Thank God, Sunday passed peacefully. With the cricket mania brimming over, the PSL final between cricket and terrorism ended safely.
People bought tickets ranging from Rs. 500 to Rs. 12,000, and some for even more depending on the black marketer they got connected to. This led everyone – even those who did not go to the stadium for the match – into believing that cricket was returning home, so it should be supported fully.
On the other hand, the state went heads over heels with selling the idea of “bringing cricket home.” From the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the Chief Minister of Punjab, the Chief of the Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police Punjab, everyone made efforts to ensure the event is pulled off successfully.
Despite some of the foreign players refusing to come to Pakistan, there were others who dared to take the risk, especially in the aftermath of the recent wave of terrorism that shook Pakistan.
The government, media and social media have raised a din and chanted slogans of the success of PSL final.
But how far is this true? No doubt the government, agencies and public deserve a huge round of applause for hosting the event successfully and showing that we are a great nation, but there are some serious questions that need to be answered.
For the week leading up to the final, Gaddafi Stadium had become a fortress. No one was allowed to enter or take the route through it. All food outlets were closed, marriage halls in the area had to reschedule events planned during this week. Rangers and police were deployed at the entrance and exit gates of the stadium with drawn weapons. It seemed Lahore was more under siege than preparing to bring cricket home. Parents were under stress while sending their kids to schools in the area.
So how exactly did we win?
The Chief Minister of Punjab was actively involved with the preparations in Lahore and everyone was on their toes; with flowerpots arranged, painted and placed everywhere. Lights put up for lightening up the area around Main Boulevard, Ferozepur and Jail Road – and social media was full of pictures of ‘Roshan Lahore’.
New water coolers, mobile medical units, different maps and parking spaces were arranged so the public coming to watch the match would do so without the least hassle.
People were asking why such efficiency and activity is not visible during other days.
Visit any government hospital in Lahore and see what a holy mess they are in. Every other day there are statements of ending load-shedding in the near future, but in the build up to the final there was no load shedding!
Will this be done during summers when there is no electricity for hours? Was providing electricity during these days more important than during summers? But then people tend to forget that Lahore like Islamabad is neither Punjab nor Pakistan.
The public after a very long time got an opportunity to enjoy and watch cricket in their home ground. Everyone said that attending the match would be akin to defeating terrorism. But the same people are hardly seen standing shoulder to shoulder with those who come out against terrorism after any attack, and are quick to dub these ‘moambati (candle) mafia.’
Pakistan has witnessed terrorism for a long time but no one stood united against it. And for once I am happy to see the public came out to enjoy and show the world that we are not terrorists but an energetic nation.
But many of us would appreciate it if the people in the same numbers turned up when Ahmadis, Christians, Shias – or for that matter Sunnis – are killed in attacks.
Let us forget terrorism for a while, what about inflation, commodity price rise, murders, rapes, etc.? Why do we not stand up and speak on these issues? Why this hypocrisy?
Standing up against terrorism was easy as the LEAs ensured that Gaddafi Stadium was turned into a fortress. Radd-ul-Fasaad was launched just a few days before the final match and combing operations were underway. But now as PSL is over how far will our security be ensured? Will we be as secure as the audience and the players of the PSL final match?
If such dedication can be shown for a match why can’t it be reciprocated on other days? We easily forget that there is a paper called National Action Plan, which has not yet been implemented in its true form. The question some ask is: will it ever be?
But then there are the doubters among us who say it will not be implemented as it would not help many in the corridors of power.
And power corrupts, so the corrupt benefit by going about business as if nothing is amiss!