Is this the capital city of Pakistan?
Rehan Khan
The powerful in Pakistan often stoop to every act of immorality in a bid to extract their vested interests and, mostly, escape the long arms of law enforcers. Explicit use of arms and guns is the only means to prove your innocence, in many cases. By degrees, a culture of resorting to display of sheer force is fostering in our society in which both, the elite class -nestled at the higher rung of social hierarchy, and the lower class – consigned to the lowest ladder, are involved, with no scruples.
Roots School System is one of the reputed networks of educational institutes operating on the educational landscape of Pakistan. Numerous branches of this network are also operating in Islamabad which are owned and controlled by the independent principals. On 7th June, a group of few armed men rushed towards the DHA campus and threatened to thrust open the main gates. Later on, the story developed that the two brothers of the principal of DHA campus staked their claim on campus and in attempt to acquire it, took to the arms. The technicalities and legalities are not the subject under discussion; it is the moral depravity that has ripped apart the social fabric of our society. Students who are
nowadays attending the annual examinations were taken by sheer surprise due to the onslaught of handful thugs who were bullying the administration. Female students shed the tears of utter despair and agony while the students of primary classes lost their hearts. A ruthless episode of cold war erupted in which foul language was exchanged with impunity. The school administration was in a state of confusion but did its best to resist the ingress of the armed men. The entire drama culminated in a ceasefire brokered by the police that came hours after the event. Is it the capital of Pakistan or the hunting ground for the shooters? Do we really live in a country with certain rules and laws enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan?
An identical story has also transpired in Gilgit, which is perched in the extreme North of Pakistan, at the feet of gigantic mountains. Students in Public School were busy one fine day in their academic studies with the teachers monitoring their activities. A faint sound seemed to get heavier on our ears with each proceeding second. The administration came to alert sensing an apparent attack of a mob on school. After a while, a gang of frenzied students equipped with sharp knives and long batons charged into the premises by climbing the short walls. Their aim was to instigate the students and merge them into their gang for a large protest against the government policies. I still remember the resilience with which the senior students in partnership with the teachers resisted the movement of that gang and forced them out of the school. But, the cries of terror resonated in the vibes of our college are still felt.
Our society is replete of such fanatics who often venture out of sanity and impose their version of ideology upon the masses. This recent example is emblematic of what is happening across the length and breadth of Pakistan. Probably, the curse of extremism and fundamentalism which has tenaciously gripped the foundations of tribal regions is also spreading into other parts of the country. Already, the rising rate of inflation, misallocation of resources and the mismanagement of administrative issues have jeopardized the national integrity of our nation and have added to the complications of common citizens. If the rising tides of anger and intolerance prevalent in our society are not subdued, then a dive into further chaos is inevitable and a return might not be among the possibilities.
The solution to the legal problem of Roots College got its final touch with the consent of both parties but the psychological damage done to the students can neither be gauged nor can be redressed. Pity the nation that has the constitution but has no one to follow it!
