I am Pakistan in South Asia. You must have heard about me since I’ve been living there for 72 years. I assume that, not everyone has a positive image of me. Most of the countries think that I am a safe haven for terrorists, I oppress minorities and I have cruel blasphemy laws. I am writing this letter to explain myself to you that I have same fundamental problems which any other country from Europe has, but some of my fellows have portrayed it as my nature which is not true. I have been under oppression since 1947. Martial laws, civil wars, conflicts with my neighbors, corruption and all other evils. I have been through a lot but I’ve had enough now! I am supposedly internationally recognized as the worst country ever.
All of those were my internal sufferings until I took part in Afghan war in 1979. Afghanistan shares a huge boundary line of 2450 km with me. Soviet invasion in Afghanistan would’ve affected me since I had no means to cover such a vast border to keep communists away. So, it was compulsory for me to take part in war. With the help of United States of America and other Muslims countries, I trained freedom fighters who called themselves Mujahideen or Taliban. It was easy for me because America provided finances and Muslim countries sent their people to take part in war which was called global Jihad and all I did was training them for better cause. Even United Nations supported our cause by voting in General Assembly in which 104 out of 152 countries protested against soviet invasion. So I simply thought if I was doing a good thing. In addition to their training, I took thousands of Afghan Refugees as well.
Apparently, I was doing a good thing but now I realize it was my biggest mistake. After the end of the war, of course we won but then America left us at the mercy of fate and Taliban were left without any patronage. After the 9/11 incident, I was left with no option but to support the USA, so Taliban started thinking that I supported American cause. All those refugees that I took during war, they took arms against me and formed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Meanwhile, Taliban from Afghanistan were fighting against Americans and TTP started bombing my people, killing them for no reason. With the ideology of TTP many other terrorist organizations were formed in the name of Islam. Some of them killed my people on the basis of their sectarian beliefs. Some of them wanted territory to implement sharia. I got frustrated, I started operation against them. It took me years to clean my land from such extremist fanatics. I was neither against Afghan Taliban nor I had enough means to face them that is why I didn’t take part in operation Neptune Star with America against abduction of Bin Ladin from Abbottabad. Even till now, I’ve been victim of terrorism but I am famous as a safe haven for terrorist and then FATF was about to blacklist my economy because they assumed that I was financing terrorism in a situation when I barely have money for my own people.
Even by now, America has realized that it’s not possible to fight against Afghan Taliban so now America sought my help to settle dispute between Afghan Taliban and America. After I did that in Qatar, world community started raising questions that Why Taliban are comfortable with Pakistan?
In addition to that, recently, I became famous for cruel blasphemy laws! Let’s make it simple, if you ask a criminologist about what is crime? He would simply say that there is not any proper definition of crime because criminal law in world is different from country to country. However, any law-breaking conduct in a specific state which is punishable upon conviction is crime! Now the law-breaking conduct will be justified by the law in a country.
For example, weed is legal in Canada, you can buy and smoke in Canada legally, you’ll still be a law-abiding citizen but if you do that in America you’ll end up in jail because American law doesn’t allow you to do so. So, a good citizen will always follow the law without protesting against it because you have signed a social contract with the state. So, you are compelled to abide by laws no matter how absurd they are. Keeping all that in view, Pakistan has state religion Islam under article 2 but practicing and preaching of other religions is also allowed in Pakistan except for Ahmedis. Even constitution of Pakistan has protected rights of minorities under section 295 and 295(a) but under section 295 (c) of PPC ” Any person who uses derogatory remarks , spoken, written, directly or indirectly etc. defiles the name of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) or any other prophet (Jesus, Moses etc.) will be sentenced to death upon conviction.
That’s really simple. Ignorance of law is no excuse. Being a citizen of Pakistan under the social contract, you are bound to act as law allows you. If you are acquitted by the court then you are innocent so now it’s not on citizen of state to give you punishment which you did not deserve. I felt bad when Mashal of Bacha Khan University died by brutal attack upon false accusations it was chaos and totally unlawful. I condemn when people created chaos on acquittal of Asia from apex court. I mean Muslims should have been happy that no one insulted our beloved Prophet (SAAW) and Asia was innocent because the court declared so. But I also condemn when Junaid Hafeez was convicted by high court under section 295 (c) then people created chaos for his release but why won’t they think that Junaid Hafeez knowingly and willfully breached the prescribed law which has to be justified with the punishment designated for that offence.
Even in any democratic country you cannot ignore or breach the law in the name of freedom of speech because its sheer misuse of freedom of speech, else you will be dealt accordingly. Now, you might raise question about Ahmedis that I am not just fair with them but it’s the other way around, they are not fair with me, Ahmedis are distorting and deforming my state religion. Ahmedis have complete right to practice their religion but they are banned to preach. Ahemdis do not believe on the finality of prophet, they don’t have faith that Muhammad PUBH brought the seal of prophets with himself and declared that there won’t be any prophet after him.
Believing the finality of Prophet Muhammad (SAAW) is compulsory for a Muslim because in Islam it’s the second part of faith after believing on oneness of God. Ahmedis do not share same faith as other Muslims, therefore they were declared minority under constitution of Pakistan 1973 because of distorting and deforming the state religion. However, they are allowed to practice their religion. If they come forward with new religion just as Yazidis from Syria and Iraq, they’ll be allowed to preach their religion as well just like other minorities residing in Pakistan.