Time to end distasteful affair

The law was violated in both letter and spirit on the night of August 30 and the days after as the alleged workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek violating the law entered the building of State Television. The laws that were broken were those of any civilised state or society, but what pushed people to breaking them were the conditions of a society steeped in barbarism. Pakistan for too long has the law been subject to political considerations; so much so that it has turned into a tool of oppression against minorities and women.

Issues regarding the protests were questioned, and that Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan manipulated for personal gain, if this is the case than up to what extent does parliament represent the betterment of the people. PTI President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi gave a clear answer to the joint session of parliament: “Our political history shows nothing for us to hold our heads up high about…parliament has failed to solve people’s problems,” accordingly citizens will be angry and open to manipulation by social groups. Parliament was unable to improve justice system and this is the failure of the political giants. Can the nation be governed by law or by elite families with force of arms? Regardless the damage that was done on Saturday night, there is a prospect present for the government to begin implementing the rule of law. It must be kept in consideration to draw a distinction between Khan and Qadri, and the protestors who broke through the gates on Saturday night. Their intentions as stated to their followers and to the government were totally disparate. They assured the government in writing that the protests would remain peaceful and would not move towards the symbols of the state. There was a responsibility to protect. To their followers they showed coffins and thundered about bringing down the government and the democratic system. Eventually they chose to disregard their word to the government and it responded in the only way possible. The attack on parliament and the subsequent violence of their highly emotional followers proved they had no intention of remaining serene. They aimed to portray parliament as a symbol of tyranny, but it is in fact a symbol of the people’s determination, even when said determination is invisible. Who else but the people of Pakistan were harmed by the events of August 30, including the police, the military, and the average citizen? The government lodged an FIR against Qadri and Khan for, among other things, terrorism and provocative violence, still unable to act on it for political reasons, with the two surrounded by their followers and the government constantly looking over its shoulder fearfully at Rawalpindi. It is time to end this distasteful affair and begin enforcing the law irrespective of political considerations and street politics, it will be difficult, but as they say the right path is never easy.