The assassination of Shahbaz Bhatti is a cowardly act carried out by terrorists and should be denounced unequivocally by all sections of the society. This is the moment when the minorities of our country need our relentless support. We should stand with them and convey to our fellow countrymen that being Pakistanis, we are all one nation. We should all put in our efforts to curb these terrorist and extremists from alienating these minorities. It is to be understood that they are as much of a Pakistani as we are and the only agenda of the terrorists is to taint the image of Islam. With all the recent focus on revolutions taking place in the Middle East, it is time that Pakistan has a revolution of its own. Yes, we need a revolution and it should be against all the extremist elements, presently engaged to destabilise the country. It is time that the silent majority of our country should finally identify these groups and individuals and stand up to them, outrightly rejecting their ideology and agenda. Our nation will have to take a firm stance if this slide into extremism has to be curbed. The deliverance will have to come from the people to show the terrorists that we do not share their agenda of bloodshed and violence.
HASSAN BASHIR
Islamabad
