Minority report
August 23, 2012
Disturbing reports on violence against Pakistan’s Christian community continued all through the Eid break, with news of the arrest and imprisonment of a Christian girl accused by a local cleric of burning pages allegedly containing text from the Holy Quran. The girl was arrested on August 16 after hundreds of neighbours gathered outside her home and demanded that police take action. Following the incident, scores of Christians fled the area out of fear of reprisal attacks from mobs who surrounded the village. In the face of this domestic frenzy and international interest in the case, President Zardari has sought a detailed report of the incident from the interior ministry and said “no one will be allowed to misuse the blasphemy law for settling personal scores.” The PTI chief Imran Khan also tweeted that the episode was “against the very spirit of Islam which is all about being just and compassionate.” As things stand, questions abound and the details of the case are still shrouded in some confusion. Though the media has widely reported that the girl is mentally challenged, a medical report confirming this is still pending. The girl’s age is equally disputed, with some police officials claiming she is 16 while the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance and most press reports saying she is just 11 to 12 years old. If the girl is confirmed to be a minor, will the case be dealt with under the juvenile justice system or will she still be tried for blasphemy? As yet, we do not even have a conclusive answer to whether the girl burnt the pages herself or merely collected already burnt pages as part of her daily routine as a garbage collector.
Finally, while these questions will hopefully be settled in the days to come, the most urgent question is: will the state begin to take seriously its responsibility to provide justice to all, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, and minimise incidents of vigilante justice? The life of any accused should not be at risk from sympathisers of the accuser as soon as the allegation is publicly known, and even after acquittal. But that is the case in Pakistan where violent mobs often take the law into their own hands without fear of reprisal or punishment. As the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has said in a statement: “The spread of extremism and the authorities’ preference for appeasing charged mobs, rather than taking the correct and lawful course, should make those in power as well as other political forces take serious note.” Would it be too optimistic to conclude that the intervention pledged by the president in the Christian girl’s case is a sign that the powers that be may just take up the issue of vigilante justice and mistreatment of minority communities in Pakistan? As things stand, we have more than enough evidence that in the face of allegations that involve religion the country’s law-enforcement agencies and justice system are helpless, thus fostering a mindset where individuals feel it their right to take the law into their own hands. Indeed, in this latest case, the most obvious implication of incarcerating a mentally disabled child — the operative term being ‘child’ — is the callousness of society when it comes to alleged cases of this nature. Will the mobs continue to rule or will we see even a single case of blasphemy allegations thoroughly investigated and taken to its logical conclusion? Will those who seek vigilante justice be made to pay for their crimes? The answer, if the past is anything to go by, is all too clear. But this madness must stop somewhere — and quickly.
Quetta as it used to be
August 23, 2012
It is depressing to read accounts of what Quetta was once like as a city. In the past, people thronged to its cinemas, wandered through the bazaars without fear, dined out, attended parties and children played safely on the streets. The city was a much-loved home to the generations who grew up there as well as a cool oasis for holiday-makers from other parts of the country escaping the summer heat. But that was before strife and trouble hit the once-tranquil city. Balochistan’s capital has today changed beyond recognition. Bomb blasts and incidents of ethnic and sectarian violence are reported almost every day, with check-posts, bunkers and road blocks now ubiquitous. The latest incident of violence took place on Eid, killing one and wounding eight when a vehicle belonging to the security forces was targeted. There have been numerous similar attacks as well as others based on sectarian or ethnic motives. In targeted killings, teachers have been shot dead and abductions and disappearances have become a regular affair. The people of Quetta and many other parts of the province now live in a state of perpetual fear and avoid going out after dark. There is simply no law and order and no sense of security.
As a result of all this, settlers from other provinces who have lived in Balochistan for generations have been forced to pack their belongings and leave. The Hazara community of the city feel equally insecure given the chilling frequency of attacks on them. In desperation, many have restricted their movements and others have made attempts to leave the country. Little heed has been paid to their protests by the authorities. Many Baloch young men, meanwhile, continue to live in the fear of being abducted and joining the ranks of ‘missing persons’. In these circumstances, it is almost impossible to believe that Quetta was once a place of joy and calm. Old pictures from more peaceful times now seem difficult to recognise. Certainly, the generation that has grown up in the Quetta of today find it difficult to even relate to such happier times. Can anything be done to halt this slide of a once-graceful city towards anarchy? Is it already too late for the provincial government to wake up from its deep slumber and accept its responsibility of protecting the people? Do the top political leaders of the country really understand what is happening and what their role is in stopping it? The Supreme Court continues its efforts to persuade the authorities to impose some kind of order in Balochistan. But the task, given the callous and indifferent attitude of those responsible for maintaining law and order, appears to be beyond the court’s abilities. The future of our largest province is shrouded in deep uncertainty and it falls upon all of us to try and find solutions before it is too late.