A country in mourning
Shaima Sumaya
Not by wrath does one kill, but by laughter.” (Friedrich Wilhelm
Nietzsche) It was the blessed day of Friday and it was the Chehlum of
Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A.). We were celebrating our solidarity with the
Kashmiris on “Kashmir Solidarity Day”, not to mention it was a national
holiday. The verdict of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui was widely condemned in the
country and President Zardari directed his government to provide legal
support to Dr. Aafia. Security was beefed up in Karachi for Chehlum
processions. Heavy police parties and ranger contingents comprising of
10,000 troops along with plain clothed rangers and intelligence
agencies’ officials were deployed to make sure the blasts that occurred
at Ashura does not happen again. Punjab Home Department unveiled that
the terrorists once again may target the Parliament House. The Home
Department had quoted intelligence sources as saying that an
unidentified terrorist is already present in the federal capital, who
could not gain access to the Parliament due to the poor security
arrangements there. Foolproof security arrangements had been recommended
for Lahore in the report, after which law enforcement agencies had been
directed to spruce up the security arrangements. Both Punjab and Sindh
were under serious threat. Then suddenly, a powerful explosion took
place in a public vehicle plying on Sharah-e-Faisal of Karachi. The
blast occurred in a mini bus near Nursery stop towards FTC. The dead and
the injured included women and children. The dead and injured were being
taken to Jinnah Hospital which started treating and documenting the dead
and injured. The Shia Ulema were asking members of their community to
remain calm and abstain from any actions that would constitute civil
disobedience. Then suddenly, another powerful explosion was heard at the
emergency ward of Jinnah Hospital, the very same hospital that was
attending the dead and the injured from the previous explosion. A large
number of relatives of the first blast victims were present at the time
of second blast. Panic and fear gripped the hospital after the blast, in
which paramedical staff and media persons were also affected.
A human tragedy was turned into a pool of opportunities and every person
of influence wanted to get his foot in the pie. The public was yelling
and screaming and moving from one hospital to another. The devil had two
big laughs and was hilarious over how people lose their innocence in
moments of extreme and genuine tragedy. His meticulous planning had
worked most effectively, but there was more to come. More to come meant
more laughter for the devil and more carnage and pain for the innocent.
A bomb was planted in a TV set of Jinnah Hospital, which was identified
by the security personnel present in the hospital. The panic of the
people in the hospital knew no limits. A bomb disposal squad has been
called to defuse the bomb. Lives were saved but damage done was done;
people were given a clear message that their enemy can resort to any
measure to kill and destroy them. The devil laughed the third time.
There was a wicked sense of humour in this particular act by the devil.
By now the dead were at least 30 and the injured were at least 50, most
of whom were critical. Last but not least, first the City Nazim Mustapha
Kamal, then Information Minister Kaira, and finally the President and
the Prime Minister condemned the terrorist attack. This is a ritual that
is followed after every terrorist attack in Pakistan and Pakistan was
going through the usual motions. With the day’s carnage coming to an end
it was time for ulterior motives.
What must be highlighted is that the MQM always considers a terrorist
attack in its city as “an attack on Karachi, the citizens of Karachi
particularly the Muhajirs”. The MQM must realize that Karachi is not
solitary to Pakistan and neither is the Muhajir community. Karachi is as
much a part of Pakistan as Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, or Islamabad; and
the Muhajirs are our beloved brothers. But the MQM is notorious in
giving ethnic colour to the attacks on Karachi and other parts of urban
Sindh to draw money and attention towards itself and its representative
community as symbols of persecution in Pakistan. The next day, Saturday,
was followed by funerals for the dead including seven MQM workers whose
death MQM leader Altaf Hussain especially condoled. Karachi was a city
in mourning, with transport, shops, schools, universities and other
institutions closed, and exams canceled. A city shut down, civil
activities suspended and criminal investigations under way. This is
another ritual Pakistan has gotten used to. Four suspects were presented
at different courts, two FIRs were filed for the twin blasts and CCPO
Karachi announced that the blasts were remote controlled. Life will move
on after the Karachi blasts on Friday, it would be vain to keep track of
progress during investigations as the criminal investigation system in
Pakistan is slow, ineffective and inefficient. Meanwhile, the public can
watch the CCTV footage on Geo and feel more terrorized while Geo TV
celebrates its achievement of being the first channel to obtain the
footage while other channels bite the dust and figure out more ways to
create sensation in a lawless country gone mad and completely out of
touch with God. Death and destruction have become tools and vehicles to
make money. There is no value for human life in Pakistan, human
sentiments are worthless. It puts me to shame to say anything anymore as
even in everyday life the Pakistani people are so indifferent,
insensitive, inconsiderate and downright callous that what difference
preaching the bigger picture will make. There is a Rupee and a Dollar to
be made in this country for every sin you commit. Is there light at the
end of the tunnel? What should our belief system be? As a Muslim, if you
are a believer then all you will say is “I have seen the devil laugh but
I have never seen Allah turn his back.” |
