Assassination of Taseer

by Salman Shahid Alvi 

( January 09, Jeddah-Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka Guardian) The afternoon on the 4th of January had brought along a fatal news for Pakistan.The news being the assassination of the Governor of Punjab Mr.Salman Taseer.He was reported to have been targeted by a member from his very own security cell.Ergo,it was not a security breach that had its aftermath as we see it today,but it was a breach within the security of Taseer.Malik Mumtaz Hussain Qadri,the assassinator had shot more than twenty five bullets on the Governor at Khosar market in Islamabad.The victim breathed his last on way to the hospital.It is also believed that Mumtaz Qadri had already planned to do so,the reason being the condemnation of the blasphemy law in Pakistan by the Governor of Punjab.The law was introduced in 1980′s by,then President,Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

We all are well acquainted with the state of affairs that is being witnessed in Pakistan today.The country is in all sorts of trouble.Its political system is at its nadir and corruption at its zenith.Terrorism is posing a major threat over which the government doesn’t seem to have any control.Inquires are ordered,issues are debated and discussed upon,condolences expressed and the case is closed.Its again the same political wrangling and accusations that the morrow begins with.Three years have been passed since Benazir became the target of some extremists,yet no strong evidence has been found against the perpetrators which has allowed them to breathe freely without having been castigated so far.Also,it would have left many in stupefaction when the crime scene in Benzair’s case was washed off immediately for illicit reasons.Albeit,the investigation was supplemented by the UN report on Benazir’s murder,there is little chance that the conspirators would be unveiled.

Now,to talk about the assassination on last Tuesday,several implications can be drawn from this incident.I may not be well versed with Mr.Taseer’s political associations,his demeanor,his conduct,the ways and methods used by him for playing his politics.But what I know of with certainty is that every individual has a right to opine.You can’t simply kill someone for expression of his thoughts.I am nowhere standing in support of what he said,in fact,I am just trying to make manifest that the man had critcised the law and not Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) himself.Taseer had come up in support of Asia Bibi,a Christian women who is alleged to have insulted the Prophet.One reason for Taseer’s intercession for her may be the not so convincing history of such cases in Pakistan.Earlier too,people were accused of having committed blasphemy and were later released when no proof was found against them.It was also said that it sometimes is a result of personal anguish between the two parties that is,the accuser and the accused.What I perceive on contemplation,the assassination cannot be justified as being humane on any ground.Act committed by Qadri will not only deteriorate the image of Pakistan but will more adversely affect the perception of people about Islam.

Once again,I would say that its my opinion.It may largely differ from what others may comprehend of this issue.And its just a thought,neither have I entertained any favoritism for Salman Taseer nor have I meant to show any dislike for Mumtaz Qadri.All I wish is that the country comes out of this crucial and probably the most precarious situation,ever seen since Pakistan has come into existence.And for that,the political perils need to be eliminated at first i.e. a transformation in the political system is imperative.Only then could we expect it to direct its way to prosperity.I am reminded of a famous saying at this point which is “Our greatest glory is not in never falling,but in rising after every time we fall”.