Who is safe in a country under threat?

Many officials, including country’s ex-CJ, feel at risk

ISLAMABAD: Everybody feels that their demands for security are righteous and justified; yet, the same righteous justifications can be claimed by almost every citizen of Pakistan.

To claim security needs, and being genuinely entitled of the same, are two completely different things. And this is where the majority of the population is left behind in the race for acquiring security.

Everyone is under threat, and equates his or her security with high-ups in the government. One such example is that of former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry who, indirectly, equated his security needs with those of the premier.

And he is not the only one asking for security. As a last resort, a federal drug court judge sought a weapons license after authorities failed to beef up security around him despite repeated requests. The severity of the threats can be measured from his note to the Islamabad’s chief commissioner, where he has shown willingness to compromise on just “licences” for a Kalashnikov, a shotgun, and a pistol.

Though the former CJP himself has not yet asked for security, the spokesperson of his newly-established political party, and others – in their personal capacity – are engaged in a legal battle demanding a bulletproof car for him at the government expense.

The argument is under what law security was being provided to the Prime Minister’s family, Captain Safdar, Najam Sethi, the family of the slain Governor Punjab Salman Taseer, and others, while it is being withdrawn from the ex-CJP? And, he still faces life threats for giving rulings in several high-profile cases.

Politicians, judges, lawyers, media men, key officials, courts, airports, planes, trains, buildings, and other are currently under threat. Even the President’s family is also under threat just because he is about to decide the mercy plea of Mumtaz Qadri. Musharraf has long been seeking an exemption from personal appearance before courts on the pretext of security threats. Abdul Aziz too needs security, evidently.

In the recent past, millions were spent in order to provide security to the sit-ins organised in the heart of the capital aimed at toppling the sitting government. At that time, and for times to come, the authorities have reached the conclusion that “whatever is spent on a dignitary’s security is far less than the damages that follow if something untoward were to happen.”

Security is essential as it gives a sense of protection, but who knows when the barrels are aimed in an unwanted direction? Walls around schools, colleges and universities are being raised for security, but will these security measures yield the desired results keeping in view the social injustice and unequal distribution of resources in the country?

As Khalil Jibran says in ‘The Madman’, “a thief in jail is safe from another thief.”It is safe to say that Qadri and all inmates confined in various jails are the only ones safe at government expense.

Everyone, including Musharraf, ex-CJP and others, deserves security, but can everyone be provided security and protected? I fully support when the lawyers demanding bulletproof car for the ex-CJP’s, but can a common man ask for the same for himself and his family?

Published in The Express Tribune, February 29^th,  2016.