A retired serviceman of Pakistan Army Mr. Mehmood Tariq says, a supporter of General Parvez Musharaf was beaten up outside supreme court building and was forced to sit naked on a wall of Supreme court, advocate Naeem Bukhari originator of impeachment proceeding against exChief Justice Mr. Iftikhar Cahudhary was beaten up by his own fellow lawyers in vicinity of Rawalpindi courts when he came their to plead a case, while expressing support for General Parvez Musharaf in NWFP publicly one risks his own life, a supporter of President Bush was murdered in Waziristan during discussion at a public place he was openly supporting President Bush was killed at the spot by his fellow tribes man.
In Swat district of NWFP good number of government security forces men were beheaded by militants lead by Maulana Fazlullah, while talking to newsmen Maulana Fazlullah has said that government security forces men had opened fire at mosque and his religious seminary that is why they are killed mercilessly.
These incidents clearly indicate the level of intolerance persists in Pakistani society; suicide attacks due to ideological and sectarian differences are also very common in Pakistan. Many Shia and Sunni sect religious scholars were killed by suicide bombers in recent past. Suicide bomb attacks on mosques of different sects and processions were also witnessed in recent past.
During discussions in Public circles in Pakistan Hitler and Mussolini are quoted as ideal leaders. Due to increased influence of Hitler on subcontinent during Second World War even today a political party of Hindu extremists in India is using monogram of swastika as their party symbol.
The funny aspect of this whole episode is that less educated or uneducated people in Pakistan consider highly educated people as their adversaries and automatically starts taking steps against them to harass and terrify them.
Lack of tolerance due to historical and geographical influences, is the dominant factor which is hampering progress towards achievement of full fledge democracy in Pakistan. Difference of opinion, ideological differences, and sectarian differences, have become a sole cause of violence in subcontinent. Neither history nor geography of this region can be changed to ameliorate the situation, what can be done is through provision of better schooling, through inculcation of values of tolerance among the students and through wide spread education, one can lay the foundation of tolerant society.
Submitted by
Abdur Raziq