The scenario reminded me of the Hindu mythological story of Bhashmasur that I had read as a kid. Bhashmasur, a demon, won the heart of Lord Shiva and was blessed with a boon “to turn into ashes, all that he puts his right hand on”. Little did the unsuspecting Lord know that his holy head would be the first that the demon would try to test the lethal boon on.
In Pakistan though, the demon unleashed in power on others first before turning against its creator. Some in the Pakistani establishment jumped with joy as their Frankenstein wreaked havoc in the world, they nurtured them, trained them and armed them. They ignored these terrorists even when they shot a girl through her head because she wanted to go to the school defying their dictat. Pakistan kept hush hush even when the worlds most wanted man was hunted from their soil.
But then these incidents became a daily affair. Terrorists killed people daily and randomly. They even blew up mosques. Hardly a day went by when one or the other city did not witness a bomb attack. Hardly a night went by when the sobs of newly orphaned and newly widowed was not muffled by the dread of the night.
They barged into a school in Peshawar and killed 132 Pakistani children. 132 Unsuspecting, innocent Pakistani children murdered in cold blood in a school where they had gathered to get the education for a bright future that Pakistan desperately needs. The world took notice. The world had been taking notice for years while Pakistan was busy distinguishing between the good and bad terrorists. Now Pakistan took notice but by then it was already too late. The Country had slipped into a state of chaos. Nobody knew who was in charge. Nobody knew who could tackle this menace. Pakistan had become the global hub of terrorism. Even America, its strategic partner in its fight against global terrorism abandoned Pakistan because it had bigger problems to tackle.
History has seen many such monsters turn on their masters. India had their own in Bhindrewala.
America has had many like Taliban, Al-Qaida and now ISIS. Do we never learn from history. The world is in a state where 1/3rd of its population is under war. Pakistan is a state, it has a responsibility. A responsibility towards its citizen to give them a safe habitat. A responsibility to its children to give them a bright future, a future free of guns and bombs. A responsibility towards humanity.
Meanwhile another excellent read: http://nation.com.pk/blogs/28-Mar-2016/how-weak-is-your-faith-if-the-only-way-you-can-defend-it-is-by-using-violence
Image courtesy: http://www.economist.com/news/21631778-political-satire-will-increasingly-be-pixelated-paperless-cartoons
