Naseebullah Khan
The tale started soon after the inception of Pakistan when the freedom fighters who stood for provincial autonomy, safeguarding the rights of smaller nations, and democracy Epitheted like traitor. Neither politicians nor human rights activists were spared from labeling as such. Those who stood for human rights, those who opposed authoritarian regimes, those who believed in constitutionalism, and those who spoke peace were branded as anti_Pakistan.After the creation of Pakistan two Pashtun stalwart nationalists Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai were seen in the prism of anti state. Both leaders time and again assured that they along with their nation wanted to serve for the newly born country. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan in the first meeting of constituent assembly categorically offered his service unconditionally. At the same time Abdul Samad Khan Achakzai who was imprisoned in sedition charges was paying allegiance to Pakistan. Regrettably, state policy did not change yet their descendants Wali Khan, and Mehmood Khan Achakzai have been branded as traitor. The story does not stop here. After the formation of one Unit all those who opposed one unit and the dictatorship of Ayob Khan the were again blamed as traitor. Fatima, Jinnah, A K Fazal Haq, Ghulan Murtaza Shah Syed who had been the president of Muslim League Sindh in 1943, Akber Bugti, Nawab Marri, Attaullah Mengal, Mujeeb ur Rehman, Hussain shaheed Suharverdi, Ghous Baksh Bizinjo, Mian Iftikharu Din, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, and so on were included in the club. After the breakup of Pakistan, we did not learn from history and continued posturing political leaders as traitor. From Zulfaqar Ali bhuto to Afrasiab Khatak, from Benazir Bhutto to Mian Nawaz Sharif and the recent episode in which Imran Khan alleged all opposition parties as traitor for conspiring with America to bring its government down have been presented as traitor. History justifices that any voice that has beem critical to state narrative has been accused of treachery. Whther it was democratic government or dictatorship, the mantra of labeling opponents continued. And that no politician has been proven guilty in sedition cases that gesticulates this toxic mantra as a nar It must be in consideration that if the dictators were the responsible for the traitor drama, the democrats also provided fuel to this mantra. If nationalist and progressive minds were put behind bars during Ayub, Zia, and Musharraf eras___ they including other leaders had bad experience in different democratic tenures, whether it was during the initial years of independence or it was during Bhutto,s Hyderabad conspiracy to the present exxageration of the PTI led regime. The Democrats themselves cannot escape themselves from.the responsibilities. The questions are; who is to decide traitor? Without any legal procedure can one be declared as traitor? Have we learnt from our previous faults that we have been committings since the inception of the state? At a juncture, when the country is in the midst of economic meltdown, political uncertainty, terrorism, and foreign policy dilemmas___ unity is the need of the hour. The repeated mantra of labeling those as traitor who dissentt with the policies of power corridor will further alienate people. Healing the wounds is a must rather then sparkling salt on them.
