Data Darbar Blasts

The Thursday night’s callous assault at the shrine of Ali Hajveri (R.A), the holiest place in Pakistan was not like a regular suicide attack to which most of us are attuned and immuned to. This attack bears repercussions of high magnitude affecting all sects and factions of the society. Even I have heard for the first time in my life, angry populace roaring “Shehbaz Sharif Kutta haye haye” all over Lahore, which is a highly unlikely and unexpected thing.

Living in Lahore and being a staunch Lahoriate, reverence and love for Data Sahib has been transmitted to me through my genes. And it’s impossible to rule out the impact of Data Sahib from my life and from the lives of the people associated with me. Although, I have paid a few visits to the shrine but the tremendous affect I experienced, the vibes I felt, it was completely out of this world. I have spent hours, literally, watching the pigeons eating grains there, the way devotees cry, pray and show their respect to the great saint. I have even experience a rain, a very happy and joyful rain, in the very courtyard of the shrine where devotees were bombed. I had sat down and wept in that very courtyard where after the blast only the dead bodies and blood can be witnessed.

A friend of mine, who always look come up with any paranormal and spiritual explanation for every event texted me after the blasts that, “Its’ a sign that something really bad is going to happen”. I couldn’t reply her back than but for the next three days, I witnessed my city in moaning over the way the sanctity of the holy shrine has been damaged. I was traveling when I heard, an elderly bearded man saying “Kinay khush naseeb sun o lok jeeray aani pak jagah tay mar gaye" (How much fortunate were all those people who died at such a holy place) to a young bearded man. I don’t know what happened to me but in the split second, that scene turned out to be of a terrorist camp where youngsters are being trained for such terrorists attacks. It also remembered the visuals of the bombers who all had beards and I felt so much uncomfortable at that very moment that I pressed the bell and come out of the bus. Although, I dropped out the bus but I so much wanted to ask that old man whether he had thought, even once, about the suffering and pain of the families of the causalities before getting jealous of them.

I also wanted to ask that angry mob involved in burning tyres and throwing stones at the police and rescue workers while they were conducting a rescue and search operation was after the blasts. Why they were creating hindrance in the rescue process. Instead of staying there and agitating, they should immediately go to the hospitals and donate blood for the victims.

I was wondering why didn’t Data Sahib, a saint of such a high stature and caliber, display any Karamat to stop this bloody event happen. To this my friend replied, “You know it’s a hub of pedophiles and sexually frustrated men so how can a saint display Karamat to save such filthy people.” He was mouthing out a bitter reality but it’s also true that Saleem Akhtar, a volunteer khadim of darbar, lost his life while trying to get hold of one of the suicide bomber. Indeed his sacrifice, resilience and devotion for the Data Sahib will always be remembered.

Now the question is, are we all going to keep quite and let this event make a part of our terrorist history without demanding justice? Is this going to be a momentary uproar and protest, which will die, as the time will pass? It’s a very important question for which we all need to answer responsibly.

If you ask me than I can’t trust the current administration. How can I trust that Chief Minister who in March called on the Tailban not to attack Punjab as his party shared some of their ideas. How I can believe such a provincial Law minister who campaigned at a by-election alongside a leader of a banned sectarian organization (Shipa Sahaba). How can I get justice from that administration who has given £ 650,000 to Jamat ud Dawa? How can I look up to such a governor who is too much occupied with his ulterior personal and political motives?

This time we don't want to listen arguments and counter arguments or to think over explanations and in depth analyses. We want real practical dealing of this problem. I was literally turned back when I saw GEO Tv's 50 Minutes live from that same courtyard of Data Darbar where just a day ago, several individuals were killed and hunderds were injured. That show was the most standoffish, insensitive and shameless contribution of media personels where the host and the religious big wigs all were just saying how bad the incident was? Did we need that show? Not really. Its time to seriously address the situation with an unbiased, progressive and rational approach before we even exist to do anything.

Photo Courtesy: Express Tribune