Political protest or scripted puppets

While constitution gives right to political parties for peaceful protests, it does not condone scripted dharnas and protests to dislodge a constitutionally elected government on the whims of a mob, or baton/danda carrying activists to create conditions where freedom of movement and security of law abiding citizens, stand threatened through intimidation.

In 1971 it was a scripted plan to deny the constitutional right of the majority to form a government which led to disintegration of Pakistan, followed by a humiliating surrender and over 80,000 soldiers and civil servants becoming POWs. Another scripted plan was our involvement in Afghanistan to facilitate American revenge for its defeat in Vietnam and planned sanctuary to extremists and mercenaries on our territory, followed with perception of seeking strategic depth, unfortunately resulting in creating a security crisis which threatens our way of life, and a blatant foreign inspired insurgency in Balochistan. Why don’t script writers understand that sponsoring any group to seek extra-constitutional methods for seeking political power, only justifies the unacceptable foreign scripted demands of angry Baloch insurgents, who reject constitution of this country and justify their demand?

Free electronic media loses its moral legitimacy when few anchors and analysts are seen taking sides and justifying resort to extra-constitutional modes to achieve political objectives of attaining power, with few even present on two containers raising slogans or whispering suggestions to leaders. While we are fighting a war against terrorism and hundreds of thousands of IDP are suffering, the media has no proportional time to focus on them nor is it priority of script writers, actors and elected government. Perhaps it is because of the lack of capacity of these homeless IDPs to offer live music concerts and fiery speeches or threats.

For common Pakistanis holding no dual nationalities, main problems are massive inflation, spiraling price escalation, with no concrete plans by the elected government which is stubborn not to levy direct taxes on rich, with no hesitation in burdening poor through indirect taxation. Perhaps it is not a problem for tax evading politicians and members of paid establishment that withholding tax on pensioners, widows, handicapped, elderly, or on jointly held savings by active tax payer and his dependent, who rely solely on interest from National Saving Centre schemes, has been raised from 10% to 15% while relief has been given to billionaires involved in stock exchange, real estate, traders and industrial magnates.

MALIK TARIQ ALI

Lahore