Return of the Native

When a swarm of black engulfs, I am reminded of Hardy. His writing also had a dark pallor. Everything was depressing. From start to finish. Unlike Chekhov, who mastered the art of short-storytelling. His adjectives were bleak. They were desolate. Hardy is plain negative. He would be for the entire breadth of the novel. And the blackness has returned. It's Ashura time and where my humble abode lies, the blackness hits the skies.

Old Numaish, or the former epicentre of Karachi, the round-about which-is-no-more, adjacent the Quaid's mazaar, is where the Shias have one of their major Mosques, or Imam Bargah, if you must. The entire artery, M.A. Jinnah road that stretches from Bundar Road till Prison round-about, was sealed. Crossing to the other side is a hassle. I had to take a long detour. Travel an extra 15 kilometeres to circumvent the route of the procession.

The shias, however, cannot be blamed as the rest make an equally appalling mess come the time of Eid ul-Azha, when sacrifces are mandatory. Although no detours are required.

However, this Moharram, with the threat of suicide bombing large.....the entry exit points are heavily secured and whether convenient or otherwise, oncomers are forced to take detours.

But the news is that attendance at the Majlis and the Procession is expected to not be as high as of earlier years. The threat of suicide bombing at a public congregation has deflated religious fervour even. It was not always like this. The Karachi of the 90s, with its no-go areas, never scared us of public gathering. Safety in numbers was what we aimed for. That is no longer the case. I wonder whether this change in thinking is post-Benazir assassination or that is when it hit home. After having more blasts in the country than most war-zones, with an increasing number of suicide bombings, 2007 was always going to be the bloodiest year of our collective living memory.

The side-show of the lawyers movement, which would time and again bring life to an abdupt halt, the Lal Masjid spectacle, the musical chairs that the Chief Justice played, the returning-departing-returning political exiles, the bruwahah over the elections, the imposition of emergency rule, media related chicanery, the assassination of the Baluch separatist leader, the still ongoing battles in Waziristan and tribal areas, the never-ending War on Terror and destabilized Afghanistan and Iraq, the rhetoric based in Iran........all this took place in 2007. And for all those who gloat over the upheavels in Pakistan, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto was the crowning glory. The same day, fellow exile-return and less of a darling of the West, Nawaz Sharif was also attacked. There were only four casualties at his rally, and one victim adorned the screen - thanks to the profusing media - having promotional party paraphernalia as coffin. Nawaz, to his credit, hurried to the hospital where Benazir had already breathed her last, and announced boycott of elections.

Its funny how often politicians boycott. Then they enter under protest. Sometimes under duress. My hunch was Zardari wanted participation to ride on the sympathy wave. Atleast thats less cynical than the conspiracy theory doing the rounds in coke-laced get-togethers in drawing rooms of not only the elite, but also some sensible people, that Zardari is responsible for Benazir's assassination.

My boss has a theory that its the knee-jerk Pakistani response to any unnatural death. If it's the husband, thant he wife must have done it, and vice verse. And incase both our dead, you blame the son, as was in the Ismail Gulgee's case.

Whatever be the case, the truth remains that Pakistan is still the clutches of medieval aristocrats and the noble blood is enough to lead the race. And Bilawal was crowned the heir, with a halloween face. It is another scary beginning. His mother, two maternal uncles, and grandfather have met tragic ends. His grandfather and one uncle were sacrificial lambs towards political ends. His mother, a victim of the most gruesome form of political targetting. One can only guess how he will fare. Apparently, he's a martial art expert. Only if he had popped the pill and entered the Matrix would I bet on him. To survive.

Like I would bet on my relationship to survive. The uncanny similarities are there. Like in every facet there are certain parallel developments which are scary. For instance, processions of pro-government politicians never have any suicide bombers knocking on the doors. It's only anti government politicians. The militants allegedly responsible for killing anti-government politicians are busy taking out government soldiers and official militiamen in the tribal areas. It raises the question why don't they target pro-government political rallies. Other than former interior minister, Aftab Sherpao, none of the government allied leaders have come under attack inspite of their huge congregations. The lawyers have been attacked, politicians have been attacked, and a leading political figure has even been assassinated. Inside job, they murmur. "Liaquat Ali Khan's assassin was functioning alone and so is the ISI," says the conspiracy theory floozie at work.

The young Fatima Bhutto has also been ranting in rant-able quarters about things inconsequential. She even ended up in Lyari for three hours. And writing articles that are labelled ghostwritten by editors of competing publications.


2008 has arrived and along with it more blasts. The first one...targetting public places in Urban centres was in Lahore...killing more than 23 policeman and a few civilians. After that, there have been two more in Karachi, one in Peshawar, and more expected over the next 2 days. Already more than 100 people have died and more than 500 injured.

Further casualties are on the way. Emergency time again. But in hospitals. All is the same in Pakistan.