Dr Lubna Zaheer
In August 2011, a man was killed during a police shooting in Tottenham — a relatively less privileged area of north London. The death sparked street demonstrations that turned into riots and spread to different areas. Citizens vandalised shops, buildings and vehicles, burned properties and looted shops. The worst riots in the British history lasted for four days. The law then swung into action and brought the situation under control. The then British Prime Minister, David Cameron declared that “false concerns about human rights will not be allowed to stand in the way and action will be taken”. And then it actually happened. About 3,000 people were arrested. Courts remained open day and night. Prosecution lawyers arrived in London from different parts of the country. Trials were conducted against the accused on emergency basis and they were sentenced and sent to jail.
According to an estimate, each offender was sentenced to an average of 16.8 months in prison. These sentences were four times higher than those normally given for such crimes. In the London riots, those young children, who were guilty of petty crimes, were not forgiven either. An 11-year-old girl was jailed for breaking the windows of a shop during the riots, while a 12-year-old boy was sentenced to eight months in prison and fined for stealing a bottle of liquor from a store. Women were not spared either. A woman was sent to jail for stealing two dresses. Punishments ranged from arson to looting. It’s called the rule of law and the rule of justice.
Now take a look at Pakistan. On May 9, 2023 the violent members of the PTI hardly spared anything. The mob attacked the GHQ in Rawalpindi, set historic building of Radio Pakistan Peshawar on fire, and ransacked the Lahore’s Corps Commander House. The cattle market was set on fire, the car showroom was burnt, and pictures and signs of the martyrs were torn down. Twenty buses, vehicles and motorcycles including the Edhi ambulance were reduced to ashes. The attackers waved sticks, shouted slogans, hurled abuses, spread fear and panic and kept looting. But after so many days, what action has been taken against them? The federal and provincial governments are making new announcements that they will bring the criminals to justice. The military’s media affairs wing, the ISPR has also issued several statements that the arsonists involved in the riots will be taken to task. However, it’s very sorry to say that at present all this is limited to verbal promises. So far, no action has been seen except for minor roundups. Let’s see the plight of the Punjab government. According to the provincial information minister, though he is aware that miscreants are hiding in Zaman Park, but needs Imran Khan’s permission. Does this happen in any country in the world? I think Pakistan is only exception in the world.
The delay in bringing the perpetrators of this tragedy to justice has also raised voices from within the government itself. PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui also criticized the government’s lackluster response. In a statement, he said that the day after the London riots of 2011, the government announced that the courts would remain open 24 hours. Here in Pakistan neither the JIT nor the commission was formed. Some sentences were handed down after cursory hearing. Now 12 days have passed since May 9 tragedy, but we are still playing with speeches. Government has yet to take any action. Mr Siddiqui has pointed in the right direction. As he is considered very close to the party leaders, Mr Siddiqui should move forward to take up this issue within their party and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Ideally the accused should have had been identified immediately after the riots, arrested and booked in cases. Courts should have had been opened day and night like of London to try and punish the arrested accused in a quick manner. However, this didn’t happen. It’s futile to expect justice from our judicial system. After the May 9 tragedy, the behavior of the courts is before us. These are the courts that used to take suo motu notice even when a bottle of liquor was recovered. The country was destroyed brick by brick. Pakistan was made a spectacle in the world, but no notice was taken. Guess that the highest ranking judge of the country’s top court ignored all this rioting, looting and arson and corruption. He expresses his pleasure to see Imran Khan (detained in a case) in court, welcomes him, expresses best wishes and sends him away as official guest. What should people expect from justice in this situation?
The scenario is that the government is busy in running advertisements based on national anthems instead of bringing the saboteurs to justice. The Corps Commander House and Radio Pakistan etc. have been given the status of museums. Visits of various delegations and media coverage of these visits are continuing. The question is when will the criminals be accounted for? The truth is that we are a nation without moderation and balance. Currently the entire nation is being taught about patriotism. Tall claims are being made that those who insult the martyrs will be taught a lesson and those who attacked the GHQ will be punished tight. No one is stopping you from punishing the evildoers, but remember that this series of riots is not new. The same PTI triggered riots during the 2014 sit-in and attacked the Pakistan Television Corporation building. Incumbent President Dr Arif Alvi phoned Imran Khan to disclose that their workers took over the PTV station. Mr Khan congratulated him for this performance. Was there any action regarding this attack? Is PTV not considered a government property. Imran Khan burned electricity bills, encouraged people to civil disobedience, blocked the way to the Supreme Court, talked about hanging the policemen. His supporters beat the policemen and humiliated them. Are the police not our institution? How Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad persuaded the workers for arson and besiege? Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri kept waving the shroud and digging the graves. What action was taken against these miscreants? Why were the provocateurs not caught? Most of them were acquitted by the courts. At that time, the state had let these political evildoers loose.
Anyways we need to see now what action is taken against the miscreants involved in the May 9 mayhem and against those who provoked them and those who applauded the arson in the audio leaks.
— The author is an academician and political analyst
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Lahore Mirror
