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.

My Dear Lahore, My Dear Pakistan...

Today something terrible happened. Seven bomb blasts took place in one single city, Lahore of my dear country. Yes, seven!

There was a time when the news of seven injured people in such blasts used to upset us to the point that we could not have our meals properly for some time. But we grew immune to such shocks.

Then came a time when the news of seven dead in such blasts used to upset us to the point that we could not think of anything else for hours. But we grew immune to such panics too.

And then came a time when body counts failed to raise our blood pressures, failed to put things into perspective for us. A time when not seven injured in a day, not seven dead in a day, but seven separate bomb blasts in a single city within a few hours failed to make us realize the truth.

The truth, you ask me what it is?

Well, they are a couple of essential things I consider true for this situation.

Firstly, what is happening now i.e. bomb blasts isn’t merely a function of explosive chemicals and the ones exploding it. It is the function the actions of each an every citizen living in this country. Yes, everyone can clearly see that there are no missiles in this case or no foreigners parachute-landing. What is being done to our dear brothers is being done by our once dears brothers and no one else! What else but some kind of weakness might have lead them to go for such deeds.

Secondly, we are a nation, more than 60 years old. So logically speaking, learning from the mistakes of the past 60 years should have made us wise enough to do the right things at the right time. But apparently what George Bernard Shaw once said

“We learn from history that we learn nothing from history”

In short, what is happening might aggravate if we continue with our pathetically apathetic attitude toward our country. And things will only improve if we build our fort strong from inside. A fort whose wall’s foundation is firm like the ideology on which Pakistan was created and whose bricks are as strong as we Pakistanis are capable of being ourselves.

May Allah give us the right intentions and adequate capability and strength to bring peace back to my dear Pakistan.

11:26 pm

March 12, 2010.