The last four days have held our public enthralled with the political saga of near epic proportions unfold before us, and be examined and commented on by all the analysts. The intellectual level of the discussions were of a very high standard, with the Urdu leaving one lost at times. The analysis was also superb, and the panel raised points we did not know existed. It was indeed epic, because we witnessed a war between the main political leadership of the country finally enter the battle for the final showdown. In the four months to the grande finale the entire Nation has been hyped to follow the daily, and hourly progress. No Coronation Street or 24 could have the following that the political analysts pulled. I would be surprised if the Olympic games was not overshadowed for viewer ship. The struggle between the protagonists and the public involvement put into the background one of the worst Human rights violations witnessed in Pakistan's history. This was the disappearance of Doc Afiya, five years ago, and sudden reappearance in a US court a few days ago to be tried for the attempted murder of US soldier while under arrest in Kabul. She disappeared from Karachi five years ago with three small children, and was not seen till her court appearance in America. While our Human rights officials tried their best, but to no avail. Our pressure groups marched the length and breadth of Pakistan, but a young (highly qualified MIT graduate no less) mother was held in conditions we cannot begin to imagine. Why did our lawyers not agitate for her freedom? Why has Aitzaz Ahsan the spearhead of such a brilliant campaign for the restoration of our own CJ of the Supreme Court go to the US to accept an award for his services to the legal profession, from a country and a legal system that had just committed the most blatant and flagrant violation of a young family's rights, not to mention the 'sovereignty' of Pakistan, which sovereignty has been discussed many time in the last few days of how it will be defended to the last, and sworn to uphold etc. Dr Afya vanished, and is found in a US court, How? This may look bad for the Americans, but I fear the complicity of our government, and this would be the low point in our own esteem. The people in our government who are involved should be brought into the open, and tried. Let them face the wrath of public shame for it is quite obvious that this was also a bounty transaction, and should be treated as such. The public anger should be directed at those responsible and no cover up allowed. How can we have dirty tricks against our own people? It is time that these people should be opened to scrutiny, and the law applied. Justice Dogar must now exercise his powers, suo moto or otherwise, to defend the sovereignty of the State of Pakistan. He should order that she be produced here before him, and be tried in front of him. He must also enquire as to where she was kept for the last five years. Aitzaz Ahsan should appear before her prosecutors, as her lawyer, and if the Americans refuse, he should return their award, for surely there can no possible recognition from a nation that has so blatantly violated our sovereignty and the rights of one of our citizens in such a brutal and inhuman fashion. This then, is the collective shame that has been dumped upon us by our leadership, and the media that should have picked on this cause for this was more urgent than all the miles covered by the Judges. The Americans should realize that this action will certainly turn many moderate Pakistanis against them. While many of us are working to thwart the thrust of Fundamentalism, this ostensibly senseless kidnapping of a young mother cannot be condoned. This is a truly shameful and cowardly act, and compounded by our government's complicity. The Pakistani officers involved must be punished. It is a collective shame that we bear, and we must make sure that this is never repeated. The writer is a political analyst