Why blame “Yahood aur Hanood” for terrorism, lawlessness, crime, terrorism and our perpetual state of bankruptcy, when elected executive, paid civil or uniformed bureaucracy, lower judiciary and law enforcement selectively apply law, punish some and reward others for same offence. Almost every other day scores of poor expatriate workers are off loaded, put in prison for carrying Pakistani or foreign currency more than legal limit, but when it comes to model Ayyan, working for powerful member of corrupt elite, everybody goes out of the way to defend her and facilitate her early departure. Pakistan can become bankrupt as long as billions of dollars belonging to the elite are transferred out of the country.
An orphan gets killed in Lahore’s posh Cavalry Ground by stray bullet of a spoiled scion from a politically powerful family in Punjab and gets away for lack of evidence, having bribed witnesses in the presence of police and the judge lets him go, forcing the Chief Justice to take suo motu notice. Thousands of poor are put in prison for kunda connections but if the same crime is committed by a posh housing society adjacent to Lahore’s Allama Iqbal Airport, nothing happens.
A poor airhostess caught smuggling cartons of cigarettes or cell phones is sacked but not a well connected pilot, while another PIA captain with fake degree continues to hold executive assignment, and yet another faces charges of terrorism for crash landing an aircraft under the state of intoxication, but somebody accused of a similar offence was appointed as Director Flight Safety or Inspector by CAA. Another pilot convicted in UK for attempting to fly while drunk gets reemployed, his license valid, just because he is the son of a general.
There is an endless list of poor women and children being raped and offenders getting away because of poor prosecution. What else constitutes ideal condition for terrorism and crime to flourish and a state to be on edge of anarchy, eligible to be defined as a banana republic?
ANEELA CHANDIO
Sukkur
