As I write this piece, a brewing political crisis in the capital’s red zone almost led to a civil war when the PDM government, under the main ruling party, chose to act in the worst possible manner against protesting citizens who were simply there to exercise their fundamental rights. Similar scenes were witnessed across Punjab when law enforcement agencies, which primarily included police officers, facilitated plain-clothed men in vandalism against protesters and leaders of the PTI wishing to head towards the capital. In some cases, innocent lives were lost whose condemnation is not enough.
I haven’t even mentioned the events since Monday night which were equally dastardly when the police chose to act as personal servants of the main ruling party and intimidated the first, second and third-tier leadership of the opposition through heavy-handed tactics and harassment of their families.
While the courts chose to defend the rights of protesters, this did not deter state authorities from violating the orders which did not even spare women and children from intense tear gas shelling on the day of the march. The canisters were already outdated which meant that the gas was deadlier than before.
The state is meant to protect its citizens but it became a vicious horde under the influence of hate-fuelled ministerial leadership stuck in the 20th century.
None of this can be denied if a full-fledged inquiry is held by the esteemed judiciary with documentary and video evidence that are all available online, especially on Twitter. I am still processing the thought going through the minds of children and the elderly during those gruesome moments on Wednesday late night at the capital’s red zone and Lahore’s Liberty roundabout.
In a strange case that depicts the situation in India, a girl by the name of Komal Shahid was directly threatened with rape by an alleged unnamed supporter of the government on Twitter when she was simply expressing her right to help the protesters in Islamabad with basic needs such as water. This is the kind of mentality that is not only polarising but calls for immediate intervention of the cybercrime wing. The question is whether the impartial inquiry would be held or not remains to be seen.
Sections of the media chose to act as spokespersons for the government instead of finding out the truth.
They either defended the brutalities by deflecting blame on protesters or remained silent spectators just because their privileged access was at stake. As a journalist, I am ashamed that such people are part of the media community who cannot even see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The state is meant to protect its citizens but it became a vicious horde under the influence of hate-fuelled ministerial leadership stuck in the 20th century. Had former prime minister Imran Khan not given an ultimatum for announcing a date for elections by next week when he finally reached the red zone on early Thursday morning, I had already feared something terrible might occur given how the government chose to deploy the army in Islamabad under Article-245 in the middle of the night.
With IMF-Pakistan talks in doldrums over fuel subsidies, import bans and increasing costs of living, the PDM government’s indecisions and authoritarian tactics have made it unfit to govern the country. It would be well-advised not to prolong its rule further and dissolve the assemblies for the sake of this country’s future especially when the main ruling party, the PML-N, lost all moral authority to rule Punjab province as of last week’s steps by the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
A caretaker set up under a veteran economist must lead the country to fix the economy with tough decisions if Pakistan is to avoid a Sri Lanka-like situation. This should pave way for elections that must remain free and fair if the state is to survive in the long run.
Whatever was witnessed earlier this week were glimpses of 1971 in my opinion with the disconnect between power corridors and the vast majority of the urban and rural population increasing with each passing moment. Hope and prayers may not be enough to take remedial steps for actions speak louder than words.
The writer is Associate Editor (Diplomatic Affairs), Daily Times. He tweets @mhassankhan06