Badami Bagh Fiasco and Key Role Of Executive

                       Badami Bagh Fiasco and Key Role Of Executive

As wounds of "Hazara Carnage" and "Abbas Town Massacre" were still fresh, where Shia minority were targeted and  hundreds of them were martyred in brutal attacks by LEJ, Muslims killing Muslims on  religious differences. We were struck with a devastating blow, this time Christian community was targeted, as some one from their community made blasphemies remarks, in return the whole locality was punished, burning  their shelters and destroying their belongings, close to 170 houses burnt down to ashes, their belongings were either looted or burnt with the houses, hurting many individuals in the process but fortunately no causality was reported.

Mob Torching Houses and belongings

But there is glaring difference between these atrocities, Alamdar Road martyrs and their families had to sit in freezing temperatures for days to get the justice, but even after sit-ins across Pakistan and Suo Moto by Honourable Chief Justice, there was no progress in providing them justice, irony is the Chief executive of the Province never visited the victims families, rather fled to UK, reportedly for admission of his close relative to the University, after reassurance and implementation of Governors rule they ended their sit-in, but unfortunately they had to bear another horrible blast , almost after a month. they again went for sit-in across the country, Another Suo Moto hearing, reassured again, delegations sent to them by Federal and provisional Governments, Prime Minister also visited them, many promises were made, many give and takes, assurance of operation against banned out-fits, in consequence sit-in were called off again and martyrs were buried.

As Hazara Carnage was not enough , Shia community met with another devastation, this time destination was Karachi, site was Abbas Town, literally demolishing the whole locality, grounding their flats and shops , hundreds of flats and shops turned into a rubble. Each flat estimated to be 40 to 50 lac and  shops were even more costlier,  billions of rupees lost in one Bomb Blast besides taking close to hundred lives and injuring hundreds. This time Shia Community met the same fate, respected rulers of the Province abandoned them and left them to Allah's  mercy. Same old episode was repeated, sit-in, protests, followed by burial of martyrs, assurances of compensation and operation against banned out-fit.

Now let us come to "Badami Bagh", where an individual committed a crime, supposedly making derogatory remarks against Holy Prophet (PBHM), while drinking liquor with his Muslim barber friend,  irony of the matter is, case was registered against him under 295-C on the complaint of the friend on Wednesday night and issue was settled, but next day, a mob  arriving early morning from no where, chanting slogans against the Christian community, according to sources, situation went bad to worse when Police on guard wielded batons to disperse the crowd. But what matters most is, close to 150 houses were set to fire with their belongings inside, injuring few as well. But during that chaos, they caused irreparable damage to Islam and Muslim Community, as the whole World Media once again  focused on Pakistan  for wrong reasons, insanity of few sick minds, giving a black spot to the whole Nation and unfortunately bringing bad name to Islam.

Response of Police was pathetic, as they let the mob have their say and didn't intervene to stop the riot, rather facilitated the chaos. Police infect, had given warning to Joseph Colony residents a day earlier to vacate their houses, and go to some place safe, because people of the locality were very angry and anything could happen and it was better to leave the place for few days,  they were reassured that their houses and belongings will be protected. Punjab Police and Civil Administration should have learned from Gojra Riots and Tribunal recommendation's regarding that incidence, because they had 24 to 36 hours to respond.

 Let us talk about the role of "Executive of the Province", unlike two other provinces Which I discussed earlier, Shahbaz Sharif responded immediately, suspending Local SSP, SP, DSP and concerned SHO of the Police Station, held emergency meeting and asked for the arrest of the culprits, announced a 5 lac compensation for each of the family (distribution has already started) and building of the their houses on the same location within four days, (construction work already started), visiting the site himself next day and doing ground breaking of house construction with his own hands, calling a high level meeting of Christian Community assuring them his full support and freedom of expression under Pakistan Law, most importantly more than 150 miscreants were held, FIR was launched, ( Blasphemous case under 295-A, deals with insulting someone religious beliefs, punishable up to ten years),  with commitment that trial will be held in Anti Terror Courts, all these actions were taken within 24 hours of incidence.

Shahbaz Sharif Visiting Joseph Colony

Things do not end here, a Religious Conference was held in CM Secretariat, agreeing unanimously on religious freedom and establishing committees at gross root level to deal with such issues and to create religious harmony. Sunni Ihthad Counsil issuing Fatwa, declaring it in-human and non-Muslim act.

 Chaos that had started early morning of 9th of March, was taken care of  within 36 hours of  its eruption, culprits were  apprehended, affected accommodated and measures were taken that such eruptions and incidences should not happen in future.

