By Shabnam
Gul
Hum Jo Tareek Rahoon Me Ma-ray Gaiy..
(We, who were killed in the dark pathways)
It was early morning in San Francisco. I was going to get ready to make breakfast when the telephone rang. It is
not unusual to get a phone call at this time from home. My husband, Tahir, picked up the receiver. After saying hello, his
face went pale, drained of color, and his hands were shaking. The tears
in his eyes were visible. I knew something really bad had happened
back home . He could no longer speak and hung up.
That was the moment when we got the news of Jamil
LaLa ‘s murder. It was the 27th of January and the third day
of his death when we got this terrible news. He was kidnapped on January
24th 2009, while traveling in a car. His abductors beat him, and then
shot him dead. They dumped his dead body at a busy intersection in
the city.
I was
numb and speechless – in a state of shock – for a long time. I could not justify his death. The first thing that came to my mind was, Why would someone kill him? Even knowing (as I did) that death danced in our alleys and streets, I could not believe that Jamil LaLa had actually been killed.
One does not need blood relations to be family. I think people
who share their sorrows and happiness, who believe in the same values,
are sometimes closer than many blood relatives. For us, Jamil LaLa
was family. A very close friend of my uncles and brothers, we never
considered him to be an outsider. This friendship went on for decades.
He was the first person to arrive and the last to leave at all our
family gatherings. Losing him this way was a real shock for all of
us. To this day, we mourn his loss and cherish his memories. His presence
will be missed forever.
Abdul Jamil was a well-known figure in Dir District . His struggle and idealism is not a secret. He was the torch-bearer of liberal politics in that backwards area of the world. One of the few people who initiated the Progressive Movement in Dir, Abdul Jamil Advocate became the voice for a young generation that clamored for change. He was a guide, a teacher , and a mentor to so many young people . His Kodala” became the hub of political activities, a place of gathering for those who believed in human liberty,equality and secularism, who struggled on behalf of society’s oppressed and
downtrodden.
He could often be seen on the balcony of his apartment, one
foot on the railing, a cigarette in his hand. His thick white hair
and smiling face was so familiar, that no one missed it as they went
on their way. He was LaLa for so many generations, regardless of age
difference. Without him
Timergarah will never be the same. In later years, he moved away from the city to the suburbs. In a quiet, serene place, he built a beautiful bungalow on top of the tiny hill in “Walay Kandaw.” He became more detached from active politics but still upheld the same ideals.
His life was snatched by heartless and mindless beasts who are determined to silence any voice that opposes their cause of hate and destruction.
The seeds of hate were sown
much earlier. The roots of today’s crisis in Pakistan can be
traced back to the time of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which
marked the beginning of the radicalization of Pakistani society. General
Zia used Islam as a tool to give legitimacy to his illegal
rule. He got strength from right wing religious parties – newly created MQM,ISI and all the turncoats. Feudal lords and corrupt bureaucrats and judges prolonged his rule. Under his reign, sectarianism was promoted and used for political interests.
Religious extremist groups misused Islam to make political gains and to mobilize local communities. General Zia also got strength from the United States and other Western countries who were charmed by his idea of Jihad in Afghanistan. Billions of dollars flowed into Pakistan from Saudi Arabia and
the US to arm and train jihadis
from all over the Islamic world. They, in turn, were trained and sent
into Afghanistan to fight Russians. Prevailing conditions, including
high rates of poverty and low rates of literacy, were fertile grounds
for the growth of religious extremism and militancy in Pakistan. As
a result, the very social fabric of the society was changed.
The constitution of 1973 was distorted and mutilated. Freedom of
the press and the right to free expression were denied. People who
opposed the regime and spoke openly about the negative consequences
were exiled, jailed and tortured. All nationalist movements were pushed
to the wall. Zia ‘s rule was, without question, the darkest
era in Pakistan’s 60-plus year history.
He sowed the seeds for what today cripples our country – terrorism.Democracy was derailed frequently by the same people and militancy and extremism was promoted. After 9/11 , once again our region became the battle ground and the story is continued to this day.
In this whole episode, Pukhtuns on both sides of the Durand line have
had the lion’s share of misery. They have been destroyed politically,
culturally and economically; God knows how long they will continue
to pay this inexcusably high cost.
Jamil LaLa was among those people who persistently
opposed the wrong direction taken by the country. He was well aware
of the dangerous outcomes of the things happening at that time. His
opposition was not secret. And ultimately, he became the victim of
the very same fanatics whom he opposed throughout his life. He became
a target of the very violence that he had been predicting for decades.
He was not spared by the merchants
of death, even though he took a long respite from active politics.
For the last several years of his life, he was not a member of any
political party. He had disassociated himself from politics and was
busy in his law practice. His only sins were his past
political views, his struggle for democracy and human liberty, and his opposition to extremism. He, along with his friends, dreamed of a world free from oppression and exploitation. A world of peace, love and respect for everyone.
Sadly,
his dreams and hopes were never realized in his lifetime. We are still
living in the shadow of terror, experiencing an alarming degree of fanaticism
and intolerance.People of our region are trapped in the middle of
this violent and bloody drama with no end in sight. .
Jamil LaLa, you will always
be missed. I hope and pray that our future generations will be bright
and safe. The blood of the martyrs will not go waste. For when the
night is darkest, the dawn is near.
Qatl-gaahon se chun kar humara
alam
Aur nikleinge
ushaaq ke qaafle
Jin
ke raah-e-talab se humare qadam
Mukhtasar kar chale dard ke faasle
Kar chale jin ki khaatir jahan geer hum
Jaan gunwa kar teri dilbari ka bharam
Hum jo tareek rahoon me mare ga
( Picking up our flags from these grounds
will march forth more caravans of your lovers
For whose journeys’ sake, our footsteps have
shortened the lengths of theg agonizing
quest
For whose sake we have made universal
by
losing our lives, the pledge to your faithfulness
We,
who were killed in the dark pathways. )
