One year has passed since May 2023, during which individuals endured humiliation in jails after failing to prove anything in prosecution. Despite the court granting bails, many returned home to shattered societal and economic lives. However, instead of addressing citizens’ concerns, policy makers continued to condescend to ordinary citizens in a pharaonic manner.
In the Jinnah House Lahore arson incident on May 9, 2023, a young man was implicated for allegedly stealing a peacock from Jinnah House. However, the accused actually saved the peacock from the arson attack. Though his intentions might have been to steal, in my opinion, he is a hero who rescued an innocent bird. Yet, he too was sent to military court.
“Reaching the real culprits of the May 9 incident is quite simple.”
By summoning the Chief Election Commission to the Supreme Court and merely questioning their preparedness for the May 14 elections and the number of ballot papers printed or who hindered the printing, one could have reached the main actors by May 9.
Following the analysis of the Punjab Assembly, the President called for elections on April 30, but those opposed to the April 30 date, those who sabotaged the elections citing security concerns, were the actual key players on May 9. PTI supporters were not concerned about maintaining peace in the country; they only sought excuses to cancel the May 14 elections, potentially serving the enemies of the nation.
While no PML-N or PPP candidate even submitted party tickets to the Election Commission, if the elections had taken place, PTI would have won 100% of the seats. So why do PTI supporters sabotage their own interests?
Well, that was the past, but Pakistan seems to be the only country in the world that prefers to dwell on its past. Celebrations were organized nationwide today, with even schoolchildren being instructed to condemn May 9.
Look at the government’s double standards. Publicly condemning the May 9 incident in educational institutions while simultaneously preparing banners and speeches to fulfill this duty, all without taking into account their conscience, honesty, or intelligence. But we’ve suppressed our conscience, honesty, and voice in the fear-ridden atmosphere of government employment, ensuring that our jobs are not endangered.
If only we had commemorated the May 12 incident, the Baldia incident, and the Kasur incident, and informed the government about the major roles they played.
If you’re so fond of living in the past, it would be better to establish a commission for the 2013 sit-in, make the Army Public School, Abbottabad commission, and publish a report on the martyrdom of Arshad Sharif. The fall of Dhaka and the Hamoodur Rahman Commission report should also be made public, revealing who is responsible for allowing murderers like Raymond Davis to return to America under protective custody. But that will never happen because you prefer the past that suits you best.
Anyway, speaking of the present, today in Gwadar, seven people working in a barbershop were shot dead, which is a bigger incident than May 9, 2023, but received no attention because the victims were poor and ordinary Pakistanis. There won’t be any programs, no news coverage, and no millions spent on advertisements.
The entire focus of the government is not on protecting the people but on increasing animosity towards them at the government level, as they neither came into power through the people’s votes nor care about them.
These are the people from our impoverished areas who travel from minister to Gwadar for labor, only to be slaughtered, but their common murder won’t lead to meetings, press releases, or anyone visiting their homes. At this time, everyone is fighting for their own survival; there’s no concern for the lives and blood of these poor people because the only incident is May 9, 2023, when a peacock was stolen from the commander’s house.
