STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan
It was during 1971 India Pakistan war. Hostilities were in full swing in East Pakistan and air war had started on the Western front. I was living in Punjab University, New Campus; at that time and was President of Students Union. Trenches were dug around hostels to provide protection from air raids for students. An army major was deployed to coordinate with University security staff andeducate residents how to react during an attack. Our Union worked closely with them. We set up a volunteerstudent organization to assist.
Since the class routine was disturbed, we spent most of our time in the Union’s office, cafeteria and my quarters in Student Teachers Center. We love rumor mongering and concocting conspiracy theories. One such story making the rounds was that Indian spies had infiltrated and wereassisting Indian pilots for their target selection from the ground. So our volunteers were on high alert against suspicious persons or activities. When the warning sirens went off everyone would run to the trenches or other secure areas. A fellow student, whose name I forget,would dash into the open space with a book in hand and kneel moving back and forth. Volunteers found this suspicious and started to watch him closely. Our supervisor theorized that the book was actually a transmitter to direct the enemy planes to bomb the University.
On the next occasion they pounced upon him, tied his hands and brought him in. Poor chap was badly thrashed on the way, yet he clutched onto his book. He was badly bruised, bleeding with his clothes torn. Our team leader kept yelling at him to accept that he was a spy. I presided over this kangaroo court. I started by bringing the temperature down; offered him a chair and a glass of water. He calmed down and overcame his fear. I asked him if I can see the book he was clutching onto. He handed it over rather reluctantly. We expected it to be some kind of an electronic gadget. To our complete surprise it was the Holy Quran.
Everybody felt sheepish. I asked him what was he upto?He could have been blown to bits if a bomb fell or could have suffered serious injuries as a suspected spy. His reply still rings in my memory. “Allah’s book is divine thus indestructible; I was reciting Quran for everyone’s safety.”
This level of belief makes me reflect. We are good people and a nation of believers. We have been misled and are suffering at the hands of poor leadership. For 75 years we have been unable to determine our national identity or agree on form of governance. We have been swinging like a pendulum between pure dictatorship, impure democracy and small sprinklings of democratic rule. The masses want to believe in something or someone. Each time they have been deceived and taken advantage of, for personal gains or glory.
This cruel drama is being enacted once again these days. Our power hungry and corrupt ruling elite refuses to learn any lessons; blinded by the glitter of gold or power. As the present term of ruling fraudsters is coming to an end, the knives are out to go for a power grab. Who are the contenders? PML(N), PPP, PTI and the Establishment;with Fazal and smaller parties struggling to stay relevant. Presently the levers of power are in control of the Establishment in an unholy alliance with Nawaz Sharif. Zardari is becoming irrelevant despite being one of the main architects of regime change with General Bajwa.
They are all bonded together against a common enemy, Imran Khan. In cahoots with the army, this regime has unleashed a reign of terror against PTI. They have spun a huge web of false cases against IK. His leadership and party faithful are in jail suffering inhuman treatment. The weak ones have fled; true faithful like Omar Cheema, Mian Mehmood ur Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, Shahryar Afridi, Ali Mohammad Khan, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Chaudhry Pervez Ellahi and thousands of others are rotting in indignity. Imran Riaz Khan, arguably the most popular journalist in Pakistan, has disappeared into a black hole. Media is under complete censorship where IK’s name is akin to blasphemy.
Al Qadir Trust, Tosha Khana and hundreds of false FIR’s are keeping IK engaged to prevent him from politicking. His ticket holders have gone underground or fled the country, like many independent journalists. Despite all this persecution, IK’s support is undiminished; in fact it continues to grow. Unable to make PTI irrelevant, the design work has been completed by the Establishment to bring in an interim setup, supposedly to conduct elections. From my sources I have learnt that this is just an eye-wash.
The real intent is to install an obedient interim setup and prolong their rule through superior judiciary. One of their favorites will be in position in September. Notwithstanding the false narratives, the plans are to install a puppet regime and rule through proxy. The voters are to be made irrelevant. The next step will be to cut PML(N) and PPP to size, relying on renegades like IPP and Khattak. Sharifs and Zardari have enough skeletons in their cupboards. The night of the generals could become the dawn. Then there is the path of the righteous seeking Allah’s blessings. Fasten your seatbelts; the nation shall not give up till we get rid of the usurpers and the crooks.
