Still alive!

By Dr. Muhammad Hafizullah

No, I am still alive and OK I reply to the sixteenth caller. Again a series of frantic calls after a bomb blast from our kith and kin residing in different cities of the world! The news of a bomb blast spreads like a wild fire – thanks to the ever alert electronic media. Living in Peshawar in these testing times has its own ‘rewards’.

“Are you still living in Peshawar?” asks incredulously, an old friend from Oxford who is a visiting consultant, questioning my sanity.

The last bomb blast occurred in Meena Bazaar, very close to our ancestral house and within a kilometre radius of the hospital I work. Imagine the trauma and grief where more than hundred families had to bury their near and dear ones in one day.

Envisage the sense of loss in that locality where human beings were burnt to ashes beyond recognition. Try to feel the anguish of the locals who have yet to find their family members buried under the rubble. Healthy ladies and children busy shopping in the one of the popular shopping areas embraced ‘Shahadat’ without any premonition. A few families lost more than five persons - the calamity annihilated complete families.

The blast before this, occurred bang in front of Soekarno gate of Lady Reading hospital, claiming more than forty lives. Most doctors use this route coming in or getting out of the hospital.

Many leading physicians and surgeons have their clinics in the vicinity besides laboratories and chemist shops. It’s fortunate for them that they escaped the damage but then those who lost their lives were again our brothers and sisters.

The patients and medical and para medical staff of the hospital had a very narrow miss and it is heart wrenching to even think about the colossal tragedy the city would have faced otherwise.

The blast in front of Askari bank in Saddar claimed scores of innocent lives and shocked the city and her inhabitants. It purloined the dwellers of their peace and tranquillity. It robbed them of their sense of security.

The hustle and bustle of Saddar vanished and the whole city was in mourning. The electronic media showed all the details and the so called ‘experts’ discussed the issue thread bare.

Every one rushed to condemn the incident and all higher ups expressed their heart felt anguish as per traditions. Rhetoric statements do not serve any purpose and cannot bring the dead back!

There is gloom painted on all faces of the town coupled with tremendous sense of helplessness. There is deep anguish and many persons from different walks of life confided to crying loudly! The vocal among them are now asking questions – some of these questions have no answers but some are pointing to very painful realities.

There are serious doubts about the ability and seriousness of the agencies which are supposed to pre-empt such activities. How much energy and resources the government is devoting to protect the common man from subversive activities?

Action is required and we all have to join hands to defeat the enemy. But who is the enemy, and how do we pin point the enemy? Can we do something to thwart the vicious plans of terrorist?

Can we do something to prevent to become a target of their heinous crimes? Or we just wait for our turns and be ready to sacrifice our precious life at the altar of terrorism- serving no cause! Should we accept it as our fate to be burned and mutilated in public for the uncommitted sins? Should we leave everything to the government and hope against hope that things will improve on their own or the government will improve her efficiency and offer protection to her citizens?

What can we do? First of all we should consider this as reprimand from Allah Subhanu Taala and we should look into our lives and define the shortcomings that need to be improved.

We should offer profuse ‘Istighfar’ individually and as a nation and seek His forgiveness. Secondly, we must think as to where do the terrorists get their fresh supplies that are ready to lay down their lives for some unknown goals. Of course, these mercenaries are being recruited from people living around us. We have to forge unity and condemn such people and their actions with unyielding zeal and enthusiasm. Word of mouth from different strata will result in forming an opinion.

That should discourage these gangsters to join hands and mislead others. Their real motives have to be exposed and anti-imperialistic stand has to be contested.

Thirdly, to improve security all eyes and ears should join in and complement the efforts of the state agencies. The enemy will have no place to run and escape, if we all join hands. The enemy has to hide behind some walls and cover. Let us all refuse to provide that cover.

Through our combined efforts we can expose the criminals. We can all invest in our security, though it may be painful, it can make the job a lot more difficult for the terrorists. We can strengthen the security of our streets and locality by recognising security as a major problem and taking some practical steps. We have to take cognisance of the fact that the government needs a helping hand in this situation and we have to make our contribution

We have to recognise that we have a threat like we never had before and this demands proper planning and concrete actions. Importantly, we have to talk about it and all of us have to condemn this in unambiguous terms.

We have to realise that all of us have to offer some sacrifice and let us be ready to offer our share. By raising the sensitivity towards this issue and taking practical steps starting from our own self, institution and then locality, we can help to combat the threat. Most importantly, we have to seek His forgiveness and help to get out of this terrible mess.