Two years back in 2007 barely two blocks away from my house a powerful explosion rocked Shahrah-e-Faisal as a suicide bomber tried to attack Benazir Bhutto’s motorcade as it made its way from Karachi airport to a massive rally being held to celebrate her return to Pakistan. We all know that she luckily had survived the attack, we all know what happened after that, we all know how she sadly succumbed to another such attack two months later in December.
Now as I see this PPP government marking its presence on the streets of Karachi today I recall the words I shared in my post back in 2007 immediately after the attack – I wrote “Thank God, Benazir Lives” – two years down I get an eerie feeling to say, I was right, that there is a business of Martyrdom in Pakistani politics, and maybe these ceremonies being held today in Karachi have nothing to do with respecting the departed, but instead I fear its a celebration.
Thank God, Benazir Lives – October 23rd 2007 > I am glad that she is safe and emerges from the devastation without so much as a scratch. God forbid if she had been killed in this attack then I suspect it would have made her a hero and catapulted the party into power for a good 5-10 years, as the sympathy vote bank would have really out poured. A father and daughter martyred at the hands of a ruling Army General, truly a perfect heart touching story which can be used as an important trump card to pull the voter into the polling station. Its been over 20 years since the hanging of ZAB (Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto) and till today his martyrdom is honestly less used as a sign of respect but more so as a sympathy evoking trump card to eventually convert into electoral seats.
I suspect that if Benazir had been killed, her name would have suddenly transformed into a larger then life hero handing the country on a silver platter to the new found PPP leadership to run with unrestricted rule for a good many years. Hence my honest opinion, Thank God, Benazir Lives
Count the PPP, Count the MQM, Count the jamaat-e-Islami, Count the PML, count any other political party which has made its mark on the political landscape of our country they have all used the martyrdom {??} of its slain supporters as a symbol of pride, it may very well have been a source of pride, had only if their leaders had used their split blood for the greater good of the country / religion, but sadly history has been a witness that they only manipulate the shaheed to gain political mileage for their own personal agendas, which in our case means leading Pakistan down the path of doom, as long as their own personal well being continues to get heavy with the wealth garnered from all this blood money.
To summarize, and with due respect to the people who lost their lives – I believe maybe the PPP and its top brass should instead be out partying, as it is the good fortune of Benazir’s blood that has served Pakistan on their platter and Zardari should be earmarked as the DJ of the celebrations
Comments
22 responses to “The Business of Martyrdom in Pakistani Politics”
[Part 1]
Ahhann !!
here we go, DOC adopting my tongue?
Watch out some "janisarz" would be unhappy on this.
The problem with this country (people) is here you get a plot in heaven for 2 rupees/per statement/per killings/per act.
"jannat" sells so cheap here that every TOM DICK and HARRY gets it without doing anything. You act like an idiot and get killed for your "WORSHIPED" leader and then fight with GOD , Hello excuse me . . LORD am i now registered for 120 sq. yards at BLOCK X in Heaven Avenue ?
People in PAKISTAN have a hard time understanding POLITICs. They can not distinguish between POLITICs and IDOLATRY. Like Hassan Nisar says () since they are mostly unaware (i dont use the word illiterate since my observation is the Literates are the most pathetic when it comes to understanding POLITICs) of the fact that POLITICSs is a science and being a science its not a PERSONAL property of some ARROGANT bhuttoz or half-Shareefz or Laghariz or gilaniz (MQM and JI are better in this case) and since its not a PERSONAL PROPERTY it has to be returned back to the people which means leaving when the JOB is done. Since our WHOLE LOT (A to almost Z) is incompetent and their job is never DONE, they never leave. This is so much true for the MILITARY ones too (jis per muje aik lumba lecture dena parega but lets keep it general)
Secondly, since there is no concept of Institutionalization our destinies are tied with INDIVIDUALs. We dont have a ONE LONG TERM POLICY. One guy (nawaz) wants his beta-version of shariat and wants Khilafa (1997) and other has this WEST0-is-my-LOVE policy (PPP), one comes with BASIC democracy, and other has a more CORPORATE (Enlightenment Moderation) and ATTRACTIVE package to keep the public sleeping under what all this nonsense means. our public turns left when their leader turn left and they turn right when the new one turns right. They are slaves of the personal directions of their leadership. And this slavery goes to the extent where some become "Jiyalaz" and other become "peer saheb"'s younger brothers who JUST CAN NOT hear anything against their leadership.
I had forgotten to put HASSAN NISAR link up there, so here it is :
http://publicmb.wordpress.com/2009/01/10/hassan-n…
[part 2]
And since they cann't hear anything against their leadership, they are now politically BLIND. So expecting them to behave in rational manner is not right.
I was among the first one OVER INTERNET when i questioned the STUPIDITY of BENAZIR sahiba to organize such rallies etc. and i had to hear very nonsense comments from her fans The emotional aspect is pretty much understood here but MY MAIN POINT in all the discussion was :
– WHAT THE HELL with the MEDIA which is ALL praises for a stupid woman who found it more important to SHOW POLITICAL POWER to MUSH (for greater bargain power later) then to understand that some idiots from RIGHT WING want to eliminate her at any cost. And she should better avoid such things but no hamari qoam jab tak shor sharaba na karey maza nai aata na.
