GREEK historian and general Thucydides rightly said that the strong people do what they have to do, and the weak people accept what they have to accept.

The words came to my mind recently when the sergeant-at-arms and his four subordinates were suspended by the speaker of the National Assembly for the arrest of opposition members from the premises of the legislative house by some unidentified people.

There is no doubt that the speeches made during the recent so-called power show by the opposition were highly and utterly objectionable as well as condemnable, but the step taken in knee-jerk reaction was equally condemnable, and just not acceptable in democratic setups.

But what amazes me is that the man who made the atmosphere so poisonous was subsequently invited, perhaps for a cup of tea, and then delivered to his home district safely, while small fries, like the security staff, were suspended from service. With all the limitations of his office, the least the speaker can do is to remove the suspension order of the security staff.

Malik ul Quddoos
Karachi

Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2024