- Finally, government takes action against miscreants
The acquittal of Aasia Bibi by a three-member Supreme Court bench was viewed favourably by the vast majority of citizens, being based strictly on merit and the law, ending her 10-year ordeal on Death Row, and eliciting global goodwill and praise for Pakistan. What followed, however, made a mockery not only of the supposedly unassailable power of state and government, but also of the persons of the prime minister, the three honourable judges and army chief. From October 30, between the courageous judgment till November 2 when the government–Tehreek-i-Labbaik deal was reached, people witnessed the same mayhem, lawlessness and dislocation reminiscent of the 20-day November 2017 Faizabad siege, starring the same cast of characters, and seemingly ending on a similar note, an on-its-knees government peace offering. It is clear that success in Faizabad, when the then federal minister for law was forced to resign and everything forgiven, led directly to the latest country-wide protests on a wider canvas and savage scale, with many injuries, turmoil, damage to public and private property, arson of vehicles, manhandling of innocent citizens, amid an apparently vanished government writ. The irrefutable conclusion to be drawn is that feeding the beast of bigotry only whets its appetite.
The common man suffered most throughout this anarchic situation, with livelihoods at risk, daily wagers desperate, roads blocked, mobile services suspended, while a tiny mischievous minority held them and their normal, everyday activities hostage. This scary, depressing scenario was exacerbated because it went unchallenged for what seemed an eternity, and apparently again ended in timorous government surrender, as in November 2017. Thankfully, better sense has prevailed this time, albeit belatedly, as large-scale arrests are being made, after proper identification, of the criminals involved in violent act. The TLP leadership too faces possible sedition cases. There is a need on the part of the ECP to review if a party that challenges the writ of the state can be allowed to take part in elections. And also implementing the long-ignored National Action Plan…better late than never. If hate-fomenting bigotry is punished this time, there probably won’t be a next time.
