debate about Facebook and blasphemy has a lot to do with the incident in Lahore. Believe me I have no intention of questioning a court’s decision to ban a social networking site in the country, even though it was really an unpleasant experience for me. However, once the ban was imposed, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) went on an unrestricted witch-hunt, banning a number of other sites including YouTube (which was mercifully restored last week). And when some of us tried to protest against the ban, we had to endure the wrath of the great defenders of the faith. I could feel it coming already. When there is so much anger in society and the real offender is out of your reach, you try to find an easy scapegoat in the same society. This publicised and even glorified outrage at things that took place beyond our borders, gave the terrorists the courage to attack yet again. And what more convenient target can you find than the Ahmediyya community. I say this because, despite repeated assaults by the terrorists thus far, this community had managed to stay away from the main conflict between the Taliban and the state. Then you are bound to ask yourself: why this community and why now?

Ironically, when the PTA was busy banning foreign sites, many of us journalists were continuously receiving e-mails from the Taliban and the Asian Tigers. One such e-mail congratulated Muslims on the Friday attacks on the Ahmedis and invited them to kill more Ahmedis and even Shias. If you cannot see any double standards here, then you will probably never see them.

And while I was in pain thinking about this state of affairs, something equally troubling came to my notice. Those who had seized control of a children’s library in Islamabad in the wake of the Red Mosque fiasco were exonerated by the court on the basis of lack of evidence. Is it only me who remembers that Ghazi Abdur Rashid and Um-e-Hassan both used to address the media from the very same place? What other evidence could there be? Somehow I fear that our state, which was supposed to be the custodian of our rights and property, is once again desirous of bringing us back to General Zia’s dark ages and hence consciously appeasing the extremists even when their brethren are butchering our soldiers and citizens alike.
The column first appeared in Daily Times dated June 3, 2010. Click here to visit the original.

Today great fighters of Islam attacked two Ahmadi centres and successfully killed around eighty people. I do wonder why everyone is condemning the attack. Is it not what we have been preparing for? Consider this, no one had the gall of calling the center a Mosque, nor the worship of the victims prayers, nor in any show of solidarity any victim was called a martyr. See how powerful is the fear of the virtuous. Let us face it. The Islamic Theocracy of Pakistan has won. Now  all non Muslims, or should we call them non-humans, should either be killed, thrown out of the country or forced into subjugation and asked to wear badges.
I am not worried that Police managed to apprehend some of our great brothers from the site of their glorious operation. We should not worry of their fate. If they were the real deal, they after all will be presented in the Provincial Courts. As long as Chief Justice Khawaja Sharif (Rehmatullah) is present at the helms of the affairs our brothers will be released with honor. You do not need to worry about Punjab government either. After Chief Minister Punjab’s appeal to our brother Taliban, I am sure the CM will not take it personally. Nor will Rana Sanaullah for some of our glorious brothers of Sipah Sahaba are his allies. And then why should we worry, the great power of media is with us. I am sure by tomorrow, our Great Brother Ansar Abbasi will come on television, quote from the Quran and tell us how we are honor bound to kill all non Muslims. And if there is any doubt still Dr Shahid Masood in his  great programs will ensure that people understand how close the Armageddon is and how all faithfuls will be rewarded.
And just in case there is any blog or foreign website showing solidarity with the victims, why is Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) there for?  Its Chairman will very kindly decide immediately to ban or block the website. Why worry about the federal government. It is so much busy in protecting its ministers that it can hardly try to rescue anyone. So the great handiwork of the rescuers of the faith is complete, and that too on this glorious day of Youm-e-Takbeer when we celebrate the explosion of our nuclear weapons. The greatest achievement is that there is no liberal left in the Islamic theocracy, no government and no justice. We the lions of jungle should now rule as a jungle is ruled. Right?
I am sure the friends who are never tired of sending me hate mails must be happy on the above lines. But will they understand that if any of the above is true what are they losing? Just consider this. Our country is very quickly being radicalized. In short my country is getting destroyed bit by bit and there is no one to rescue us. But come what may I cannot say that I will submit to this sick mentality. I am tired of assuring people that I am a Muslim and believe in the finality of Prophethood. If you are still not convinced go to hell. But I will state plain and simple that Ahmadi mosques were attacked today when Ahmadis were offering their Friday Namaz. If they call it that I cannot deny them their right. I have been warning you for ages that this dangerous work of inciting hatred will only destroy you in the end. If the constitution does not believe in basic human rights there is no need for the constitution. If the courts are more concerned about the rights of the extremists than us common citizens then there is no need for the courts. If the governments cannot safeguard lives and properties of their citizens from their own invented monsters they have no right to rule.  I know many will consider my words offensive, you know I live in this country. Come kill me, arrest me, try me and hang me. But I am sick and tired of this sick ideology and its resulting 1000 compromises which are no where near the founder of Islam nor of Pakistan.
And while the government has restored YouTube, no one has sacked the Chairman PTA and his cohorts. And if the federal government chooses to side with or protect such inept sycophants, I as a citizen and a voter will not consider it a friend either.