Wednesday, May 1, 2024

The Incompehensible events of 9th May

 Dr. Umar Khan

khanmomar@hotmail.com

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.

 

 

 

khanmomar@hotmail.com

 

 

 


 

 

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