Misbah or Mishap – A Bomb Blast

There have been around 335 bomb blasts in 2010 so far in Pakistan. Apparently, there is a report that says that Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine was on the terrorist hit list. Why were some preventive measures not taken? Every time mosques, religious processions and Sufi shrines are hit, our political parties easily announce a mourning period. What is the use of all this drama? All our protests are in vain because there is no outcome of our anguish. What are we giving to our coming generations except the shadow of fear? I beg to all the concerned security authorities to please take effective steps and save us from this needless bloodshed. There was enough time after the Data Darbar incident that preventive measure had been taken as it was the primary responsibility of the government to protect such sacred places from the extremists. These two attacks at the biggest shrines in the country show that these so called Jihadis are enemies of humanity and Islam; they only use the name of Islam to misguide the people.

Thursday’s attack on the Sufi shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi was an assault on the principles of Sufism. More than 60 people were injured and 10 killed, including children, in the twin blasts at the shrine. Sectarian conflicts pose a serious threat to Pakistan. As a nation we need to embark on a reformist agenda, which envisions promoting pluralist traditions, secularism and the core foundations of humanism in Islam. Islam is a diverse religion and it offers various perspectives; as a state we cannot adhere to any particular sector or school of thought. The constitution of Pakistan calls for equality for all inhabitants regardless of the religion or sect they belong to. Pakistani society, over the years, has been infected with radical elements; we need to revert back to our original roots of Sufi traditions, the core foundations of which were embedded in peaceful coexistence and tolerance. The people of the city condemn this act of terror, an act that is against humanity and has given a severe jolt to the people. The people who lost their lives were true followers of the Sufi saint. The people of Karachi hold the belief that the shrine is instrumental in saving the city from natural calamities.

As if there was not enough turmoil in Karachi because of the constant target killings, another heart-wrenching incident took place a deafening bomb blast at the Pakistan Cricket Board. I do not know whether I should cry or laugh at the sheer absurdity of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision of appointing a player captain of the Test side, who has almost not played a single international cricket match for a year. What on earth were the half-wits at the PCB thinking? I do not think it is going to be much longer before the PCB replaces the word ‘chaos’ in the English dictionary. It is now time for some introspection. Since their arrival in England, they were hounded on and off the field. First, two of their main bowlers had to be sidelined. This was done by the British media and followed up by famous cricket personalities and ICC officials baying for their blood. Despite all this, they accomplished the unimaginable by winning the third ODI. However, this time another tabloid accused them of match-fixing a game they had won. The juveniles who constitute the PCB responded the only way they know stupidly thereby increasing the pressure on the already over-burdened players. How on earth did they manage to win the fourth ODI and level the series we will never know? As if the ICC and the media and the fact that two of their strike bowlers were banned from playing were not enough, the umpires and the commentators joined in. It is a fact that the outcome of the match, indeed the series, was affected by all these factors. I humbly request the president of Pakistan to put us out of our misery and change the entire set-up at the PCB, for the love of the sport and the country in order to avoid any mishap like when the Pakistan cricket team was thrashed in the final ODI.