– I was pissed off the fact that NO one is bother about the poor police walaz or the stupid ordinary PPP jiyalaz who got killed. No one is worried about their lives, their future and everyone has this BB-fever important for them.
– While PPP took political gains from her killing later will any PPP fan tell me what their gov has done till now for the police walaz who are the real Shaheed (strictly by the definition of a shaheed) ?
– Where is the money or the help for the poor police walaz?
– If a POLITICAL leader makes a wrong judgment of rallying people and gets killed how he/she gets a SHAHEED certificate ?
And above all questions are quite valid for all other parties. It is a shame that MARTYRDOM has become a political business in this country and good one to get some dollars too.
I have full sympathy to PPP jiyalaz (though i consider them stupid too) on this one but if TRUTH has to be found, one needs to be rational.
No one calls the poor edhi person who got killed during duty, NO POLITICAL party has ever bothered to pay tribute the the so many shuhada from FIRE DEPARTMENT who get killed in their line of duty but kisi POLITICAL leader ko zara si kharash bi aajai toh usko asmaan per utha lia jata hai.
Like someone said on TV recently, POLITICs is a service and service is done for free. Kisi ko itna hee dar lagta hai ki 20 20 gadian security ki rakhni parti hai toh mat aya karey politics mai. Kisi ko aghva kerke nahi laaya jata.
The problem lies with the PEOPLE. When they start seeing leaders as politicians (chalo nalaiq hee sahi) they wont start crying when they leave as if heaven will fall.
A politicians is supposed to be respected, admired, loved and followed etc. if he makes sense, its so pathetic that our 2-numberi POLITICIANs are worshiped like some holy creatures against whom you just cant say anything.
and like hassan right says . . . jab marney ka shoq paal hee lia tha to ab rona kis baat ka hai . . .
My post back then
http://karachi.metblogs.com/2007/10/18/hanged-to-…
I wished i had been proved WRONG . . .
"
. . . How any change will come into the lives of ordinary men for which such a fuss is being created. With future scenario already certain in Sindh MQM is rightly silent against PPP for now as it knows the distribution of Pizza formula coming form GHQ for next government & that free-from-scrutiny; far-from-fair elections are coming closer. Also, MQM & PPP have one thing in common; they both believe in lets-plunder-together policy. The stage is all set under director Mush,producer WEST & title “An enlightened couple” from the typical Roti, Kapra, and Makan. productions. Who says awaam cannot be fooled in 21st century?
"
and last one for now . . .
http://karachi.metblogs.com/2007/10/22/value-of-a…
SHAHEED ZIAUL HAQ:
Nawaz Sharif's opinion about Zia-ul-Haq
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpy26zoEvzk
Charlie Wilson’s War http://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Wilsons-War-Extraor… by George Crile during the so-called Afghan Jihad following things did happen;
On page 503 in Charlie Wilson’s War, the author quoted “but it was losing Zia that crushed Charlie. At the state funeral in Islamabad, with a million Pakistanis and Mujahideen crowding up to him, Charlie made his way to Akhtar’s successor, Hamid Gul, and broke into tears. “I have lost my father on this day,” he said.
He told Zia about his experience the previous year when the Israelis had shown him the vast stores of Soviet weapons they had captured from the PLO in Lebanon. The weapons were perfect for the Mujahideen, he told Zia. If Wilson could convince the CIA to buy them, would Zia have any problems passing them on to the Afghans? Zia, ever the pragmatist, smiled on the proposal, adding, Just don’t put any Stars of David on the boxes {Page 131-132}.
According to one close associate of Akhtar, ‘They (Casey and Akhtar) worked together in harmony, and in an atmosphere of mutual trust’. Brigadier Yusuf made the most interesting remarks about the death of CIA Director, William Casey. He states that, “It was a great blow to the Jehad when Casey died”. He did not elaborate whether by this definition one should count Casey as Shaheed (warrior who dies in battle in the cause of Islam). It will quite be amusing for Americans to know that one of their former CIA director is actually a martyr of Islam."
1- Tale of a love affair that never was: United States-Pakistan Defence Relations Columnist Hamid Hussain analyses an ON and OFF affair. http://www.defencejournal.com/2002/june/loveaffai…
A great many disrespectful, and even revolting things have been said about Zardari, true, but this would rank amongst the worst. How can you even say that so callously?! He lost his wife, the mother of his children and you would call him a DJ to the celebration of her death? It's one thing to be so completely unappreciative of how he has been working tirelessly for the mere survival of this nation, and another thing to sink to such a low! Pathetic.
I am so sorry but couldn't resist this one too. . .
http://columnpk.wordpress.com/2009/01/17/hassan-n…
GOD's justice is so perfect !!
