Here is a typical synopsis of an average bomb blast in Pakistan.
Blast, splash of blood, loud cries and wailing, charred bodies, tears, condemnation hurricane from anybody above grade-17, volley of sweeping statements within first hour after the blast, without any investigation implicating every hostile spy agency like RAW, MOSAD, CIA, Black Water, ‘Breaking News’ breaks that the higher ups have ordered to intensify operations against anti-state elements, few mourning songs, followed by more patriotic songs and finally announcement of cash disbursement for the bereaved families and the injured.
That is all.
Few days later in the national media it seems like nothing had happened until a new blast rips apart some more. This loop is executed again and again.
Yes, it seems very heartless, to talk in a mocking tone and apparently acting as if it is ‘not a big deal’ while real humans who had families got killed. Indeed, this is not how it should be depicted, but honestly how else should it be described?
If a lot of anger or disgust is shown, would that help matters? Or if a lot of cold facts and statistics is provided accompanied by a ‘super-cool’ analysis, would that serve any insurance that no further blood-shed would happen? The answer is certainly No.
The deceased, when given the title of ‘Shaheed’ by the media or by any government dignitary, doesn’t come back. Their grieving families find no solace when this title is told to them. They miss their loved ones. The loved ones, who left their home to earn something for the family and not to get Shahadat. This tradition serves as catharsis which diffuses the anger for their killers.
Without getting into the religious interpretation, let the mourners know that their dead were killed by heartless people and channelize their energy in getting to lodge protest with the state and demand justice for their loved ones.
The other most disturbing fact after every episode of carnage is to shift the blame to imaginary enemies. The enemies that you cannot apprehend right away.
How on earth is it established by the media or by others, within the first hour, without investigation, that the responsibility lies with any foreign spy agency, mostly Indian RAW?
If we are this efficient and true to our word, why doesn't the foreign office summon the envoy of that country and lodge a protest? Because if that is true, then the PM should come on national TV and issue direct warning to that country. The COAS should mobilize the troops to the border and reflect a real show of force to that hostile neighbor. That would do the trick and might deter the enemy.
But the issue here is that this blame game ensues to direct the anger towards an unattainable culprit and thus getting ourselves absolved of any responsibility. Until this practice of blaming somebody outside the borders is not shunned, we would never be able to fight this menace of terrorism.
It is a reality that every Pakistani knows who has been carrying all these crime against humanity. We know them, they accept the responsibility but somehow it has become a tradition to overlook the real and apparent enemy, who is shouting at the top of its lungs “It is me”, but we say, “No it is not you”.
What does that mean? It is not the the first event of its kind. Since 2007 we have been told that behind every bomb blast the infamous Black Water was involved. On the national TV the apologist for the extremist mindset has been misleading the public with this fancy name.
And when a serious military operation was initiated, it was against ‘our own’ people in FATA and Waziristan. When the terrorists were routed from those areas, a comparative calm could be felt.
Now nobody talks about Black Water. What happened? Has Black Water been transported back to Nebraska or Oklahoma?
Nothing of this sort happened. A total self-deception. We don’t have to be geniuses to guess who is behind it all.
It is the product of ill-conceived policies and ill-gotten ideology. Go stand in front of any hate-mongering or regular seminary, indulge into a chat with the students there. You would be surprised to listen to the comments. And after a while, if one is gullible enough, one would return with a solid understanding that it was the victims of the blast who were at fault. The victims should have registered their-self for jihad instead of wearing black coat and tie.
Until the state abandons the policy of ‘good extremist’ vs ‘bad extremist’, this problem is not going to go away. There is no such thing as good fire and bad fire; it burns and doesn’t discriminate between the stuff it is burning.
This whole scenario has become so complex and there is so much contradiction in the state policies and its targets that state actors themselves are confused as to whom to wipe out and whom to spare!
If our state is smart enough to consider these confused policies are the only option for a strong and prosperous Pakistan, may be they are right. But there is a visible disconnect here in the public and state interest.
May be public wouldn’t object to these policies, if it earns them security. The basic issue here is that public is getting killed.
For that matter, at least the public should be informed as to how many more of them have to be killed before calm and peace is restored. At least set some expectations here, please.
There have always been spells of public killing in Pakistan's tormented history of the past 40 years. Initially after the bloodshed the public was told that it was because Pakistan is going after a great cause to liberate Afghanistan.
Then sectarian killings peaked and Taliban regime was the reason; the Taliban who otherwise were serving a great cause by offering strategic-depth to Pakistan. But they only had one ‘weakness’; that of killing people of a particular sect. So public killing in that scenario was considered collateral damage.
Then the infamous War on Terror became the reason for a new type of butchery and masses died in big numbers and in a new fashion: suicide bombing. Now a new reason has been crafted: CPEC. Now this road demands Pakistani blood.
Which other country in the world has offered so much blood for the perceived grand and noble causes of the state? None.
The primary duty of the state is to protect its people. The state is for the people and not the other way around. When the public lives in fear, what is the point of a state that apparently has the most lethal weaponry?
It is high time to fix our priorities. We need some strong people in the foreign office who should pacify the neighbors, if we are convinced that it is the neighbors who are behind all this.
Also the state seriously needs to drop the extremist mindset as a tool of foreign policy. The public shouldn’t be considered as a disposable commodity.
A population of 200 million doesn't mean that there are too many of us, so we can afford to lose some on a regular basis. India and China have used their huge populations as their strength. We can ado the same, only if we think the people are of any importance.