This is with reference to JIT report about September 2012 incident in Karachi Baldia garment factory where 289 innocent poor were burnt alive inside a factory, with circumstantial evidence such as allegations that all exits were closed from outside pointing to possibility of a crime being committed and the fact that even after thirty months nobody has been held responsible. The province of Sindh, where this crime occurred, is not located in FATA but in settled areas, where the writ of constitution is supposed to prevail. Yet Karachi, the financial capital of Pakistan, continues to be ruled by mafias, where murderers and mass killers roam around free, harassing citizens, collecting extortion and killing them if anybody dares to resist. Remember 12 May, 2007. Whether it is an elected government at helm or a dictator, laws are subservient to whims of individuals and those who hold guns rule.
There is no difference in either severity or monstrosity of killings in Baldia and recent brutal murder of over 160 Pakistanis, including children between ages of 12 to 16 years in Peshawar Army Public School. Is it the destiny of people of Pakistan to be brutalised by individuals or armed groups and mafia because those who are victims of such mayhem are ordinary citizens, not members of ruling elite whose families either live abroad or in secured fortress-like housing schemes?
What can you call a state where known criminals involved in murder, kidnapping and arson are allowed to go scot-free in the presence of a government, a parliament, police, judiciary and a paid security establishment with an intelligence network? This definitely cannot be called a democratic system of government, for elections alone do not give legitimacy unless oath taken to uphold constitution and provide justice, security of life and equal opportunities is adhered to letter and spirit.
It is not democracy that can be blamed for ills that inflict Pakistan, but its abuse by those elected and those paid by state to serve the people. This can only happen in fiefdoms which collect taxes through extortion, where armed militias loot and kill people in broad daylight and all state funded are institutions are there to serve ruling elite or themselves.
MALIK TARIQ ALI
Lahore