Our political, religious, law enforcement and security apparatus never tire of claiming to be custodians of constitution and Islam, which gives a woman right to marry of her choice. The Pakistani state, chief minister of Punjab and all those institutions paid from taxpayers-funded national exchequer failed to protect Farzana and her unborn child, when she was entering Lahore High Court, along with her legally married husband. What purpose does police on duty serve near such a sensitive and important institution like Lahore High Court, in heightened security environment, that in their presence this woman was stoned to death by her family?
Those responsible for this murder were not just mad men who threw stones at her, but armed police who stood by and let this crime occur and worse allow culprits save one to escape. Farzana will most probably never get justice, because she has died and those who have taken an oath to defend constitution are too busy in their own trivial matters. Like it has happened in thousands of other cases, the husband will give up, or accept blood money, and consider this heinous murder as fate and destiny.
However for those who hold power, they will be answerable to Almighty on the Day of Judgment for failing in their duty, irrespective of how many Umrahs they perform, charities that they give alms to, if they do not stand up to fight such tyrannies. Mere suspension of police men on duty and their superior officers will not resolve issue, other than a routine formality, which it has become, because by their behaviour they have proven that they are not worthy of uniform they wear and must be terminated from service. Otherwise, innocent citizens of Pakistan will continue to be slaughtered like chicken, as we witness daily in Karachi. It is the state that should be responsible for bearing cost of prosecution, because it failed Farzana.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore
