Are we face to face with the defining moment? Pakistan's one of highly prominent personality Mr. Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim has more than once, in highly emotional tone has opined that we are in a defining moment and we all should play  our respectives roles. In deluge of many opinions on this issue, almost all of them are against musharraf's government, a few others are also coming up with almost the same view.

But are we really in a defining moment? It seems that, it is probably a little before time to expect so. It is perhaps a little far fetched to say this, keeping in view the state of politicking in Pakistan, and Pakistani people's seemingly giving cold shoulder to political activism. This is because, Pakistani people are regularly given high dosage of sermonisation against politics for the last more than half a century, meaning almost whole of their countries independent poilitical life. This indoctrination and sermonisation has remained so successful that, Pakistani nation has very effectively become depoliticised. Because of this all segments of Pakistani society consciously try to avoid and reject to 'politicise'. Here even political issues are loathed to be politicised. Government's functionaries and representatives of vested interest groups want us not, even the questions of public importance, to 'politicise', and we the mass and the mass media wholehearted not only accept this but also try the best to further this, because after getting sermonisation for such a long time our brain cannot think anything outside this.

Pakistani ever-ruling clique, comprising mainly of non-political entity, and also of such element that are basically the product of 'village politics', run the country like villages. Both these entities scratch one another's back, and carry on this unendingly and unhindered. They indoctrinated general public not to support those who try 'politicise' the issues; and public obliges them

So, I do not expect that with a greatly depoliticised population and thinking heads antagonistic to "˜politicising' we could be facing the most defining moment in our life, rather in our country's life.

But then things are really going well. It seems that the government of pervaiz musharraf is not contended with what havoc it is playing. It wants to do more damages. That is what normally the dying regimes do ever, everywhere.

The most dangerous thing is, in support of musharraf's illegal actions and audacious stances, the government ministers and advisors are playing with the sensitivity of the people. These so-called ministers, advisors and representatives are testing the intelligence of the common people. They are challenging their common and collective wisdom to justify the illegal, illogical and unconstitutional acts of their boss. If this goes on unabated, and musharraf thinks that his worthy lieutenants of civilian texture are doing great jobs in justifying his acts and safeguarding his hold on the power, he is playing with much intense but invisible fire. This fire is people's self-respect for their sensibility and wisdom. People are not going to allow the mockery of their wisdom. If the ministers' mockeries go on, then great fire of indignation will be ignited in peoples, and once ignited that might not be easier to extinguish before great destruction is caused. In that process of destruction, public uprising, these people might not find any place to hide for life!

I am really afraid, if musharraf & co go on in this style, and durrani, wasi zafar, ali saif, hayat khiraj et al cross all limits (they have actually already crossed the limits, and carrying on the same), then a popular uprising, an uprising which Pakistani people, Pakistani rulers by birth and the non-political power clinging entity have not yet seen and experienced, might ensue. If it so happens, then again I am very very afraid, these durrani's, zafars, khirajs, ali saif et al might be dragged on to streets and brutaly lynched.

Mr. musharraf and his henchmen are counting heads on the streets, and are totally ignoring the popular sentiment prevailing along the length and breadth of the country, and among the every strata of the society. According to them, as the streets are not agog with fire and fury, so they can have many other blissful nights' sleep. They are hitting nails in the sensitivity of the people and inciting them to come into the street to show the anger and show the anger. It is musharraf and co's defitist ploy, but its result may be very dangerous. The government is inciting the mob. Somebody should prevail upon the government to avoid such incitement. Otherwise mob violence, or even reaction, should be going to happen, which would not be good for nay one.

This non-political entity of the country and its partners in convenience, the 'village politicians', i.e. the fuedals of the country have never seen, never read about popular uprising and the price paid in this process. They might also be day dreaming that, this might not happen in Pakistan.

But now the world is a lot changed. So also must be Pakistan and the Pakistanis. We have the obvious effect of globalisation on us. Under this effect, now the very common Pakistanis have already started asking, "What face are we going to show to the outside world?"

But unfortunately, our ruling clique is totally unaware of these changes. They do not know the implication and effect of globalisation on their 'subjects'. These people are still living in the world of 1950s, 60s and 70s, and ruling the world with same insanity of that era. 

Let us tell the Government of the "˜village politicians' and a non-political entity, and its so-called ministers, that let the change come in intellectual way, let the defining moment come through the efforts of intelligentsia, and let not stoke the fire. Let us not ignite the fire public sensitivity and sentiment.