Is "hang 'em all" always the answer?

People are enraged at the shame the trio had brought Pakistan. But why do they want them stoned to death?

Working as a part of the web team at The Express Tribune has given me  exposure to peoples' reactions online which always tend to take me by surprise. However, during this week, after the spot-fixing verdict story was shared on Facebook, I was more than just a little surprised by the harsh, emotional and blunt responses that came from a majority of readers. They were thirsty for the trio's blood – literally.

One commenter, Usama Zulfiqar, proposed capital punishment for the players which began a flood of comments that agreed with him - most readers were demanding Asif and Butt be "hanged".

While the news saddened, enraged and infuriated the officials in Pakistan Cricket Board, cricket lovers in Pakistan had an entirely different approach to the news.

Zulfiqar had written:

“Simply hang them. Why worry about prison or a fine when they did not worry about the stake of their country!”

Other readers followed with similar angry demands and soon the thread was full of “hang ‘em all". People like Aamir Zia strongly felt “they should be stoned to death.”

The spot-fixing scandal seems more to do with the national dignity than cricket ethics for Pakistanis. Zulqarnain Shinwari said:

"It should be dealt as treason, I hate them."

His words echo those of captain, Shahid Afridi who had said that the incident "damaged the country’s reputation."

Evidently, Pakistanis are not concerned with what is legal and what is not. Instead, you will find many of them saying:

“Qoum k muun pe kalak mal di (They brought shame to the nation)."

Sometimes our rage and desire for vengeance leads us to become inhumane and brutal in our approach. People should treat this issue as any other criminal move and accept the punishments that Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have been awarded.

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