Yesterday was one of the darkest days in Pakistan’s rich history. One of our most trusted institutions was violated here and here.
Yesterday, Geo News was broadcasting the protesters in front of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in Islamabad, that were objecting to the Judicial hearing against Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftekhar. During this coverage, Geo News broke to another area of Islamabad, Blue Area, where police and protesters had started throwing rocks at each other, and the police were firing tear gas and rubber bullets. Most of you have seen the coverage on the international news channels.
While this was going on…. A small band of Punjab police officers stormed the Geo News offices in Islamabad shattering windows, firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and assaulting employees of the company. A small band of police officers.
This was broadcast live on Geo News.
The Federal Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani seeing what happened, came immediately to Geo’s offices when this transpired and brought it to a halt. More importantly, with the authority of the President and Prime Minister, Geo continued to broadcast the raid and the aftermath at their own offices.
This government enacted freedom of the press, issuing TV broadcasting licenses to anyone that wanted to start a TV channel. So how could this government malign an institution that it’s work so hard to establish? It didn’t.
President Musharraf stepped to the table first, speaking via telephone to Hamid Mir, one of Geo’s shining stars, apologizing for what happened, calling it a national tragedy and promising immediate action against the people that committed this travesty of justice. “I want justice tonight!” said President Musharraf.
Federal Minister for Information Muhammad Ali Durrani, speaking live from Geo’s studios in Islamabad, promised to pursue this to the very end and get justice against these rogue police officers, adding that if the government didn’t fulfill its promise and bring these people to justice, he would not be able to continue to serve.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz spoke with Geo last night and visited the Islamabad offices today, promising due and swift justice for the people that were involved with this incident.
For the first time in the history of the nation, the government leadership apologized and took responsibility for what happened.
But this is a trait that is intrinsic in the Pakistani police. This is not the first time.
They believe that they are above the law, because they are the law. Until the Musharraf government came into power, the police were an institution that was untouchable. They file police reports if they want to, otherwise they will tell you they can’t do anything. They take bribes as if it were part of their salary to collect money from citizens for violating the laws of Pakistan. Most crimes are planned and covered up with police assistance. Pakistan is in a law and order situation because of these losers!
Now, in the rest of the world, to put on a police uniform, it requires a strong moral and educational background, an understanding of the laws and law enforcement, regular training courses to update skills and understandings, and a graduation from a police academy.
What does it take to become a cop in Pakistan? You need a 10th grade education and to be able to pass a physical fitness test. That’s it. Nothing more. When your police force is made up of high school dropouts that don’t know any of the laws that they are supposed to be enforcing, what do you expect to happen to the law and order?
What happened yesterday is part of what the Pakistani police are about.
When someone joins the police force in Pakistan, they do it because they are unemployable anywhere else. Unemployable. When someone joins the police force in Pakistan, they do it with money in their eyes. A typically police officer makes about Rs. 5000 (US$ 100) per month and takes about Rs. 3000 (US$ 50) in bribes daily. They don’t do it to serve and protect the nation and it’s people; they do it to make a fast buck for themselves, while terrorizing Pakistanis.
What happened yesterday is a tragedy of the highest proportion because it was an attack on the voice of Pakistanis, the media. If we can not be guaranteed a free voice because of ruthless police officers, then what can we expect from any government?
This morning, The News announced that 14 police officers had been suspended during the night for their involvement in the incident at Geo and that a federal judicial inquiry was initiated to determine additional members of the police, government or political parties that may have had a hand in the ransacking of the Geo offices.
Mr. President, we want them to be brought on television for the entire nation to see.
We want an example made of them so that no one ever dares to touch our freedom of speech.
Mr. President, we want you to show us that you are still committed to “Pakistan First!”
And to our brothers and sisters at Geo…
You are in our prayers and thoughts each moment of the day. We will not tolerate what was done yesterday. We will not accept anything less that harsh and final justice for these rogue elements of our society that dared to impede press freedoms that are guaranteed in Pakistan’s constitution. You are our voice. You are our conscience. You are our souls.
Everyday, you all put yourselves in harms way to make sure that Pakistan and the world see Pakistan for Pakistan.
We shall not.
We can not.
We will not allow the police to continue to trample our freedoms to continue their high-handedness and irreverence of the laws that they are to uphold.
Khadam Barhao, Khadam Barhao, Hum Tumaray Sath Hai… Geo Jeetay Raho!
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