March 17, 2007	Saturday	Safar 27, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, March 16: Pakistan may rely on the outside world for many essential items, but not at least for rubber bullets. This notion was proved on Friday when the police and the anti-terror squad used ‘Made in Pakistan’ rubber bullets on protesters who wanted to gather in front of the Supreme Court to show solidarity with the ‘non-functional’ Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry who appeared before the Supreme Judicial Council.

There was a time when law-enforcement agencies would counter riots and angry mobs with imported rubber bullets. But not anymore. It seems that the deteriorating law and order situation in the country has led to a considerable increase in domestic consumption of this so-called “less lethal” bullet.

The growing consumption led to the realisation that rubber bullets should be manufactured indigenously and not imported.

Perhaps, the abundant supply of rubber bullets coupled with its low cost of production had developed a sense of extravagance among the security personnel who used them quite luxuriously as was witnessed on Friday.

This shows that the government, with a team of leading economists, is well aware of the market dynamics of supply and demand and the benefits of self-sufficiency in defence- related equipment. It is a pity that the same market dynamics are not applied when it comes to self-sufficiency in wheat, sugar or even onion. But, the story does not end here. Our law enforcement agencies are also self-sufficient in tear gas and barbed wires or so as it seems.

Enough reserves of tear gas has given a somewhat crazy confidence to the police. May be it was this confidence that led the Punjab Police storm the office of a private television and fill it with tear gas.

The Punjab police committed this action at a time when the chemical compounds of benzyl bromide and chlorobenzylidene gas had already filled the air in Blue Area and its adjacent areas.

Barbed wires, which in the past protected sensitive places like military offices and defence installations, have now taken over not only the federal capital but also other cities of the country.

From Faizabad to the Parliament House and from Aabpara to Blue Area, one can find barbed wires spread out, virtually giving an impression of a city in siege.