Return us Pakistan of ’60s

MASOOD KHAN

Anyone remembers the Pakistan of ’60s and ’70s; any comparison with the lives we are living in the present day Pakistan? Blowing up of girls schools, targeting of polio workers, killing of religious and sectarian opponents, mobs wandering in streets ready to lynch anyone on blasphemy charges, even advocating or acquitting a blasphemy victim warrants death sentence, forcibly converting religion of females belonging to minority groups, places of worship and devotion — be these mosques, shrines, mandirs, churches are a favorite target, even health centers, school assemblies, funeral processions are no exception — these are all a hallmark of today’s Pakistan. Sadly all this is happening in the name of religion; obviously by doing so these extremists are not spreading religion but forcing people to run for their lives.

Why the Pakistan of ’60s and ’70s was not a fearful place — only because religious extremists and their supportive clergy were not that powerful to challenge the writ of the state, only because seminaries were not a closed place for outside world. A peaceful and progressive country was completely turnaround in ’80s when state went ahead to nurture religious extremists to achieve short-term goals. But as said if you dig a hole for others, you are sure to fall in it yourself — now there is no way to put this genie back in the bottle. After fighting so-called jihads in the neighbouring countries, these fanatics have turned their guns on their very creators. But main victim is the general public, being killed and maimed on daily basis in the cross fire between a confused state and extremists.

Looking for help to counter these gun totting gangs killing in the name of religion — yes, talk to Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) to show the righteous path to fanatics. Oh, sorry, CII is busy deliberating on girls’ marriage age, first wife’s consent on second marriage — please come back after a decade, that is if you are alive by that time.

Please return us the liberal and progressive Pakistan of ’60s and ’70s.