Boston killings

Published April 22, 2013

This is apropos of the news item, “Bostonians told to stay indoors; suspect killed” (April 20).

It was interesting to see how the US authorities were dealing with terrorism. It seemed to be a focused joint agenda of the government, media, law enforcements and the people to curb terrorism.

The establishment clamped a curfew in the whole city and the media was with the law enforcement in its endeavour to find the suspect. No TV channel showed disgruntled citizens speaking against the curfew; there was no adverse reaction from the masses and everybody cooperated, no closed schools and businesses were shown on TV. The police and law enforcers were stopping the press from entering the cordoned off areas and there was no hostile reaction from reporters.

The resolution of the US government to capture the suspects was the open and clearly determined message conveyed that terrorism will not be tolerated.

Isn’t this approach drastically needed in Pakistan? Daily we witness explosions and killings in our cities, but very seldom do we see the establishment showing a real inclination of acting against terrorists. People start complaining against law enforcers, while the media creates a scene on TV channels, the anchor persons vehemently denounce the brutalities of law enforcements breaking their morale and at the end of the line some terrorists and their planners sitting in their posh environments smile.

If we Pakistanis really want to address these issues then we have to transform into a real nation.

One has to start some day from somewhere as we are almost at the bottom of the pit.

A positive message from the Boston bombings must be drawn and acted upon if we want to survive.

FARRUKH SHAH Lahore 

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