The late Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti was buried yesterday in Khushpur, his native village near Faisalabad. A funeral service was first held in Islamabad, attended by Prime Minister Gilani and other dignitaries. Mr Bhatti’s assassination in the federal capital cannot be condemned enough. Protest rallies were taken out all over the country and people demanded that justice be done by catching the perpetrators. Protestors also asked for tolerance in Pakistani society. Christians and Muslims both protested against the rising intolerance and demanded that the government should take a firm stand on religious extremism. It was also disconcerting to see the Punjab government’s mealy-mouthed response when it came to condemning the Taliban. The PML-N should be ashamed of its policies of not just appeasing terrorist networks but protecting them.
The Punjabi Taliban have claimed responsibility for this brutal murder but a question that still looms large on everyone’s mind is whether this tragedy could have been averted had proper security been provided to Mr Bhatti. Many parliamentarians, including the ruling PPP’s Jamshed Dasti, demanded Interior Minister Rehman Malik’s resignation immediately for failing to control lawlessness. Mr Malik said, “There was no security lapse on behalf of the government or the police. If the investigation teams find any security lapse I would resign from the [Interior] Ministry.” It is time to remind Mr Malik that the police is totally clueless and out of the 60 suspects arrested for Mr Bhatti’s assassination, 30 have been released and the rest will most likely also be released since the law enforcement agencies have no evidence to link them to this case. While Mr Malik has blamed the Punjab Police for negligence in Governor Taseer’s murder, the federal interior ministry cannot be absolved of a security lapse in failing to provide their governor additional security. It is surprising that the federal government thought the Punjab government, which is not only hostile to the PPP but was particularly unhappy with Mr Taseer, could have been trusted to give foolproof security to the late governor. The blame for the security lapse in Mr Taseer’s assassination rests as much with the Punjab government as with the Interior Ministry.
As for Mr Bhatti’s security, Mr Malik was quite insensitive in claiming that the slain minister for minorities was responsible for his own death due to his negligence. According to Mr Malik, an escort of 15 armed personnel had been provided to the minority affairs minister “but he [Mr Bhatti] did not avail it during his preferred and frequented destinations”. Even if Mr Bhatti had requested that the security detail not be present with him at all times, given the sensitivity of the blasphemy laws issue and the grave threats to Mr Bhatti’s life, the Interior Ministry should have insisted against this ‘request’ as it is their job to protect the lives of Pakistani officials and citizens. Rehman Malik’s reasoning sounds as absurd as General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s, who laid the blame for Ms Benazir Bhutto’s assassination at her own doorstep. When General Musharraf shifted the blame for a security lapse under his own regime, it was widely condemned. Mr Malik’s doing the same thing is equally irresponsible. It is unlikely that Mr Malik would be asked to step down by his party leadership as he belongs to the coterie of people who are in control of the PPP and which enjoys the patronage of the man on the top.
In any responsible and civilised society, those in power are held accountable when a high profile assassination takes place. Unfortunately, two such assassinations took place in Islamabad within two months and yet no one has stepped down in the face of rising lawlessness. It is time that those at the top take their responsibilities seriously or step down.*