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Pending dire obligations

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Muhammad Usman

A DG ISPR’s press release revealed that officials of ISI and Pakistan Rangers Sindh, involved in Karachi incident have been relieved of their positions pending further departmental disciplinary action for acting overzealously. One finds it suffocating when he sees nothing in immediate air to bring real malefactors to book from the desecration of Mazar-e-Quaid to staging a police mutiny. Both are unthinkable. Sadly, our response is equally incomprehensible and reprehensible. The unsavoury drama started when on 18 October, Captain Safdar (retired) instigated PML (N)’s workers to indulge in slogan mongering /hooliganism, inside the Mazar-i-Quaid. It became even a more repulsive sight when people saw his spouse, Maryam Nawaz, convicted of perjury and forgery, standing beside him and feeling triumphant inwardly by this heroic performance while being oblivious of the fact that it was a sacrilegious act, not a heroic act and she was an accomplice in its perpetuation. They all were to be hauled up and punished severely for violating sanctity of Quiad’s mausoleum bizarrely.
Alas, PPP which is in power there, wilfully chose to abdicate its responsibility and stood in solidarity with perpetuates, not for disrespect displayed at Mazar-e-Quaid only but also used it an opportunity to malign Army as a state above the state. Underlying purpose was of not only to serve political agenda of corrupt ruling elite but also of their overlords abroad. Following despicable incident, there was an acute sense of disgust and outrage across the country particularly, emotions were running very high in Karachi, being custodian of Mazar-e-Quaid. People were desperate and wanted an immediate action against the desecrators. To the contrary, apparently, under a diktat from their political masters, Sindh Police dragged its feet. Assessing timid and implausible response of Sindh Police in a fast developing volatile situation and constrained by mounting public pressure for a right cause, officers of ISI and Rangers decided to step in to get the needful done. Given conditions, it was neither first time nor very unusual occurrence. For the last twelve years, Sindh has been under a government, unabashedly involved in protecting criminals, plundering public money and playing politics under the rubric of guarding provincial autonomy.
Over a time, Sindh Police has fallen in their lap as a cat paw. It has rather become a legal instrument to help them in advancement of their subterfuge and sly moves to attain their ends and purposes. Karachi was in tatters when under diverse pressures, Rangers were tasked to restore sanity in the city in aid of civil power. The target killing, extortion, abductions for ransom, political violence and no go areas synonymised the city. The purging of all these stark ills was a task of Herculean proportions and Rangers did it quite splendidly. People of Karachi acknowledged it with acclaim and developed trust upon them for deliverance of their immediate and pressing problems. It is naive to believe that task was accomplished without friction. The authority remained invested with civil government and it was hugely averse to altruism, populism and good governance. Rest could be deciphered without reading too much between the lines. Probably, this was an imperative for overhauling the city. In instant case too, people looked towards Rangers without inhibition of any kind, being a normal recourse available however, instead of seeing the reason, Sindh government conspired with IG Police to take advantage of it while making it an exception. A number of pointers suggests this hypothesis.
IG Police, Mushtaq Mehar is a man of PPP. He was accused of harassing witnesses in investigation of Omni Group for its misdeeds by no less than CJP himself. For his appointment as IG Police, Sindh government created a lot of fuss. The Police hierarchy led by him applied for leave, citing reason of low morale following episode of registration of FIR against Captain Safdar (retired) wherein, their high command has been ridiculed and mishandled. All applicants used one text which further reinforced hypothesis of an arranged mutiny. Under no event, a police officer has a right of protest. He forfeits it day he joins police force. He has a redress of grievances only. They clearly infringed upon their limits. Instead of taking them to task and get train moving, Bilawal championed their cause however, Army took right decision and ordered inquiry.
On its conclusion/action taken, he gloated as he has achieved a major breakthrough for cause of democracy while forgetting dire obligations at hand. Their achievement would definitely bode well for rule of law in the country. He has to bring guilty of desecrating sanctity of Quaid’s Mausoleum and main accused are Safdar and Maryam Safdar. The hierarchy of Sindh Police has committed a grave offence and needs to be dealt with severely. The mention of a similar mutiny may not be out of place here. In 1972, Punjab Police went on strike. Mustafa Khar of PPP, was Governor Punjab. He thundered that if they do not call off strike and come on duty by tomorrow, they would stand dismissed. This worked miraculously and they rejoined the duty much before the deadline. This was legacy of PPP. Now it has fallen in hands of a corrupt and numbskull Zardari and a novice of low stock, Bilawal. It is futile to lay hopes upon them. This is for others with high offices or without to forge ahead and get aforementioned dire obligations fulfilled before they recede into background. Given gravity of situation, Army inquiry is far less than a half job done. The half measures constitutes pain and no gain.
— The writer, a retired Lt Col, is freelance columnist based in Islamabad.

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