After watching the ongoing 24/7 circus deep inside the Islamabad’s Red Zone, which houses Pakistani state symbols – Parliament, Supreme Court, President and Prime Minister Houses and a number of foreign embassies and consulates — is it safe for me to presume that a precedent has now been set? I being anyone, but not from Punjab, am I going to be treated and hosted the same way as Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri and their few thousand followers-cum-protesters are being handled by the government and army? Am I or a leader from my political party be allowed to abuse and ridicule the state institutions in public while using public address systems?
Will my leader be allowed to order civil disobedience all across the country, prompting people not to pay taxes, not honour their utilities bills, ask overseas Pakistanis not to send money (and if it is essential, shall not use banking channels)? Will we be allowed to storm the state-run TV centre, camp inside the Parliament and Prime Minister House courtyards? Will we be allowed to take bath in open, wash clothes, cook food in the lawns of Prime Minister House and Supreme Court? Will we be allowed to attack police with sticks, rocks and flying pebbles, even injure senior police officers, chase away police with sticks with protruding nails? I presume no one will question my leader for causing damage to country’s economy by shutting down the capital for at least three weeks? No one will question him on cancellation of foreign dignitaries’ tours, which led to negative impression about Pakistani state affairs.
If answer to all these questions and presumptions is yes, then I am also a freedom fighter and revolutionary. I am going to join the sit-in from tonight. But sorry, what did you say, air-conditioned containers are only for leaders, not for workers and followers who have been left in scorching heat, rain and humidity in the open? Let me rethink.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
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