The Muslim-minorities rift
Ironic that a country a quarter of whose flag represents minorities allows them to be persecuted one way or another. The 10 March incident in Lahore is not a bolt out of the blue but a continuation of oppression and violence against minorities in the Islamic Republic. Ahmadis were the target of choice almost four decades ago, then came the Shias’ turn, followed by Hindus and now the Christians. It seems the country that was going to be a laboratory to test Islamic way of life has failed to achieve its basic objective.
As the protests continue across the country against a mob attack on the Joseph Colony in Lahore, questions are being raised, and rightly so, on the performance of the government and its law enforcement agencies. The Punjab administration, as it admitted, had information beforehand on what was going to transpire on that night, but instead of taking measures to protect the life and property, a duty it is bound to fulfil under the constitution, of the residents, it opted for an easy solution: it issued orders to evacuate the area and then looked the other way when the extremists went on a rampage and pilfered the area, taking with them what few valuables the residents had in their homes. That it happened right under the nose of the Punjab Police speaks volumes about the Punjab government’s priorities. Adding salt to the injury was the fact that the FIR of the incident was registered late. That the Punjab CM did not listen to affectees’ pleas when he visited the area does not help improve the government’s image. Chief Justice of Pakistan, in a suo motu notice of the incident, was also of the opinion that the government failed in performing its duties while pointing out that the police had submitted an incomplete report to the court, which raises questions on Punjab Police’s credibility, competence and whether it was in cahoots with the criminals, as alleged by human rights organisations.
The Christian community staged protests over the issue, and shut down one of country’s highly valued school systems run by the community. Some have said that Punjab government’s close links with extremist parties have allowed such transgressions happen in the first place. Had the perpetrator of Gojra incident of 2009 against the Christians been caught and convicted, it might have given a message that the government was as serious in protecting its minorities as it was in protecting its majority. Promises that would lead to nowhere is not what they need right now; the government needs to take proactive measures to restore the confidence of all minorities, and make sure that they are given the same rights and protection that is afforded to everyone else.
