Today marks the best of days and today marks the
worst of days. May 28 or as a true Patriot would call it “Youm-e-Takbeer” marks
the day when Pakistan registered its might in modern warfare and arsenal by
successfully conducting a controlled nuclear explosion.
Pakistan with its sensitive and strategic
geographical location also became armed with perhaps the most powerful weapon
(though there are some who still believe education is the most powerful weapon).
Pakistan had the attention of the world and especially had its good neighbor,
India, and our favorite piñata (minus the candies), Uncle Sam, up in arms. What
followed was a series of embargoes, the Rupee getting devalued by 50% and the
then Nawaz Government being left with no option but to freeze US$10 billion in private
forex reserves. Interestingly, according to Nawaz Sharif himself, he denied an
aid package of US$ 5 billion by President Clinton which was offered conditional
to Pakistan not carrying out the tests.
15 years later one may ask how has the common
Pakistani actually benefitted from Pakistan developing its nuclear arsenal? We
currently have surpassed India in terms of our nuclear reserves and by some
estimates are scheduled to take the third place after America and Russia in
terms of nuclear bombs by 2020. Between the Ministry of Water and Power and various
government bodies, Pakistan’s electricity demand is 14000 to 17000 MW.
Appallingly, our nuclear program which has produced over 100 bombs produces
less than 1000 MW electricity for the country. This looks even sadder when one
recalls history as back in the 1950’s under US President Eisenhower’s Atoms for
Peace Program, Pakistan, India and Iran were supposed to be prototypes of promotion
of positive use of nuclear energy such as electricity. However, given India intentions
of building a bomb, Pakistan joined the rat race.
The nuclear bomb has not entirely been a waste. It
does serve as an undeniable deterrent keeping violence from escalating between
India and Pakistan when unfortunate incidents like 26/11 take place. Saudi
Arabia which vicariously massages its Muslim ego through Pakistan on military
turf has been visibly happy with us since 1998 and loves cozying up to the
Sharif Brothers as it is doing these days.
It is also
the one and only (and wrong) reason for proud patriotic Muslims to call the
country the “Fortress of Islam”.
Where many beam with national and religious pride on
May 28, to me at least it is a day or mourning and national embarrassment. Where
so many of us recall hills and mountains moving in Chagai with the thunderous
roar of a successful nuclear test, how many of us reflect on the massacre of
members of the Ahmadiyya Community at Lahore. The attack took place at the
Community’s house of worship and I am not legally allowed to call it a Mosque.
94 people were killed and more than 120 were injured during Friday prayers. The
so called Fortress of Islam could not protect the people inside it. US did not
need to put an embargo or send a drone nor did India need to conduct any covert
operation or surgical strike. It was the work of home bred terrorists who continue
to creep into our mosques, cultural centers and streets and are not limited to
FATA anymore.
Various political parties had issued statements of
condemnation when the attack took place but no prominent Politician was seen at
the mass Funeral held at Rabwah for the victims. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan
along with the Punjabi wing of Taliban (considered to have links with
Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and SSP) accepted responsibility for the attack,
the same group with which the current Nawaz government is gearing to negotiate
with. Moreover, former members of the LEJ and SSP such as a Chaudhry Abid Raza Gujjar and Sardar Ebaad
Dogar were awarded tickets to the National Assembly by PML-N.
The Lahore massacre is perhaps just the tip of the
iceberg. It defines the circumference if our society is conceived as a circle.
The genocide of the Hazara Community and the targeted killing of Shias in
Karachi (three including two children were gunned down today) is a clear sign
that this circle will keep getting smaller and smaller.
Our grudges and holier than thou attitude had dehumanized
us to the extent that now we do not even condemn brutality or terrorism if our
own kin has not suffered from it.
To those who want to continue to live in the bubble
with their misplaced sense of nationalism believing that Pakistanis are
gatekeepers of Jannah and Pakistan is the cradle for the next holy army,
remember May 28 for the successful nuclear blasts. But those concerned with struggling
to return basic human values and rights to this society, remember May 28 as also
the day we failed our people.
