Had he lived, Salmaan Taseer would today be celebrating his 74th birthday. It is important to remember him on this occasion. Not simply due to his connection to this newspaper. But because of his relentless struggle for democracy, civic freedoms and minority rights.
Taseer’s bold stance and ultimate sacrifice remain a benchmark for the human rights movement in Pakistan. Whenever there is a call to protect the weak or to speak up against injustice, his name will be remembered.
Here in 2018, Pakistan has more reason to miss him than ever. The country has not just seen a resurgence of the religious right. It has witnessed a state apparatus capitulating to those who want nothing more than to sow the seeds of religious disharmony.
The rise of the Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP)’s political clout over the last year is cause for grave concern. Not least because the party termed the execution of Mumtaz Qadri “unjustifiable”. This, despite him having assassinated Taseer in cold blood over the latter’s efforts to have the country’s draconian blasphemy laws reviewed and amended. At the time of his murder, Taseer was no ordinary man. He was the governor of the Punjab. That Pakistan did not wake up to this threat back then was a case of wilful myopia.
Which leads us to where we are presently. Another assassination attempt; this time against Ahsan Iqbal, the outgoing man at the Interior. And although the TLP denied links to the gunman — the latter had been, by his own admission, incited by party chief Khadim Rizvi to do the unthinkable. Namely, shoot a federal minister on the basis of mere hearsay and false impression partly created by the media. All because of what may have been a minor change in the oath taken by the parliamentarians to affirm Khatm-e-Nabuwwat (finality of the Prophethood [PBUH]).
The outgoing PMLN government came under fire for tampering with a tenet of Muslim faith. In reality, this was nothing more than fake news. As fake, in fact, as aspersions levelled by sections of the fourth estate against the late Governor Taseer. The TLP movement has brought with it Ahmadi suffering. State institutions that are tasked with upholding the constitutional provision requiring the equal treatment of all citizens before the law now call for a declaration of faith to be made mandatory for anyone wishing to hold public office. As if it were not enough that the issuance of CNICs and the documents of citizenship are dependent upon denouncing another’s faith. And from there we arrive where we are now. The destruction earlier this month of an historic, century-old, place of worship in Sialkot by those who believe in anything but religious pluralism.
So, yes. Pakistan has every reason to miss Salmaan Taseer. For without him, the country is hurtling along a theocratic path not of its own choosing. But it will be of its own making as long as those parties that preach violent bigotry are allowed to go ballot-boxing. And so, we hope that the PPP will not give up the mission for which Taseer sacrificed his life. Recently, its leadership paid respects to a hate-preaching cleric in Sindh province. A party that has lost leaders due to bigotry must not fall into the trap of short- term gains by allying with dubious religious characters. This is the least it should do if it wants to respect the legacy of the long list of its own martyrs, including: Benazir Bhutto, Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti, among others.
Happy Birthday, Salmaan Sahib. Your compassion must be kept alive for the good of us all.
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