Very thin line between respect & disrespect

Before I comment about conviction of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, I would like to mention my own experience to prove in quite crystal clear terms devoid of any confusion and ambiguity as to as to what is respect and disrespect. Imdad is one of my class  fellows and we were together in FA, Dayal Singh College, Lahore (1960-62 session) or in BA, Islamia College, Lahore (1962-64 session) and while I was MA student he during a sizzling summer day very proudly came on a motor cycle to my house from Shikhupura believing that he will please and impress me but believe you me, my mother and younger brothers and sisters were in tears to be honest. Imdad pushed the call button while I along with my parents, brothers & sisters were eating lunch in the kitchen and my father came out to attend the visitor.  Imdad clad in police uniform and wearing ASI star asked for me and my father was so shocked that he had to conceal the truth and told a lie saying he will send me out if I am inside the house. I still very vividly remember the words of father who said to my mother,’Mubarak ho! Iqbal kay liye police aai hay.’ We were shocked to death but what could we do otherwise. My parents, brothers and sisters came to my room which had a window facing outside so that they could see who came and why. I came out to meet the visitor who was none but my class fellow. I asked Imdad to come near to the window to see that my all family members are in tears because police had come to our house asking for me. Imdad simply could not believe that his visit in police uniform to the house of his own call fellow could be so traumatized to his host. He told me that he had gone to many of his friends in uniform and all of them did praise him except me. My simple answer to Imdad was that as per our family moral values it is not at all an honor but certainly an insult if police comes to our house. Imdad felt the pinch and apologized to put us under pain and grief though he intended it otherwise. I told him very plainly that he can come to my house as many times as he wishes but never even in police uniform.

Relying upon my family moral values duly punctuated with the instance which is a fact and neither a fiction nor an airy fairy story, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani who has been convicted yesterday by Supreme Court of Pakistan in connection with contempt of court very clearly and loudly stands out as a convicted person whereby he has earned a further black spot and not a laurel whatsoever. As a matter of fact, which may not be acceptable to my many Pakistani compatriots, but the fact remains that PM had lost his face and earned 1^st black spot on the very day when months back Supreme Court had charged him with contempt of court. There cannot be any discussion and arguments on the point that any such like notice from any court carries insult for the person to whom it is issued irrespective of the fact whether the accusation is maintainable or not. No such notice is issued without any cause and justification for sure but if still it is issued then quite naturally his or her face is blackened for whom it is issued if one realizes its gravity and consequences if I am not dishonest.

PM was imprisoned for few seconds within the court itself proves without slightest shadow of doubt that now Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani is one of the convicts in the country and strictly speaking from definition point of view Gillani is as a convict has equated himself with anyone imprisoned in jail and waiting to be sent to gallows for that matter. Any department, organization and or even a individual whether in the country or overseas compiling the list of convicts simply cannot ignore his name from the list of convicts so from that point of view he has again been entered as a convict in the both in official records and history books alike. Undoubtedly PM Gilani entered the court room not as a guest or a visitor or an observer but as an accused of contempt of court and during the court proceedings, the presiding officer of the seven members bench, Justice Nasir ul Mulk convicted him of contempt of court and sentenced him to imprisonment for the period ‘till the rising of the court’ which though practically speaking lasted for few seconds but yet as a consequence Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani left the honorable court as a convict from each and every angle whatsoever.

It is really very much painful and most regrettable for me at least if not others that none from PPP realizes as to what has happened with the PM yesterday morning in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. PM has been very categorically and emphatically ridiculed and not at all honored from any set of imagination but alas impression is being given out that since he has been not been handcuffed or out behind the bars, PM is spotless. Needless to mention, honorable court had all the inherent powers and jurisdictions to sentence him behind the bars but instead it opted for the token punishment and sentenced him for the least possible punishment. Needless to mention that once anyone has been punished then as a consequence he or she has ruined his or her name irrespective of the fact whether the punishment is quashed or not in the court of appeal so come what may I will say on my honor with full confidence and conviction that from each angle and point of view on Thursday 26^th April, 2012, Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani as Prime Minister of Pakistan has lowered himself till the very dooms day.

I do not have much to pen and hence will conclude by saying that judiciously speaking our heads as a nation have been lowered as our Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani who earlier has been accused of contempt of court is eventually declared as a convict by none but Supreme Court of Pakistan and therefore let me revert to the caption saying that there is, ‘very thin line between respect and disrespect’.