From a country whose national emblem is maple tree, known for its sweetness and flavour, comes a loyal subject of Queen, to lead a revolution, to rid this country of what nobody dares ask him, as his loyal followers numbering 5,000 are spellbound, armed with custom made bayonets fitted with nails, dazed as if a spell has been cast upon them, while he promises them a ticket to heaven if they lay protective siege outside his house for three nights, while he prays for their success inside.
He takes a pledge from them to give their lives and in case he is killed seek vengeance from all members of the family of the elected PM. Those who heed his call for the Maple Tree Revolution and go all the way, come rain or thunder, will get a passage to heaven, but those who betray him by returning will be martyred. As he addresses his cult like followers, the whole private electronic media, except one, in their wisdom decide to give him uninterrupted coverage as he sits on the stage with the likes of Cuban cigar puffing Sheikh Rashid, the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, the elder crowned during Musharraf rule as head of Sufi Council, the scion of the sole Honourary Magistrate in the subcontinent willing to supervise the hanging of Bhagat Singh and a representative of another party headed by another subject of Queen sitting on the elevated stage, and many others who either lost last elections or had a grouse against the arrogance of house of Jatti Umra.
What ‘Saint Maple Tree’ promises is not sweet maple syrup, but blood of Pakistanis to colour this country red and hold its capital hostage, till the system is destroyed and replaced with what nobody knows. However one thing is clear, the aim is not restoration of a democratic welfare state as envisioned by the Father of Nation, nor his advice that paid servants, both civil and uniformed, must not be involved in politics, but the reverse of all that Quaid-e-Azam stood for and the irony is the choice of 67th Independence Day for all this.
MALIK TARIQ
Lahore