Ethnic hooliganism on Pakistan Day
Mar 24th, 2012 | By Saad Lakhani | Category: Latest, Pakistan
Sometimes I just wonder whether the state we will in is even a state anymore. If by the state we mean the government, then what is the government even doing? Very frankly, I feel no security seeing the police around. Far from that, I often avoid encountering or approaching them for help. Experience tells us that often the police is just another of the many exploiters that surround us. What about courts? Who likes to go to court? Frankly, nobody! After all, who likes to go through more injustice to get justice? Then there is open violence; everywhere there is violence; it seems as though, tolerance and respect have seen their days.
But I guess, we are all used to it.
So what if the state isn’t playing its role. So what if it’s not respecting you as it should? Does that give you the right to disrespect others? To simply raid into a city of your own country in large numbers and taking full advantage of that city’s hospitality to infect it with your hooliganism. Just because you come in large numbers, and ‘political correctness’ has learned to make room for your ethnic “grievances”, and therefore doesn’t interfere when you decide to hold your rallies in different cities, does not mean that you can loot and plunder, humiliate and kill people, and desecrate sites that are held sacred, either culturally, religiously, or historically.
On this 23rd of March, the day we celebrate as the Pakistan Resolution day, a national holiday, I was with a few of my friends, from universities that included IBA, SZABIST, CBM (IoBM), FAST among others, from the platform of Youth Intelligentsia, at the Mazar-e-Quaid to offer our respect and prayers for the cherished founder of our country.
What we saw there was shocking and heart breaking too. People were entering the great leader’s last resting place with ethnic flags and wearing shoes, both of which are not allowed. They raided in with dirty abuses for our leader and even Pakistan. They openly chanted anti-Pakistan slogans and had sticks in their hands. Many displayed very disrespectful and degrading gestures to the founder of the nation.
Surrounding the premises of the Mazar was a rally organized by an ethnic separatist movement.
While we saw these horrifying scenes and so did the many women and children that came in families to mark this national event, many of us wanted to do something about it. We asked the guards and they simply added that they needed orders to counter them. It was also understandable that any scene at the Mazar would have negative consequences. But we did decide to do what we came here to do, and in the process break the silence of fear that had occupied the atmosphere.
We had with us Pakistan’s ex-national Golf coach, Jamal Badshah Khan, who raised out loud the “Pakistan Zindabad” slogan right next to Jinnah’s grave just after we performed the Fateha. The people, who were till then silent, chanted alongside us even louder. Then the Guards performed a parade in what was one of the most patriotic moments of my life.
The anti-Pakistan rally was not far away, and as soon as they heard us they rushed inside chanting the slogan “Pakistan kay chahnay walon… Hum Tumhari maut hen” (Those who love/desire Pakistan… we have come as your death).
By the grace of God, however, no violent confrontation took place. Maybe, because these hooligans feared that we were more in number or as to how the ordinary people would respond if so were to happen. We then left the Mazar when we had accomplished our task. On our way back we saw members of this ethnic group with guns and axes in their hands, only wondering on the cowardice of such people coming to a public site visited by families.
We learned later that this ethnic hooliganism had taken hostage much of the city, except in manners more violent if not shameful.
Many questions are raised regarding the whole incident.
Where was the so-called writ of the government that allowed such terrorists to do whatever they want for a whole day, and that too on Pakistan Day? Was it because such groups are largely perceived as the asset of ruling party; the members of whom have publicly talked of a ‘Sindh Card’?
What has happened to our society that violence and thuggery have gained widespread acceptance? Difference of opinion is an acceptable element, but where did such disrespect come from?
Would the perpetuators of these crimes be brought to justice, or is it true as is observed that Pakistan is becoming a more stateless society with every passing day?
sad…… and thought provoking
Intresting Article,
I understand that HUMANS are the most intelligent beings on earth, but People/Public is a herd of cattle.
the real issue here is not these hooligans, the real issue are the people pulling their strings.
what is in the news and on the face is one thing.. the question is with the media occupied with covering these hooligans, what is that the media missed. and the things that happen in the back drop are far more worrying then what happens in the fore-front
some food for thought.!!!
all these ethnic tensions in Pakistan (purely secular in theme and taste & history) are result of ignoring the mutual bonds on bases of Islam.
We need to act against them
Specially against the literature they are distributing in youth.
my sixth sense was already saying that these enemies are doing something bad in Sindh province. some of my most patriotic friends became anti-Pakistan after reading filthy literature of G.M Syed.
thanks for such a great blog! god bless you
MA ppl like you….i think we have not slpt
u are here representing us…our voice ..this is a Collective..its a WE…wakeup
this is all about to serve change
start sharing things which can help others..
thankyou for sharing this saad
PEACE
I m just happy that ppl like you are not in the armed forces…otherwise a coward enemy like India would have easily and with out resistant, occupied our land……What a shame….you were more in numbers and did nothing.
very nice….its really unforutnate with this province and city..they people like these are free to do anything
simply exasperating and unfortunate.
DEAR SAAD excellent . we will defeat these people by awakening the youth
patriotism is feed only to idiots in name of state or religion to blindly let statesment elite enjoy the luxuries and poor people not protest and even come out to make war because of long bred patriotism without questioning the facts.
For those who love the country and think jannah’s grave as a holy place must also consider if this country’s politicians and policy makers hadn’t had turned blind eye to the problems of its people no nationalist or ethnic or seperatist thought would ever had emerged.
Jannah like bhutto and like today’s seperatists only cashed the popular public emotion, it was religious emotion 1st, for bhutto it was poverty and for today’s politicians its people’s overall frustration and hopelessness that these politicians mobilize for their political targets.
Its natural, as long as patriotism or nationalism overlaps logic and reasoning the opportunists would always benefit, we need to look into the reason of this uproar not the uproar itself,
As far as incidents of looting is considered it could have been a political retaliation by another ghuda-party of karachi famous for creating trouble during any rallies which over-shadow their hegemony in karachi, like the incident of 12th may, so you cannot blame or accuse nationalist for situation without proof and for that one has to shun its patriotic emotion and observe and understand the overall situation with logic and reasoning and then decide what wrong has happened to trigger an atmosphere as present.
Mr.Atta
How would you Sindhi nationalists like it if the people of Karachi come in thousands to interior Sindh and not only loot and plunder, and kill, and humiliate but also Desecrate the graves of G.M Syed and other Sindhi nationalists. You people have to be ashamed of yourself. You have brought shame to the beautiful civilization of Sindh and it’s historical people. Shame on You!!!!!
Regarding the internal violence perpetuated by groups inside Karachi is condemnable and the average Karachite condemns that.
But I guarantee that it is only the ideology that Jinnah and the state of Pakistan has provided us that makes us tolerable enough to allow you people to come in such huge numbers and chant rubbish regarding that very ideology and state. Otherwise we can stop each one of you from entering our city. Yes, we live here. It’s our city!! you want to come and stay, most welcome. But if you insult the very ones providing you such hospitality then go to HELL!!
This is an excellent article and i am so glad you guys were there to take some action. Kudos to you and your courage, because indeed it takes courage to Raise your Voice when confronted by an angry mob!
Check out this video I made the same day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Occ8GhlTKVo
Nice Article ! I know Jamal, he is my Golf coach and I am happy that he led this courageous effort. Those who are playing Sindh card are those who never had to do anything for the creation of this country and have no clue about the price people paid for the creation of this nation.