THE SCAR

Living in Karachi, and surviving the May 12 mayhem, I believe I owe my blog one comprehensive post relating to the event plus the after effects. But as this blog belongs to me, and I cannot write in a vacuum so I believe this would be filled with deep anguish and bitterness intertwined with the anger that has been baffling inside me ever since.

I guess everyone watched the whole affair on Television that day. The independent media, for the first time ever, seemed to have gone against the government with such drastic measures. The idea that the civilians were killed, the representatives of the secular parties were carrying guns and killing people just to make sure that the Chief Justice of Pakistan could not enter the city, so that he will not be able to address the Bar council?!

It was quite heart-wrenching to see that the people were dying in the streets of Karachi yet the ruling party's leader, Altaf Hussein, was addressing the people of his rally from London. Not a single gun fire, not a single drop of blood was shed from anyone who was attending that rally but the people who were going to show their solidarity with the Chief justice were welcomed with open fire from the activist of the same ruling party of MQM.

The amazing thing to notice is that not a single policeman or the Rangers were visible on the streets, yet there was a helicopter hovering above the MQM's rally. Quite a show they put up there. We could see how much they cared about the people of Karachi. If the MQM's leader was so in love with the people of Karachi as he claim to be, then why is his party activists have to collect bhatta from shopkeepers around their area. Living in a lavish London lifestyle and holding a British passport, one asks if he's so in love with Karachi or Pakistan, why cannot he just give up his passport and come back. Be a Machiavellian and come and live here. What is he afraid of? that people might kill him (he will die eventually, he is not immortal).or the popularity is not that great as they claim it to be?!

Coming back to the ground realities, people of Karachi were left alone to their demise on May 12, where there was no one to provide them with security, while everyone of us saw how amazing security measures were taken to ensure the perfect, harmonious and celebratory rally of the ruling party of PML-Q in Islamabad. Just in front of the Parliament, everyone could see on Television how the party members were celebrating. For us, Karachiites, it seemed as they were dancing to celebrate the shattered Karachi. For me it was crucial to see what everyone has to say to that rally as I was looking for answers. I was looking for comfort. But to my surprise, each politician be it Chaudhry Shujaat Hussein, Sheikh Rasheed, or Shaukat Aziz (the Prime minister) or the respected leader of this country General Parvez Musharraf, just talked about the upcoming elections, the upcoming budget and the power of people! I was shocked and flabbergasted that the leaders of this country, had to say one phrase to the Dead Karachi and all they cared about was their votes. The election campaign was more important to them then the state security, lives of innocent civilians?! Quite a show they put up there! Bullet proof glasses set up on the dais for the President to address the nation while the financial hub was burning. The general, the army chief who claims that he's been in the two battles, is actually hiding behind the bulletproof glass. WOW! All he could say was that everyone has seen that the power of people is with whom and not just here but even in Karachi( referring to the MQM's rally).

It's quite amazing to see how the West loves Musharraf Sahib just because he's an ally of US on War on Terrorism. It seems as if the patron of the war on terrorism is terrorist himself, killing people, burning their properties just to make sure he Rules. Just to make sure that a Chief Justice cannot reach his destination in Karachi.

It's amazing how the General Sahib is saying that the Chief Justice is making the whole issue politicized but what about him.. giving licence to kill the innocent civilians in Karachi so that they cannot support the Chief Justice?! So that the issue doesn't get politicized? General Musharraf has already made the whole issue politicized and here in Karachi, lost his dignity, integrity, honour and respect. It's so easy for him to address a rally hiding behind the bullet proof wall, with the police and army providing him with the maximum security. I bet he doesn't have the guts to address the nation on the naked streets of Karachi without any bulletproof wall and half the police force of this country.

At least we now know that the General, who's been harping about the Islamic, fundamentalist parties to be the jihadis and the militants who want to shed blood of innocent people, was just a huge LIE. The secular parties and the enlightened-moderate factions are actually the one's who are terrorists. They are the ones carrying guns and killing innocent civilians. They are the ones who do not want independence of Judiciary. They are the ones who are afraid of getting rid of the power. They believe in the motto of "Might is Right" and they use the might to curb the opposition.

One question that will always remain unanswered by the authorities is : Why Is General Sahab So Afraid Of The Chief Justice?!

The other thing that was quite surprising was that on other occasions we see the Police and the Rangers roaming around the city, checking cars and removing the coloured sheets off the widows of the cars, WHERE WERE THEY?! On 13th of may the Ranger's spokesman said on TV that they love this city and will make things better, as they were. But they can never bring back those who were gone. The people who died were fathers, brothers, sons and husbands of someone. Can these Rangers and Policemen ever heal the wounds of those who lost their loved ones? Will the people of Karachi, including me, Ever Trust these Law Enforcement Agencies?! I guess you have to be a Karachiite to know the real answer.