Bizarre, and grim

The story about an alleged plot to assassinate the chief justice of the Lahore High Court is enough to make one’s hairs stand on end. The plot is reported to involve a federal minister and a PPP figure in Punjab. The allegations have been vigorously denied. But this is not reassuring in a situation where there is desperate lack of credibility, with people unable to believe much of what they hear. After all, too many lies have been told in the past and we have now reached a point where cynicism prevails. The report should make us think very hard. What is incredible is that even at this juncture figures in key places appear not to have realised the gravity of the crisis we find ourselves in. An assassination of the kind mentioned would mean a disaster that is certain to place us in very grave peril indeed. But even now the welfare of the country seems to take second place to the desire to guard self-interest and position.
The continued conflict between the judiciary and the executive must end if we are to clamber back to any kind of stability. Sadly, this does not seem to be happening. The story of the assassination plot suggests what kind of efforts may be on to accomplish “victory.” The fact is that, in such a scenario, there will be no victors at all. And the people of Pakistan will be the biggest losers in this. This has been true in the past too when politicians have done battle in similar fashion. An investigation into the alleged assassination plot must be done. It is vital that it be entrusted to a neutral body able to conduct business without bias and without succumbing to pressure. As citizens we deserve to know what is happening, what is being planned and what the consequences of this will be. One of the reasons for the uncertainty we live with is that there is very little information that can be relied on. At the same time, dangerous plots are apparently being thought out and attempts made to execute them. It seems that the sense to pull back from the brink is still lacking–and this means we all have a lot to fear – Thenews