Life under the shining gun

Today is a mix bag for me for two reasons. Firstly, I watched this program on GEO called Jawab Deyh, an interview of a guard who was with Z.A. Bhutto during his last days in jail. For all the Pakistani viewers who are aware of this program the interviewer asks a lot of questions which can make the interviewee quite uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he talked about his book and the vivid experience of the last days of Z.A. Bhutto. The whole experience through his eyes was quite chilling would just be an understatement. Secondly I watched this video, the link is below for everyone to watch.

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-4630481111137258204&q=lahore&total=11123&start=10&num=10&so=1&type=search&plindex=8

Surprisingly enough, in both cases there were two things in common. Army, particularly the military intelligence (MI) and our legal system. What is surprising is that Z.A. Bhutto's hanging and the video above have all the same elements. To my utter surprise nothing has changed in thirty years.

Three decades ago, Z.A. Bhutto died at the hands of a military dictator who used the flawed legal system of Pakistan for his own means. Today people are disappearing right in front of our eyes and there is nothing our legal system can do. Our legal system seems helpless in front of the establishment and which truly begs the question. What is this "establishment"?

Ofcourse we all know the answer but fear to call it any other way. Everyday millions of people live in fear. Not knowing if they will return home safely or disappear into thin air. Who will protect my rights and if the justice is served, will it be from our courts or from somewhere else.

The point I am trying to bring here is that we need to discuss our problems openly. Its our fundamental right to say what we feel, to protect what is truly ours and that we express without any fear of reprisals. We need to stand up and tell it to everyone that no one institution is a savior of our nation. The collective intellect of the people will always be far more superior than a mindset of an institution controlled by few individuals. This struggle should always be in our hearts and minds but also on our tongues as well. May the peace come to my homeland one day. Amen.