Emergency Gone : Did you notice?

Deposed judges have not been reinstated. Media curbs are still very much there. Amendments made on 3rd November in the unfortunate constitution of 1973 are not been rolled back. Nobody can protest in the country. Nobody can utter any derogatory remarks about the happenings. All the admonishments and the threats were reiterated in the speech of Present General (Retd.) Pervez Musharraf on the eve of 15th December, 2007.

Prices of the household things especially of food items are going upwards as usual. Oil is scarce and out of hands. Suicide bombers are rocking the country. Load Shedding of electricity, gas and water is on all time high, even in the winter.

The plea of emergency some 42 days ago was to control the terrorism, and to control the deteriorating social issues of the country. If that was the plea, then why they have lifted the emergency when nothing has been achieved yet? But who are we to ask that? Nobody asked us before promulgating the emergency or PCO, or snatching our basic rights, and nobody has asked us now about its revoke, and rest assured, nobody is going to ask anything about our future. And don’t get me started on the elections next year.

I am way too busy thinking about how to pay my utility bills, medicine bill of parents and the family, and how to get flour to get the life going. I don’t find myself in a position to think about elections. When I don’t think about demanding my basic rights and the basic necessities of life, then how could you expect me to vote?

When the thousands of blank ballots have already been distributed among the thugs of PML-Quisling, and when the whole local government body is campaigning and canvassing for the candidates of the King’s Party, and when the lotas all are smilingly levitating their constituencies with firm assurances from the top, and when Benazir is satisfied with her deal, and when there is no hope after January of genuine democracy, why in the hell should I poll my vote, and why should I rejoice over the so-called cancellation of emergency?

For 99% of the Pakistanis life is getting harder and harder. That is all what we know and understand, and yet we don’t even cry.