63 years - Are our borders still safe?

Alhamdulliah, we are are very lucky indeed to have Pakistan intact after 63 years in spite of the innumerable calamities and difficulties that have befallen our beloved homeland Pakistan.

 

Today I feel very proud that I belong to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan - a country which was created in the name of Islam. I also feel very proud of my dear brothers and sisters who have served the armed forces of Pakistan in order to protect our borders, on which enemies constantly have their eyes upon.

The border of Pakistan was created to make us, the Muslims of the sub-continent, feel safe. So that no non-Muslim could succeed in harming us in any way, as had been the case before. That was the purpose of the border. 

However, my pride on my dear country's border and it's sovereignty is hurt when I see cases of people disappearing within our own borders, some of them who later turn upin prisons in foreign countries. At hearing such cases, I, as a Pakistani, feel insecure about my own future!

For example, one case is that of Dr. Afia. One Pakistani being tried by the US judiciary in the US! How is it legal in any way to try a person in country X, when the person belongs to country Y ?

Now, this is not the story of one Pakistani. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of such Pakistanis who have become the victim of rendition - who have been 'disappeared' by someone within Pakistan and then later turned up to be in some foreign country with a list of criminal charges.

Recalling the purpose of our country's border - to keep it's citizens safe - makes me wonder if our borders really are as good as they used to be.

Pakistan Zindabad!!!

Weren’t we already expecting Bombs today?

One of the most frequent tragic causes of headlines on Pakistani news channels is bombs. Bombs in the mosques, bombs at religious or political processions, bombs at other gatherings and even hospitals…

What is the common thing among them all?

Doesn’t take a second to get it – all these situations are heavily populated.

Here, a few e-clippings illustrate my point.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7181042.stm

http://www.newstatesman.com/2010/03/suicide-attacks-busy-city

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/01/pakistan-lahore-bomb-blasts

http://www.samaa.tv/News24920-YaumeAli_procession_ambushed_several_injured_.aspx

Today, I was feeling absolutely fine, yet I didn’t go to office. Simply because I was warned by my family and of course my own memory that today being 22^nd of Ramadan wouldn’t be safe day. There is nothing wrong with 22^nd of Ramadan absolutely of course, except that on this date, a culture to take out a religious procession prevails in Pakistan.

Since, the increase in frequency of bomb blasts in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad and even in the northern cities of Pakistan for the past three, four years, quite many a sensible people have started avoiding initiating or attending large gatherings. Avoiding such events isn’t a sign of cowardice, but as a way of protecting life, which is an asset from God, something we are bound to protect.

Given the situation of our country, I wonder what logic drives people to still plunge into processions, that too of the ritualistic sort, and jeopardize their own lives and their families’ future.