Finally, We need to understand, that in third world countries like Pakistan, such incidences might happen in future as well, with literacy rate hovering in mid-fifties, where there are few Religious scholars whom we can trust, where Liberals and Religious Leaders are polls apart, both have their own interpretation of Islam, A country where there is a rat race for rating  in Media Groups ( which hardly follows any rules when it comes to their rating). While in other Provinces even Murderers are able to flee from country with the help of State agencies (ShahZab Case), where hundreds of families with hundreds of their martyrs had to sit-in in freezing temperatures for days, where stories of corruption surface every-day, billions looted every-day, where target killers rule the roast, Bhatta taken with the help of State organs, extortion's etc. etc.

Punjab is lucky to have such an Executive, who responds to situation, act even against his own family members (Bakery Incidence, where CM son in law, arrested and presented in court hand cuffed), where CM himself visits houses of rape victims and makes sure that justice has been served (Gujranwala,Shiekhpura,Vehari etc), where blast victims and families don't have to sit in freezing temperatures to demand justice (Moon Market Blast, victims families compensated and rehabilitated), where sectarian killings do not go un noticed ( Dr Haider and his Sons personally being consoled by CM and his elder brother and justice promised), there are hundreds of such example in last five years where justice being served to victims families.

 We must all shun our political bigotries, give credit where it is due, rather than settling our political score, because it leads to chaos and proves counter productive as riots erupted in Lahore and Karachi a day after the Lahore incidence, damaging properties, a metro Station was damaged in Lahore and incidences of shops looting , burning of vehicles were reported

Questions  arises, why all parties are ganged up against PMLN using religion as weapon when such tragedies happen in Punjab, whether its dengue, floods, sectarian violence,  fake medicines case, Doctors Strike, irony of the matter is that  even Public welfare projects are being criticised, like Metro Bus System, Bridges, Road infrastructure, Danish School System, On-line Education System, Laptops and unfortunately the list goes on ???.

I often hear, politicians from different parties criticise deteriorating Law and Order situation in Punjab, talk of Dacoties, kidnappings for Ransom, Murders etc, yes I do agree things are not honky dowry in Punjab, tons of efforts and hard-work needs to be poured in from all quarters,  for years to come ( not three months or 1-2 years), as far as CM is concerned he has introduced "comprehensive reforms" to tackle corruption menace in Police and enhance their Investigative skills the day after he took over as CM of Punjab, raised the salaries of Police ( salary of simple Constable is more than handsome ), made a wilful effort to change the Thana Culture, ( previous Government led by Pervaiz Ellahi, had left the institution in tatters, Political appointments of ASI, SHO even Constable level, literally brought the whole institution to a stand still and in ruins ), Modern Police Station introduced across Punjab,  have already started  to work in few Districts, State of the Art Forensic Laboratory built in Lahore to improve Criminal Justice System, ( one of its kind in South Asia, already a bench mark for  investigation in Pakistan), Citizen feed back System introduced to check the corruption, regular visits of CM to different Police Stations by himself and Open Hearing by IG in different districts on regular basis, induction of DSP and SHO through PCS exams, strict mechanism introduced for internal enquiries, punishment served to hundreds of officers and demoted many.  Question arises, if other Provinces can claim such reforms ??.

Finally, huge responsibility rest on the shoulders of our Religious Scholars, Political elite and Media Houses, to come to a broader consensus to prevent such kind of incidences in future, if they do occur, must be dealt  carefully and wisely by our Media, because initially when that incidence happened, reports were circulating that the Individual who had committed the crime was a minor (16 Year), some were declaring it a war by Muslims on Christian Community, some as local politics in Badami Bagh Elections, some giving it a color of Land Grabbing etc. Initial Investigation of the incidence, proved every body wrong, as it was  a religious argument which turned ugly between a Muslim and Christian friend, in which latter passed derogatory remarks against Holly Prophet (PBHM), while drinking liquor, which was latter hijacked by Badami Bagh traders as their  election slogan.  
    
Look at Modern societies, such insanities and brutalities do occur there as well  in different forms, like School killings in USA etc. but there is no blame game. What we must understand such insanities keep on surfacing in different forms and shapes, but what matters is, how we respond as a Nation and how we take measures prevent them in future. Change does not come overnight, it needs years of sustained hard work and efforts. Even rich oil states with all their wealth and huge money have taken decades to develop and  still have tremendous work to do. Our media and parties must stop showing golden dreams and promises which can not be fulfilled overnight.  Examples of Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia etc. are there to be seen, how they have come up with years of hard work and efforts.

 Pakistan's people must be saluted and respected,  whole Nation stood with our Christian brothers as they stood with Shia Community, as long as we are united, such incidences will make our resolve and belief in Pakistan more stronger. Our executives and administrators did not learn any lesson from Gojra Judicial enquiry  and paid no heed to their recommendations, The responsibility of Badami Bagh incident squarely lies on the shoulders of Police and administrators. Political parties also should be careful not to play power politics in such matters as it infuses more hatred among different religious communities. Lastly we have pushed "Islam" (simple religion) into dark ages, courtesy our religious  leadership.