Hatred breeds hatred

Although I do not endorse the treatment meted out to Arbab Ghulam Rahim inside Sindh Assembly, however, on the contrary I would not condemn such treatment outside in the public. I must here point out some very disturbing instances attributed to this ex-Chief Minister of Sindh. When the bomb blasts went off on October 18, 2007 on Benazir's motorcade, Arbab Ghulam Rahim stated that the safest place for Benazir would be either Jail or a bagtarband gari (armoured van). Another statement he made once was that "Aurat ki hukumrani manhoos hoti hai" (Women rulers are a curse on people).

Importantly, we all have seen the footage in which Arbab Ghulam Rahim is slapping an innocent journalist and abusing him in public. For those who aren't aware of this incident must watch this you tube clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1TYNoAtoJ4).

All these instances without any doubt prove that Arbab Ghulam Rahim has no respect for other fellow beings and if he can say and do such damn things openly in public just imagine how uncivilized and uncultured this man would be in private.

Coming to what happened to Sher Afghan Niazi last night. We all are aware of behaviours of people like Sher Afghan Niazi, Wasi Zafar, Ahmad Raza Kusuri and etc., during Musharra’s tyrannical rule. I think people have just vented out their sheer anger and for this I would not blame them but those who have angered them for more than 8 years. Just to cite one instance to remind why people have vented out in such way.

On September 29, 2007, the day Musharraf was submitting his papers for his presidential election in Islamabad, state coercion was used against innocent journalists and lawyers outside EC headquarters on the Constitutional Avenue. Aitzaz Ahsan and Ali Ahmed Kurd were severely beaten by the Police on the instructions of the government and not a single condemnation came from the government. At least in Sher Afghan’s case Aitzaz came to his rescue and he should be thankful to him. There are several incidents such as May 12, 2007 so much bloodshed and killings on the streets of Karachi but the coalition partners in Sindh were not even serious to conduct an inquiry into the killings of innocent people.

I think all those who side and sympathize with Arbab or Sher Afghan are actually no different than them. The way Arbab and Sher Afghan were treated was only because they are reaping what they have sowed. This anger of the people is not particularly against Sher Afghan Niazi, Wasi Zafar, Ahmad Raza Kusuri or Arbab. It is against Musharraf and people are now venting it out to them because they supported the dreaded dictator.