Mehdi Shah and peace cannot go together
The latest bloodbath that visited Gilgit-Baltistan was not only
brutal, unfortunate and condemnable but also showed more ominous
tidings for the region. After this mayhem, if someone hopes that there
would be peace once again in the region he must be bereft of sanity.
Besides our inefficient and cruel political leaders, we the people of
the region are also responsible for the sorry state of affairs which
we see today. It seems that the inhabitants of Gilgit-Baltistan need
no enemy as they are bloodthirsty for each other and easily fulfilling
what their enemies would like to happen in the region. The question
that foreign hands are involved in spoiling peace of the region is
becoming irrelevant and if someone still believes in this claim he
must be either living in his own world or trying to hoodwink the
masses. Now it has become crystal clear that whatever is happening in
the region is locally grown and is done by the dwellers of the region
themselves. All the terror elements and miscreants are local youth and
they have no dearth of arms and ammunition and resources. They do not
need millions to arm themselves with weapons as stock is available in
each house and back-up is arranged at the spur of the moment. More
horribly, the terror brigades are at the beck and call of the
particular communities who send them out to streets and other places
to fulfil given tasks and come back to safety. And the way the youths
have been brainwashed further makes it easy for the gun wielders to go
berserk without any fear and remorse, making the situation more
precarious and uncertain to say the least. The current horrible
situation in Gilgit is the product of the over 30 years of hatred,
schism, divisions and gulf which we created among ourselves without
any reason or justification. The incidents of 2005 and Kohistan
killings put the area in a blind alley from where there is no hope of
return. Besides, Shia-Sunni killings in other parts of the country
also put its impact on Gilgit-Baltistan’s situation. As a result,
today the small city of Gilgit is full of hatred and its citizens are
terrorized.
Had there been some sensible leadership in the region, who the masses
could trust, the situation would not have reached such an impasse. Now
the fate of the nation seems to be at the hands of Agha Rahat and Qazi
Nisar who are surrounded by extremists and the two are not forthcoming
with rational approach to resolve the crises. When one side gives a
call of strike the other side comes with a tit for tat and nobody
knows when the vicious cycle will come to an end.
It is our misfortune that at this critical juncture when we need
quality leadership to sail through the crises facing the nation we are
being ruled by corrupt, coward, powerless and incompetent people like
Mehdi Shah and his cohorts. The chief minister is least concerned with
the law and order situation in the region and with the rampant
killings of innocent people here. At a time when Gilgit-Baltistan was
burning in sectarian fire, the chief minister reached Naudero only to
please his master Asif Ali Zardari and pay tribute to Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto. Can anyone think of the chief executive of a province who runs
to flutter others just to save his chair leaving his own people die of
bullets for no cause? The main problem with this chief minister is
that he is totally bereft of courage, political maturity and acumen.
For the last over two and half years he has only bragging and boasting
but utterly failed to deliver. Since he came to power, the region has
seen turmoil but he never tires of claiming that Gilgit-Baltistan is
still a peaceful abode and there are no issues at all. Most of the
time the chief minister remains encamped in Islamabad and his
remaining days are spent at his hometown of Skardu. This shows that
Mehdi Shah gives an impression to the masses that he has nothing to do
with their suffering even if they are being killed and neither should
they expect anything from him. Due to this, it is need of the hour
that he should resign from the post otherwise each and every city and
town of the region would face the fate of the Gilgit city. The region
needs brave, courageous and a dynamic leader and Mehdi Shah lacks all
these qualities.
It is also time that the elected representatives should realized the
reality of the situation and get out of party affiliation and selected
among themselves a capable leader to heal the government and steer out
the nation from the grave situation.
They should realize that our region is at the risk of fast drifting
into a situation of no return and if they want to save the region
Mehdi Shah should have to go. At this juncture, everyone irrespective
of his political and sectarian affiliations is disappointed and fed up
with the performance and working of the chief minister. Besides Mehdi
Shah, all the secret agencies who have been igniting the fire of
sectarianism and hatred in the region are responsible for the current
situation in the region.
We should also understand that this is a time of taking prompt and
timely action not of compromises. If we take right decisions at the
right time it can bring a turnaround that can affect even the coming
generation. If Mehdi Shah remained in power, it is feared that there
would remain no one even to pick the dead bodies of innocent people in
the region.
The contributor is chief editor of www.bangesahar.com
Mehdi Shah who was olivious of gilgit situations and enjoying with PPP in Ghadi Khuda Baksh can’t be a sincere politician with Gilgit region. I don’t know how come he became a CM. He was a lotta of PPP and PPP just wanted to shut our mouths by giving us a CM to make us think that Gilgit has become a Province. Gilgit will never be a province as long as its future decision is in the hands of UN. Mehdi Shah and peace can’t go toghether. I strongly agree with you. He doesn’t even know to introduce himself in English. Meritrocracy has been assassanited in Gilgit by our high officials.
Mathal, your analysis is based on facts. Till the time people of the region continue to select political leaders (so-called) based on all the factors except merit, I am affraid the situation will continue to deteriorate fastly. I do not understand if MH fails, where is rest of the leadership, political, religious and civil society? what it is waiting far?