Murder, it is

With power comes license to kill. This is the norm that has become strong enough to override state laws, constitutional articles and human rights. That is why a young, happy-go-lucky teenager with life unfolding all possibilities in front of him becomes the victim of a drunk, arrogant trigger-happy son and brother of a member of parliament. That is why a widow loses the only son she has on whom her whole life’s hopes centre. That is why the frustration and rage of injustice in society manifests itself in taking the law into one’s own hands consistently. This used to be stuff doled out in soap operas but has now become so normal that it is a reality greater than fiction. Children born in households of gun wielding guards following them to schools and colleges cossetted in dark windows of bullet proof cars grow up with this certainty that these guns make them punishment proof against the most heinous crimes. The latest in this rich-arrogant-killer-brats ‘serial’ is the tragic death of 15-year-old Zain Rauf, who tragically happened to be in the madness range of Mustafa Kanju.
Mustafa portrays all that has gone wrong with this society. Born into unlimited wealth that has come too easily, too quickly and too wrongly, these children grow up in households where parents gloat over their titles and their ability to subjugate every rule and law for money and power. Servants are slaves and people with less money mere chattels. Their car number plates, with “MPA” written all over them, make them screech their tyres, break every signal and mock any attempt of discipline at home, on the streets and in any public interaction. Any questioning of their behaviour and conduct is just dismissed by flaunting their who’s who connections. Any incidence of disobedience by any office trying to do its duty is penalised and silenced brutally. The only marginal fear they have is of public pressure through media portrayal. The recent incidents that have seen some form of persecution have been in response to media uproar followed by social media viral forums. However, this attention span has its own limitations as the breaking news syndrome eventually makes these bits of news too old to be new enough to be sustained more than a few days or weeks.
Take the last two incidents of this catch-me-if-you-can game of rich young gangsters. The most highlighted murder was that of Shahzeb Khan by Shahrukh Jatoi. The whole incident started with a servant in a nearby apartment teasing his sister and Shahzeb admonishing him loudly. His master, ‘Nawab’ Siraj Talpur, did not like it and a fight broke out, which was pacified by Shahzeb’s father who himself was a police officer. However, junior Nawab sahib was not happy and he, along with another ‘Nawab’ Shahrukh Jatoi and their four guards shot Shahzeb cold bloodedly and escaped. It was the huge civil society and social media campaign that forced the Supreme Court (SC) to take suo motu action and, finally, they were brought to the anti-terrorism court and given life/death sentences. However, the victory signs of a confident Shahrukh Jatoi in prison embodied how helpless the law and court can be in front of money and power. The story of how Shahzeb’s family has forgiven these criminals and filed for their release is hard to believe. Some say they were paid diyat (blood money) of Rs 200 million, which has been denied by the family. However, who knows whether it may be the fear of something similar happening to other members of the family that has prompted this pardoning of the tragic death of Shahzeb, who was the only son of his parents and the only brother of his sisters.
The tale of the young, moneyed heirs to powerful people also includes the murder of young Malik Tahir, who dared cross the motorcade of Abdul Qadir Gilani, son of former Prime Minister (PM), Yousaf Raza Gilani. His guards, trying to protect the precious life of his precious son, took away the cheap life of a boy whose existence can never matter as much as of those born into houses of powerful parents. The media uproar made the case focus on this issue for a few days and what happened to these criminals is hardly a matter of any serious reflection presently. Added to this portfolio of the rich and spoilt is the bold and the beautiful. The current scandal going on of the model Ayyan caught with half a million dollars in money laundering is another case study of how even the brother of a senator can ensure that jail itself becomes more like a five star hotel.
As caught, confirmed and convicted criminals get away with murder, upright and honest people get caught and punished for upholding principles. Nekokara’s dismissal from service for refusing to use force on innocent people symbolises why the belief system in this society is that only idiots stick to principles and those who break laws are mature and smart. The Model Town massacre after almost a year of all types of investigations seems futile as such reports are common where the hapless public is pitched against heartless politicians. It is this consistent free for all crime history that can make a fascist political party, whose own party workers are whistle blowing on its conduct, insist that it will be the whistle blowers who will be blown away.
When crime pays, it flourishes. When gun trotters become symbols of success, values die. When gangsters smile and wave signs of victory, innocence becomes stupidity. The media and public promised not to let the Army Public School (APS) incident fade away to ensure government action. However, with time, the National Action Plan seems to be heading in the same direction as the seventh five-year plan, i.e. residing in the junk items. When state institutions become party or passive to political atrocities only a consistent social uprising can create enough pressure to provide some checks and balance in a country where social justice is almost extinct. When the majority is failing and falling due to social imbalances, it is time for the individual to stand and do all that can be done in their capacity. If a few individuals can stand up against an MNA and a senator and remove them from a plane to change the VIP culture, so can individuals against the VIP sons and their hazardous security to safeguard the security of the sons and families of the people of this country.

The writer is secretary information PTI Punjab, an analyst and a columnist, and can be reached at andleeb.abbas1@gmail.com