Who goes to gallows, which faces prison and who tastes termination?  

I wonder less but lament more about our government which has blatantly exposed its incompetency just in one go to none but as many as 7 world leaders which is very shameful on our part to be honest provided PPP headed by President Asif Ali Zardari realizes.

Pakistan in general and President Zardari in particular must be feeling too proud to host and head G-8 Summit in Islamabad and certainly I am with him and not against him so please do not twist my words because it is really an honor for my beloved Pakistan to host such an important summit in Islamabad but not beyond it and I repeat not beyond it. Frankly speaking such summits with even higher or lower participation are held all the time, all over the world in different countries for one reason or the other so absolutely there is nothing new or extra from that point of view but yet my question is as to why none thought of its timing particularly when for many long years we are no more a security threat free country? The present G-8 Summit has attracted VIPs, most head of states and not head of governments from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria and Turkey which as such has earned great laurels for Pakistan and all Pakistanis including myself must feel truly elevated and proud of hosting such a historical event in the country but this is just one side of the story but my concern is different which I am going to discuss in subsequent paragraphs.

Whole Muslim world is observing Muharram including Pakistan with no reference as to how strongly and with severity Muharram is observed in a particular country and therefore it was quite but natural that before deciding the dates for G-8 Summit someone in President House in Islamabad should have thought of Muharram and then announce the dates for the summit. Very much surprisingly our great brains like President Aif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Deputy Prime Minister Chauhdry  Pervaiz Ellahi in general and Interior Minister Malik Rehman in particular but thought of it at all which I very much regret in the strongest possible manner and words. Just imagine that at this point of time when we wanted to earn praise from the world leaders by hosting G-8 Summit we have instead dented our reputation and earned big black spot which cannot be erased or removed whatsoever come what may. Didn’t we know our own selves? What prompted us to host the summit in Muharram? Had sky split apart if we have convened it in any month either before or after Muharram? Didn’t Malik Rehman, Interior Minister know that the terrorists would take a chance to hit Muharram processions not only to kill shias but also sow seeds of hatred between shias and sunnis in the country? Didn’t this attack widen the gulf between shias and sunnis in Pakistan? Hard truth is that under any circumstances whatsoever the month of Muharram cannot be either brought forward or put behind but nevertheless the dates for the G-8 summit could have been adjusted accordingly if our elite personified by my earlier had thought of it judiciously and rationally?

World leaders were very much in Islamabad attending G-7 Summit when on Wednesday 22^nd November, 2012 a Muharram procession of shias was hit in evening at Dhok Syedan in the twin city of Rawalpindi killing as many as 21 shias and injuring far too many of those  who were participating in the procession. I am as sure as death itself that the blast did not reach Islamabad which is too far away in any case so from that angle neither the summit meetings were disturbed nor any honorable foreign dignitary was affected either directly or indirectly but this should not construed as a plus point for us from any angle and perspective if we are truly prudent nation and not a lunatic one. What message is passed on by my beloved Pakistan to the world in general and the visiting foreign VIPs in particular? Once the blast news was flashed on our all different television screens and those of CNN / BBC and other such like international channels I am sure at least some of the visiting VIPs if not all of them must have seen what the hell Shias have faced on the fateful evening? Didn’t even one visitor see the hell on tv? How much did the summit attendees commend our safety and security arrangements is a million dollar question which must be answered and not ignored if we are truthful?

The worst part of the ill scenario is that the President of Iran Mahmood Ahmad Inejad who himself is a staunch shia was very much in the country attending the G-8 Summit when the blast occurred at Dhok Syedan means that willingly we have passed through a very blowing signal to him who is trying to help us in getting electricity which we are terribly short on in any case. Iran is predominantly a Shia country and thus when Iranian President saw what happened to shias in Rawalpindi his heart must have broken and cried inside and one does not need any further explanation about it. Why do we expect now after this blasts that Iran in particular and other countries in general should take Pakistan as a safe and peaceful country? How and on what grounds do we boast of pronouncing that Pakistan is a threat free country where both human lives and properties are safe and secured?  Do our loud, blatant and blunt claims correspond to ground realties?

President Asif Ali Zardari must at least sack if not hang all of those irrespective of the position they who told him not to host G-8 Summit in any other month but in Muharram as they assured him on their lives that there will be no bomb attacks throughout the month in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.  What message did we give to non Muslims who live in Pakistan when even Muslims’ lives are not protected despite the fact that our official name is Islamic Republic of Pakistan? This is something truly very grave that the innocent and ignorant President Zardari has been completely cheated and fully trapped by none but his own men whom he pats day and night to invite world leaders in Muharram to attend the summit. After a pretty long time Pakistan got such a golden opportune to earn credit by alas it is not only wasted locally or nationally but internationally too and hence I very strongly pen that the bitter pill should not be swallowed and instead the culprits must be punished as per their responsibilities and involvement in the debacle.

Who goes to gallows, who faces prison & who tastes termination?