Burials at last

In avoiding being ‘blackmailed’, the prime minister squandered a good opportunity to live up to the role of a father

Mercifully, the sit-ins ended and the Machh martyrs were laid to rest yesterday — after nearly a week of the tragedy occurring. Prime Minister Imran Khan, however, only set out for Quetta after the bereaved Hazara community had started performing the last rites of the 11 slain coal miners in line with an overnight understanding, and thus had his requirement fulfilled. Frankly speaking though, the Prime Minister — in avoiding being ‘blackmailed’ — squandered a good opportunity to live up to the role of a father, vested in his official self, by not straightaway rushing to a community in mourning whose men, women and small kids were expecting a healing touch, a Jacinda Ardern-like healing touch.

A monetary touch did, however, replace the missing personal touch. The official response, like in the past, primarily came in the form of a monetary package comprising cash compensations as well as assurances of jobs and educational scholarships for survivors in the affected families. And a joint investigation team has also been set up to probe the last Sunday’s horrific beheading and fix responsibilities on the erring departments and officials — as if it is enough a response to conquer an enemy that has rather challenged the state.

In fact, the Machh tragedy turns out to be yet another grim reminder of the National Action Plan (NAP) being a shelved instrument. The comprehensive 20-point plan — which had been devised in the wake of the massacre of APS children in December 2014 to tackle terrorism and extremism in the country — has remained largely shelved and put to use only sporadically, especially after any major terrorist activity in the country. The recent rise in the terrorist activity, in Balochistan, stresses the need for acting upon NAP under an integrated strategy involving all organs of the state and catering to all facets of the menace of terrorism and extremism. There are other areas where the government’s attention is direly needed, including regulating seminaries, curbing literature promoting hatred, taking steps against abuse of social media for terrorism, and reforming the criminal justice system.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2021.

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