The man pictured above is Usman Mahar, vice-president of the labour union in Mari Gas Company. This man was allegedly kidnapped and tortured by a group of masked men, who went on to shave his head, and pierce his nose with a cord of threads. Mahar claims these men were hired by his manager at the Mari Gas Company, in response to his active opposition to certain contract policies.This is the state of Pakistan's labour force. The highly under-paid workers suffer further ridicule when their union leaders, trusted to safeguard their rights, are subjected to torture and humiliation.
On March 14th, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif issued a controversial statement regarding the recent string of bombings in the provincial capital. The PML-N President stated that since his party, like the Taliban, opposed the Musharraf regime, the Taliban should not carry out acts of terror in Punjab. This highly irresponsible statement came with showering criticism, including both treasury and opposition benches in the National Assembly. Punjab Governor Salman Taseer went as far as branding Shahbaz Sharif an ally of the terrorists. This was followed by a vague response from the Chief Minister claiming he was quoted out of context.
Calling Shahbaz Sharif an ally of the terrorists for this careless slip would be somewhat of a stretch. To be fair to him, he is the Chief Minister of Punjab and therefore, he is expected to speak in the provincial context. However, pleading to the Taliban to spare his province, particularly when national consensus is needed most to strengthen the anti-terrorism cause, is simply irresponsible. His statement not only implied that his party is sympathetic to the Taliban, but also that the terrorist attacks in other provinces were justified. It is therefore absolutely necessary for Shahbaz Sharif to publicly apologize for his statement.
I came across an ad on television the other day that caught my attention. It was a montage consisting of passionate speeches given by Z.A. Bhutto, Benazir Bhutto, and Bilawal Zardari respectively; with a little red, black, and green here and there. At first it seemed like an ordinary political ad, which in that case is nothing out of the ordinary. What really bothered me was the Pakistan Ministry of Information logo at the end of the ad. This is not only an abuse of public funds and the power of the state, but also an insult to the principles of a republic. This is much bigger than a party flag hoisted at a minister's house, or elected officials chanting party slogans. There needs to be a separation of politics and governance.
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After the failure of attempted peace deals some time ago, many including myself began to like the idea of a military operation in Swat and all other militant-infested regions. The logic was simple: if they don't want peace, then we have no other choice. The Taliban were enjoying their position of power; therefore, we had to teach them a lesson. Alas, a long time has passed since then, and I've slowly come to realize that things can only get worse. What truly hit me, was the fact that we're not fighting religious extremists, we're killing thousands of our own people; the sooner we realize that, the sooner we achieve peace.
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Think about the answers to these questions: Does every militant recruited truly fight for the cause set forth by the Taliban elite? Did every suicide bomber give his life to lay with seventy virgins in Heaven? Does their hatred really stem from the idea that we are all un-Islamic? If you thought yes, then you are very mistaken. The militants' actions are not religiously motivated, and anyone who can look beyond the terrorist stereotype set by the Western media can see that. The real reason is the failure of governments, past and present, to improve the socio-economic conditions in the region while the rest of us live in luxury; a form of oppression in itself. We dream of Bentleys, touchscreen computers, and 5000 square yard houses; they dream of three meals a day, homes that don't collapse from unpleasant weather, and being able to leave those homes without being raped or killed. So tell me, what do people do when they're oppressed? They stand up and fight back.
We say that advancing on militants and taking down their leaders is progress, but thats not their driving force. We then say that we'll reopen schools, but they never worked in the first place. Gunning down a militant is not defeating a terrorist, but is killing someone's brother, husband, or father; a man fighting for their rights. So why wouldn't more people take up arms for the sake of their deceased loved ones? If the government wont make their lives better, they have to fight for it; the cycle continues.
For those of you living privileged lives who think they know more about Islam than the militants, tell me this: would the Holy Prophet send troops to massacre his own people, simply because they fought for their basic human rights? I hope you all said no. Therefore, I believe the only solution is to allocate a chunk of our budget, taking whatever aid we can get, to drastically improve infrastructure in the region. Investment in the agricultural and industrial sectors will provide more jobs. Carefully monitored schools will increase opportunities for coming generations, as well as increase awareness. Recreational facilities, such as football pitches, parks, and playgrounds, will also greatly improve the general standard of living. Most importantly however, an efficient, organized, and fully trained police force composed of locals rather than outside military men will instill a much stronger feeling of security in the long run. With all these factors in effect, there is no need for military involvement at all.
