For the past two months I have being paralysed, depressed, and oh so angry. The emergency was the tipping point I think that had lead to a movement like we’ve never seen before. The last time so many people took to the streets to protest was in the 80s, during military dictator Zia’s time, when he introduced heinous laws such as the Hudood and zina ordinances. (For more information, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zia-ul-Haq’s_Islamization.) My own mother, one of the earliest members of Women’s Action Forum, was beaten and jailed on many occasions, including the time when she was pregnant with my brother. (Please don’t post a stupid comment such as the fact that she didn’t have to participate etc. She had to. Her silence would have meant consent. As a conscientious citizen, she needed to make a statement.)
Now here I am, sitting down to write. Finally. I need to now. I need to make my voice heard, not only through protests, but also through the internet so that I can reach out to others.
What a year 2007 was for Pakistan. As one of my friends, Adnan Ahmad, said: “I am convinced Musharraf needs a nappy change.” Pakistanis have been out protesting since March when the Chief Justice was unfairly dismissed since he refused to be a minion of Mush. This year has seen so much discord that “Dawn” has declared 2007 as the year of the protester. That’s what we all have been doing, and we will persevere.
Since I last published a post on my blog, Benazir Bhutto has been assassinated, which I’m assuming that just about anyone reading this knows. I was glued to the TV for 3 days. And, yes, I did cry. I shed many tears, not just for the one whom I once looked up to as a champion of democracy, but also because of the fact that no one deserves to die like members of the Bhutto family have. Although I was very critical of her policies, I recognise that she was one hell of a brave woman and perhaps the best face Pakistan had for the West. She knew that she was a target, yet she faced her supporters in public and did her signature wave. She was well loved by her followers, most of whom have been faithful to the party since her father Zulfiqar Bhutto first created it. And the fact of the matter is that the Pakistan People’s Party was and is the only secular party in Pakistan. And if I had to vote, I would vote for them.
I’m not big on conspiracy theories, but I have no option but to believe the story PPP is stating about her assassination. The Pakistani government’s explanation of how she died is one of the most ludicrous things I have ever heard. Blunt head trauma by hitting lever of the sunroof during explosion. Right. No bullets. Right. No autopsy and god knows whose x-rays. The fact is that governments the world over are calling for an investigation. We are all asking some very basic questions:
1. Why was the forensic evidence washed away? I remember being stupefied when I saw images of the police hosing down everything right after the occurrence.
2. Why was an autopsy not performed? Although her family requested that no post-mortem examination take place, the law clearly states that it has be conducted no matter what. The family’s consent is not needed.
3. The pictures that were obtained by DAWN News, and the video that has been released, clearly show that she disappears from the sunroof right after the shots have been fired, and, most importantly, before the blast. Therefore, the sunroof could not have hit her while she ducked. It doesn’t take more than 5 seconds to duck.
4. Behtullah Masud has denied that he was involved. I believe him because he is a terrorist. Terrorists are proud of the blood they shed. They aim to terrify of course, but they also do it to make a point. Muslim militant groups always claim responsibility.
5. The killing is very dissimilar to most suicide attacks. A gun and then blast. Has this ever happened before?
6. And, of course, the question BB posed to the government herself: why wasn’t she being provided with adequate security?
Yes, Musharraf and the army are to blame. Yes, the ISI was very much involved. They are doing this to silence us, to scare us into shutting up. What they’ve done, however, is step on their own feet. The vast majority of the country doesn’t believe the official explanation of how she died. People were up in arms for three days, including non-PPP members. We had no access to basic commodities such as petrol, gas, and food! All shops were closed out of fear. Luckily, here in Lahore, there was hardly any violent discontent. Clearly the few that care chose to protest through other means.
All I can wonder now is: what next? When will Musharraf finally go? When will we have free and fair elections? When will the judiciary be restored? When will the army finally fight the militants properly instead of letting them run amok in order to create more fear? When will I stop feeling fear? When will I feel safe? When will I stop wondering when my country is going to be torn to pieces?
I want discord. I want justice. I want peace. I want my country back.
