Since last night, I’ve been approached by many with complaints that this was an abject surrender by the Govt.... meaning a U-Turn....!
I could easily reply by saying that the last govt could not disperse these same people in 3 weeks & PTI did it in 3 days!
Previously when this happened, a minister resigned, this time nobody had to...
(Govt, Army Chief, the three Honorable Judges - all intact).
Last time, the offending law had to be scrapped, this time around the SC’s decision stays.
The Govt has only expressed its no objection to a review which:
(a) is a right already granted by law
(b) has already been filed.
On Exit Control List (ECL), Govt only agreed on ‘legal formalities to put the name on ECL’, which the religious affairs minister confirms will be subject to court’s order.
Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports that the accused plus family are not even in the country anymore.
So where is surrender here?
Yes, there were reports and footage available of damage to public property in few places. Govt will compensate, as promised in PM’s speech.
But Govt was not sitting idle!
Scenes of Police & Rangers confining protesters to limited spaces have been seen by all.
Talks were held in a no-nonsense manner with the result that TLP apologized for hurt caused.
Wait, what?
TLP apologized?
Yes, within 48 hrs!
What did PM say in his 6 mins 59-sec long speech, of which just last 35 seconds were for TLP?
He made two ‘appeals’:
1- Don’t test the State
2- Don’t harm the country.
And what followed?
Within 48 hrs the protesters apologized & returned home!
With loss compensated for (as Govt is saying it will).
So how is it a U-Turn?
The arrested protesters will be set free. And why not?
Can we deny that they came out for what "they were convinced" was disrespect to our Holy Prophet (PBUH)?
Is that not a cause dear to us all?
We certainly disagree with their method of protesting, but are we really going to sit in our cozy homes, with our privileged backgrounds and quality education, and judge those poor protesters, mostly from madrassa background who have time and again been mislead & ultimately disowned by these "self-proclaimed religious bigots?"
What does those opposing this move want instead?
Roll tanks over the protesters?
Order the Army to open fire at them?
And then?
With 100 – 1000 – 10000 Aashiqaan-e-Nabi (SAW) slaughtered, would the country ever be normal again?
Lets not also forget the Govt is just 70 days old.
While the country's economy is literally in ICU, half the cabinet is in China signing deals to save the country.
When all this was going on, one of the most prominent religious leader of the country has just been assassinated.
Was it really the time to wage a full on battle with ailments cultivated over the last 70 years?
Take the example of US, it tried the tanks & the guns & the bombs for 9 years but now they are pleading Taliban to come to table for talks.
Will we ever learn?
An Anonymous, well meaning Citizen of Pakistan
