Islamabad: What a week this has been.
Even if I disregard the amusement of my Dubai-based friends who can’t resist throwing in the proverbial “we told you so, don’t go back to Pakistan”, I can neither forgive nor forget the massive inconvenience that I and thousands others in Islamabad and Rawalpindi went through because of the manic efforts of two charged saviours whose zeal was aimed at fixing the system and overthrowing an elected government that came to power, fraudulently as alleged by them — never mind that the more ambitious one of them, the cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan who already calls himself Prime Minister — was also elected along with his party in the same election.
And never in my wildest dreams could I imagine the heights of frustration and inconvenience their “Azadi” and “Inqilab” marches would cause.
Unfortunately, I reside in sector G-6/4 in one of the first streets on the turning immediately before Serena Hotel and after Abpara Square. This quiet residential area runs parallel to some government buildings across a green belt and directly opens onto the D-Chowk, heading towards the Parliament and the Constitution Avenue.
Anyone following the events of the past week and beyond may have an idea what transpired in terms of blockades made at all entry and exit points in the area because of its proximity to the Red Zone.
Those in favour of Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri’s revolutions can beat themselves black and blue and blame the government for putting containers to cause blockades but their pathetic arguments ring hollow.
All of us who have been inconvenienced have only one thing to say: if you hadn’t brought your mobs here the government would not have turned our beautiful city into a restricted prison ground. Was not your own security and ours important? With a military offensive going on in North Waziristan and the Taliban groups ready to strike at any given opportunity could the roads have been left open for your mobs to occupy and play their cheap music all night? Ah, the music, Khan and his supporters swayed and danced to! What a festive atmosphere being created! Believe me, if anyone had to listen to that all night for a week it would be enough to induce people to run to ENT specialists to check their eardrums.
On a serious note, Khan and Maulana Qadri your revolutions and Independence Movements were a pain. And one which no one should suffer. Maybe, only you two.
Our food supplies ran out and when we’d go to nearby shops in Abpara their supplies had run dry because of the onslaught of the protesters demanding their stomachs be fed. All the food prices rocketed. Ordinary people were being harassed by Qadri’s Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers who had erected their own security checkpoints and would not let anyone in or out without searching their belongings and frisking them.
This is what is called in plain and simple terms, exploitation of democracy. When law and order is in the hands of the mobs who do not tire of proclaiming their “RIGHTS” while blatantly usurping the rights of everyone else and not giving two hoots of adhering to limitations imposed by the city administration.
Who should we have complained to? The government? Already reeling under the weight of accusations being hurled left right and centre, the police and city administration were too tense to do anything for us, civilians.
And so we suffered and will continue to do so until these two great leaders decide to negotiate and direct their supporters back. If only we’d have such a neat little ending to this comedy of errors.
We still have to suffer further threats and disquiet with Khan threatening the unleashing of frenzied mobs into the PM House. Thank God for the Supreme Court that has stepped in and has issued notices to both Qadri and Khan for a ‘violation of fundamental rights of citizens’ for the inconvenience their ongoing protests have caused. The poor judges have been locked in.
Oh and before I forget a word of commiseration for the thousands of commuters from Rawalpindi and Murree and adjacent areas and all the businesses that have suffered tremendously over the past many days thanks to what was a grand old tamasha. So while Khan and Qadri flex their might to get the Prime Minister to step down, we shall continue to suffer.
