Three back, two to go
The ‘missing persons’ phenomenon is, sadly, not new in Pakistan. Yet the attention and outrage triggered by the recent disappearances of five social media bloggers/activists was unprecedented in both good and bad ways. Good because larger sections of the public expressed anger about crude and cruel ways of silencing the slightest sign of dissent. And bad because certain villains in the media were able and allowed to spin the bloggers’ activism into some sort of ridiculous blasphemy, bringing quick death threats to their families.
Apparently some of them started making contact with their families over the last two days. There is still some confusion about what has really happened – news outlets, till the time of writing, seemed carrying contradictory reports – but apparently two of the five suddenly made contact with their families, told all was well, and went silent again. A third, after coming home briefly, left for some other country without clarifying where exactly he had been. Two of the five, unfortunately, remain missing. Their families, in shock because of the disappearances and the death threats, now wait with held breaths.
Who or what abducted these activists/bloggers will remain a matter of conjecture, of course, till facts begin to surface. But it is certain that there are people or forces powerful enough to make other people disappear at will and whim. That is because the latter hold, and express, views that the former simply do not approve of. Surely the high priests of our democracy, always at pains to save and strengthen representative government in this Islamic republic, realise that freedom of speech and the right to question are the most fundamental of all democratic rights. Also, since they practically held ring side seats all the while when any opinion contrary to the ruler’s was strongly rebutted – which led the country down the path of destruction and disintegration – it was hoped that they would be the first to stand up for diversity and freedom. Hopefully the government will need no more reminding that protecting citizens is its foremost responsibility and it will ensure the safe recovery of all missing persons, not just these bloggers.
