Dr. Umar Khan
Dr. Khan belongs to a Lahore based Think Tank.
14-4-24
The Incomprehensible Events of 9th May
“Condemnation without
investigation is the height of ignorance”. Einstein
A strange and
incomprehensible chain of events started on that fateful day of 9th
May, 2023. These events were labeled Pakistani 9/11 that changed Pakistan.
Surprisingly the original 9/11 brought repercussions and violence against
foreigners but in our case the state violence was directed against its own
Pakistanis. Although events of 9th May affected Pakistan a lot, the
response to those events affected much more, unfortunately all these were
detrimental and might take generations to remedy; if lucky at all.
Let’s analyze the happenings
of that crucial day,
That normal May Tuesday started with a strange
development shocking the country. Imran Khan the popular politician who was also
an ex PM was attending high court summons in Islamabad concerning a case many
considered dubious. As a matter of routine when he was having his biometrics
done, the Islamabad High Court was attacked by a large number of uniformed and
armed personnel. They openly indulged in violence damaging the property and
physically assaulting lawyers and others. Those desecrating the sanctity of
IHC’s premises were a group of state law enforcing personnel who managed to
create a strange spectacle humiliating IK in the process. IK was physically
manhandled, his lawyers bloodied and all this was recorded and played in the
national media.
After this drama the CJ of IHC took notice but
nothing was done later.
IK was a popular figure and this happening shown
on the TV screens across the country created lots of resentment and the
activists came out to protest at many places. The PTI had protested many times
near the military buildings as there was a feeling that the military leadership
indulges in politics against its oath.
In Lahore the protestors gathered at their
favorite Liberty and then moved slowly towards the Corp Commanders house. Here
the things got even stranger and the law enforcement officials vanished.
I have never seen the pickets near the Sherpao
and Mianmir bridges absolutely vacant for even a moment but despite protests
being telecast there was no police that time.
Normally stopping for a minute outside the Corp
Comd house invites attention and response but hundreds of protestors shouting
slogans didn’t face any resistance and many of them walked in the usually heavily
guarded CC house as they enter an ordinary public park. Then there was
vandalism and looting too.
Similar stories were repeated in Rawalpindi,
Faisalabad, Mianwali, Peshawar and other cities too.
Then comes another strange happening, CCTV
cameras installed in all these highly guarded places went missing along with
the recordings of these videos which are stored in the DVRs placed safely somewhere
else.
These were unfortunate happenings and had to be
investigated and blame fixed on the culprits who should have been punished but
this didn’t happen and an even more unexplainable happened.
A highly placed responsible government officer openly
placed blame on a popular political party and started a violent and brutal crackdown
against it. A reign of terror started and tens of thousands were arrested and
tortured while many more homes were raided and destroyed.
Strange
happenings didn’t end here and it got even more bizarre. The senior most law
enforcement officials the IG police, and the CM Punjab instead of being held
responsible were generously rewarded and are still at the highest most lucrative
posts. Lately both of them were decorated instead of being held accountable.
According to unconfirmed reports 25-50 protestors
died that day that have been totally ignored. Loss of property is mourned more
than loss of human life. This indifference to the loss of Pakistani lives by
the Pakistani state apparatus is absolutely incomprehensible.
Having said all this probably the biggest miracle
happened later that day, the kind I have never seen or heard in the entire
history. A highly charged angry protesting mob attacking a government building
came face to face with the highest government official and his family but there
was no violence or even indecency reported. The general had a cordial
interaction with the protestors who just asked him and his family to leave
politely. The political scientists will have a hard time understanding this
behavior which speaks loud about the awareness, decency and upbringing of the
workers of the protesting political party.
It appears that probably the planners of this
event were looking for a few dead and charred bodies to justify their brutality
that fortunately they didn’t get them.
The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates taught his students that the
pursuit of truth only begins once a certain belief passes the tests of
evidence, deduction, and logic. If it doesn't, the belief should not only be
discarded, but the thinker must also then question why he was led to believe
the erroneous information in the first place.
No man can find out the truth without investigation so it is imperative
that we investigate why was this 9th May tragedy done? Who planned
it and why? How could they manage to do it? Who are the beneficiaries? Who are
the victims? Why wasn’t the IGP and the CM held accountable? We must ascertain
and identify the culprits clearly before giving a fair and open trial.
This tragedy has brought the state apparatus blatantly against the most
popular political party of the country hurting the very foundations of the state
like never before. The incidence was tragic but the response of the law
enforcement agencies declaring war against its own taxpayers was even more
tragic harming the national cohesion and spirit very badly. The society and its
institutions already appear disintegrating and this can have dire long term
consequences. The seriousness of the matter makes it absolutely imperative to
thoroughly investigate the matter and stop acting on personal whimsies and scoring
political points.
It’s time the state stops giving irrational
explanations about this unfortunate event and find out the true culprits if it
wants to ensure such tragedies are not repeated. Otherwise critics will be
justified in doubting the intentions of people in power apparently using it for
their political gains. Maybe another Reichstag fire??
To investigate a problem is, indeed, to
solve it. Mao Zedong.
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