04th January, 2011

4^th January, 2011 was the longest day for Pakistan. With an attack on a school bus followed by killing of a professor and ended up with an assassinating Governor of Punjab. There are neither rules nor limits to this ugly game anymore. Anyone can be or becomes a target. The object here is to terrorise the masses which is successful so far.

A remote controlled bomb has ripped through a bus carrying children (age 8 to 12) of paramilitary soldiers in southwest Pakistan. The area of attack was Turbat. One might ask what kind of a strategic advantage is in mind while attacking a school bus. It was not a supply line, no arms and ammunitions for neither the soldiers nor any soldier was present in the bus.

The next news of the day was of Professor Syed Munir Hussain Sherazi who was shot in Dera Islamil Khan (D.I.Khan) by the sectarian terrorists yesterday. There was a time when teacher was a respectable figure in our society and people looked upon him for guidance. But now you will be judged by your belief and faith rather than to be allowed to profess your religion freely. In the past, the fundamental rights were fought for by us but now they are being fought by us for our interpretation of freedom.

The last news was a déjà vu for something similar had happened long time ago in India. Prime Minister Indra Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguard. On the dreadful day of 4^th January, 2011 Governor Punjab Salman Taseer was brutally assassinated. Both assassinations were religious in nature but were very different from each other. Salman Tasser protested against the abuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan as Muslims will victimse non-Muslims, especially Christians. He was killed by being shot by his bodyguard and then the murderer surrendered by giving up his rifle and is now being praised as a hero all over the country. National Assembly adjourned the session without taking any agenda item to mourn the killing of Governor Punjab.

A terrorist attack followed by an ethnic murder and then a political assassination. Enough to prove that we are still not civilised enough to settle our differences without a gun. We once believed in fundamental rights and now we are too selfish to allow anyone to practice his right of freedom to life, religion, association and property freely. In Quran, only ‘Life for a Life' and no murder of any kind is allowed. The second possibility is when the mischief is responsible to spread lawlessness. Islam always professes that a murder of single human being is a murder of entire humanity.  No one has a right to take a life because of  a person's belief. We are allowed to profess our freedom without encroaching on the freedom of others. We are no longer a true Muslim let alone a decent human being.