Procrastination be damned (for now), as the situation in Pakistan gets progressively worse, I feel the desperate need to highlight the views of Pakistani bloggers because I think it is imperative that GV readers be updated on what is going on in my homeland, and the bloggers are providing the most honest and accurate views on the events that unfolded last Saturday. I personally suffered several migraines and internal hemorrhages watching the proceedings on television. Pre-planned, well orchestrated, political motivated riots and murders took place in Karachi on the 12th of May. The guilty parties labeled these events as ‘unfortunate’ and claimed themselves as victims. It's like kneeing someone repeatedly in the groin and then claiming yourself that you can no longer have children.
Chowrangi marked it as a black day in the history of Karachi [1] with the following post:
It is very unfortunate to observe ruling party of the country having good time and celebrating in their rally in Islamabad, while people were getting killed in Karachi. All TV channels showed armed goons moving freely around the city, attacking each other and damaging public property while police and rangers did nothing practical.
To say that the Musharaf government is unpopular would be a colossal understatement. It is positively despised in most quarters but the ‘General’ is in serious denial of that fact. The desperate attempt by the government to orchestrate mass rallies to present itself as ‘popular’ is probably the sorriest attempt at PR that one can witness. We (Pakistanis) have seen way too many of these in recent times to fall for this same old ploy.
Teeth Maestro has been very tenacious in commenting on the events that took place. His latest post [2], not only details his own impassioned opinion but also presents a first-hand account of what a doctor saw on that fateful day. Incidentally, this account was received as a comment on one of Teeth Meastro's post on Karachi Metroblogs.
I rode with my ambulance drivers, was in the hastily set up emergency room in our lobby, attended multiple gunshot wounds victims etc. but nothing struck down my soul more than what 9 fully armed workers of MQM alongwith 2 sector office bearers did. They tried to drag out the wounded and dying body of a Sunni Tehrik worker (we later learnt he was sunni tehrik) for presumably finishing him off.
Red, White and Black writes about the carnage, turmoil and anguish [3] of that day.
The events of the past two days have been harrowing. Most of us have been glued to television screens following the horrific scenes of gun-battles on the streets of Karachi. The violence that ensued on Saturday was expected by many quarters. What was not expected was the manner in which the law-enforcement authorities absconded responsibility of maintaining law and order in the city. 34 died on May 12.
Crow's Nest has a detailed account of what happened [4] that day. He even describes the attack on the media (AAJ TV channel) for airing the truth about the actual culprits.
Finally, I highlight a precise summary of 12th May [5] from one of my favourite blogs, Silsila-e-Mah-o-Saal. I present this because her opinions closely mirror my own on what happened that day and also because I think she is a rather an eloquent writer.
You may now return to your regularly scheduled programs … until I return with my next post.