We deserve it, we are getting it
I recall the words I shared in my post back in 2007 immediately after the attack – I wrote “Thank God, Benazir Lives” –[Teeth Maestro]
=========================
Dear Dr Sahab,
Imran Khan doesn't share your sentiment because he had held Benazir Bhutto for Karsaz Blast and people died therein.
Benazir Bhutto has only herself to blame By Imran Khan Published: 12:01AM BST 21 Oct 2007
I'm sorry to say this, but the bombing of Benazir Bhutto's cavalcade as she paraded through Karachi on Thursday night was a tragedy almost waiting to happen. You could argue it was inevitable. Everyone here knew there was going to be a huge crowd turning up to see her return after eight years in self-imposed exile. Everyone also knows that there has been a spate of suicide bombings in Pakistan lately, especially in the frontier region where I am campaigning at the moment.
Courtesy: Daily Telegraph.
@RIA
Indeed ZARDARI is working tirelessly to throw his son on us in future and therefore his TRAINING sessions these days
http://koolblue.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/why-is-b…
and
http://publicmb.wordpress.com/2009/03/29/peeri-mu…
ab ye bilawal ki museebat ALLAH janey jab aaigi sir per hamare
Prolly in 2020 ?
And one more , now his daughter. My friend had this perfect commentary on the pic :
"
ess chor ne …… Hukumat mei aa k…apni Aulaad ko Commercial banaya huwa hai………. unki training ker waa raha hai………… k ….jab meri A** pe ARMY KICK lagai tu Tum logon ne kahaan kahaan BHAAG-DOR (USA UK buttering for POWER like BB did to get a DEAL in DUBAI) kerni hai….. kis ke agey hath phailana hai ……………… Bilawal or Beti ko le k ghoomta phirta hai….
"
http://publicmb.wordpress.com/files/2009/10/image…
Here is one TRUE example of a "Shaheed" unlike the MILITANT QAUMI MOVEMENT or the PLUNDER-PEOPLE party or the PAKISTAN MILITARY LEAGUE
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakim_Said
We miss you so much Hakim saheb. MAY lord rest your soul in eternal peace.
munib,
I agree. May Allah give Hakeem Saeed a good place in Jannat.
The bastards who are ruling Pakistan have either killed our intellectuals Hakeem Saeed, Raees Amrohi or have humiliated them so much that either they have left the country for good or are living an anonumous life.
May Allah curse the bastards who planned, executed and supported the murder of Hakeem Saeed.
munib,
yes and the poor people who were killed, raped or their cars or businesses burnt to take the revenge of Benazir Bhutto….No Body has tears for those people
But all the crooks who die, persuing their political motives are Shaheed be it from MQM, PML, PPP etc etc
Political martyr! oooooo……
died while collecting dollors!!
Salman Asghar,
Yes and same goes for the martyrs of Na-Pak Fauj, who die while serving for paychecks…
I really like Kiyani's Mercediez Benz though…. I know who can afford a merc in Pakistan, people who are paid $$$$$$. Not the people who work 9-9, who can barely survive the bills.
Afroz…
yea….Dat Na-Pak fouj who is saving u from ur neighbours…from where u belong…INDIA….pathetic
Dat Na-Pak fouj who guards the boarder while u sleep tight..
Dat Na-Pak fouj who stand alert at below freezing points in saichen and in burning inferno of deserts and u r busy in other a** business…
dats realy a Na-Pak fouj…isnt it!
go and face a bullet in ur chest..i will see if u take ur pay or not!
Pathetic ppl and pathetic thinking….
jao india jao….they will save u…
u Indian Army lover…..
By the way stick to da topic!
Lov u afroz….
Afroz…
yea….Dat Na-Pak fouj who is saving u from ur neighbours…from where u belong…INDIA….pathetic
Dat Na-Pak fouj who guards the boarder while u sleep tight..
Dat Na-Pak fouj who stand alert at below freezing points in saichen and in burning inferno of deserts and u r busy in other a** business…
dats realy a Na-Pak fouj…isnt it!
go and face a bullet in ur chest..i will see if u take ur pay or not!
Pathetic ppl and pathetic thinking….
jao india jao….they will save u…
u Indian Army lover…..
By the way stick to da topic!
Lov u afroz….
@salma asghar :
i dont know who r u dear but ur wordings of Napak Fauj reminds me something…..just search this word on google with filetype:wmv and u’ll have a moV link to download in which someone capturing a suicide attack on Pak Army. are u one of those who do these attacks??? then let me tell u ….. killing one man is like killing whole humanity or in other words saving one man’s life is like saving humanity….please think abt it…
@ Mr Hassan
well… m an ordinary citizen, not more then dat!
i think u r taking me wrong!
my comment was in reply to Afroz…. who was constantly using the word " Na pak Fouj". tryng to make him realize that what Army is doing for him and he is constantly abusing Pak Army…shame on such ppl…. i hope u got me!
M a strong supporter of this great institution…Pakistan Army…
Long Live Pak Army…
I will read time to time that….
The citizens of Gardner, KS are currently working to recall two members of their City Council. The recall is tied up in the courts at the moment, but it should go to a vote in March of 2010.