Rawalpinidi sectarian riots and the government
What happened in Rawalpindi on the last day of Ashura merits a whole lot more than mere condemnation. The country has been torn along sectarian lines for far too long. This incident is a window into how the mindset of sectarian militants in particular and terrorists in general works. First, they indulge in hate mongering, then create dissension and chaos and subsequently employ it to wreak havoc. What could have been a peaceful day, a landmark in the circumstances, turned into a day of bloodshed, mayhem and terror, causing eight people to lose their lives while more than 80 were injured, many of whom reportedly in a critical state. And then the riots spread to other cities the next day, all the while when the perpetrators of the riots in the first place remain ‘na maloom afrad’ (unknown entities).
Whereas it is a failure of the highest order by the law enforcement and security agencies, the government is not above the blame as well. The Ashura is an annual feature. It thus makes sense to chalk up a strategy, a sort of standard operating procedure, to provide an incident-free 10 days to the Shias in the country for their religious offerings. With the country already facing terrorism thought its length and breadth, sectarian violence only aggravates the situation to a level where tempers flare and reason is cast aside. The sectarian riots spread across Punjab, in Multan, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Chistian and some other cities. Those with contorted views of what makes a religion, in this case a particular brand of its interpretation, have this delusion of being the sole custodians of what makes anyone a true believer. And if someone dares to differ with them, he must be condemned to death. While this is totally wrong, it is the government’s responsibility to provide everyone with an equal opportunity of enjoying fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution.
Whichever way we look at it, its government’s failure: whether it was giving the extremists a freehand in carrying their hate-mongering over the years, or how the LEAs failed in doing their job, or how the so-called intelligence agencies could not forestall what happened. That it transpired on the watch of a government whose leaders are known to have links with some of the militant sectarian outfits, does not paint the present administration in flattering colours. The government needs to do, and do a lot, to make up for where it has failed time and again.
