Multan Stampede &
our Elite
The more things change, the more they stay the same. In
words of evergreen late dilawar figar ‘halaat-e-haazra ko kai saal hogaye’.
Imran Khan’ emergence as a force to be reckoned with on the political landscape
of Pakistan was lauded and appreciated by most Pakistanis. It encouraged a huge
disillusioned middle class chunk of our society to come in the fore of
political arena because khan was looked at as the fresh face, an untested
commodity if you will. So far so good right? Wrong!
And I say that because the proof of the pudding would always
have to be in the eating and unfortunately whenever the moment has come for
khan to put his actions where his mouth has been in the political arena, he has
failed miserably.
Fact is that He has surrounded himself with the same elite,
he supposedly is on the mission to eradicate. In words of animated journalist
sohail warraich ‘Kya yeahh khulla taayyzaad nahi hay?’.
This is why KHAN’ politics now have more contradictions than
one has the patience for. Nowhere these dichotomies were screaming more than on
the stage of PTI multan jalsa. I don’t blame Imran Khan or PTI exclusively for
the accident but can Khan not see how absolutely callous (and I will venture to
use the word barbaric,) it looks when dead bodies are being lifted like they
are inane objects smack in front the eyes of the entire PTI leadership and they
couldn’t care less. DJ butt to his credit begs them ‘please shut the hell up
for a moment and give a damn about the severity of the situation’.
Qibla-0-Kaba LORD Hazrat MAKHDOOM Shah Mehmood Qureshi in
all his pomp and glory brushes the lump bodies of kummi kameen aside and orders
the concert to go on. I swear if these visuals were captured in an MQM or ANP
event, the gheyrat brigade primarily comprising of aqle-kul anchors would have
ranted and raved for days on at the catastrophe. Altaf Hussein and batcha khan
would have been personally held responsible for the murders and call would be
to hang them in public square, despite the fact that batcha khan is already
resting in peace.
I know I sound a bit unhinged but the favoritism and double
standards of mostly Punjabi intelligentsia is exhausting and then they
innocently wonder why baloch’ are not so hot on the concept Pakistan anymore.
We as a people also deserve a lot of this blame for
accidents of this nature. I don’t quite get what the rush is? You have spent 4
hours being part of an event, whats another 15 minutes?
You witness this same psychosis in air travel. Everyone is
on best behavior until the vessel enters the boundaries of sarzameen-e-pak. All
hell breaks loose and the same people who have been flying for 15 hrs, all of a
sudden cant wait another 3 minutes so the damn thing can land and park itself.
Where are we rushing to anyway? What is this anxiety and restlessness as a
nation? I am not one of those people who blame the people of Pakistan for ills
of the system.
I think its unfair to confuse illness with symptoms. The
rulers and the elite hoarding 99% resources for the 1% and the 99% of goalaaz
adding a bit of water in milk is not on par with each other. Former is the
actual problem; latter is the logical manifestation of corruption and moral
bankruptcy of elite, which stems from the top 1%.
But for your own sake people, play the odds. It’s not worth
it to put your safety on stake to save 15-20 minutes. Believe me you guys have
nothing better to do. Stay put!
Muslim league Nawaz, PPP and civil and military elite should
also realize that this is not the Pakistan of 1990’. Because of media and to a
certain degree the higher judiciary, the kummi kameen majority of the country
will increasingly ask more and more uncomfortable questions. The more of the
same cannot work for perpetuity and elite must share the golden eggs being laid
by the golden goose that is Pakistan.
Don’t share all the eggs but for your own sake realize that
you guys are the ones who have the most to loose, have-nots have nothing by
definition..so please shape up!
Hold the local bodies elections already. Depoliticize the
election commission. Bring parity between haves and not have-nots, not in an
absolute manner but at least extend meaning full gestures by spending more on
public welfare. When you hold the longest sessions of parliaments and not a
single bill for public welfare and every single second is spent on hue and cry
on how someone is after your cheese, then it looks royally bad..and I say that
as a supporter of democracy and as someone who is against ouster of this
government thru mob pressure.
I say this with pain that KHAN is another opportunity
squandered. At least till now. He needs to go back to the basics. Surround
himself with common folk and old party loyalist, not tareens and roedad khans
of the world.
He has a canvas available in KPK. Draw a beautiful picture
of Pakistan there. And as a karachiite, I want to say that don’t stand with
those who are against fairness, just because you don’t like MQM. Smaller
Administrative units are need of the hour for entire Pakistan and KHAN you
agree, then why is Karachi special? We the karachiites are less interested in
political gimmickry and more interested in who will raise voice for the
rightful share of Karachi.
PPP and the rural elite of Sindh has lorded over sind and
specifically Karachi now for more than 7 years. Don’t take my word for it, Take
a stroll or talk to a genuine sindhi journalist and if they have shred of
honesty in them, they will draw a fair parallel of Karachi under mqm in early
to mid 2000 and Karachi in last 7 years.
Zaban-e-khalq ko naqar-e-khuda samjho.
