One of the most dreadful periods I have lived through, as a citizen and as a journalist, was in the aftermath of the assassination of Salmaan Taseer in the first week of January 2011. And I almost shudder with fear when I recall that experience.
The ominous fact about that murder was that it was committed by a person who was assigned to protect the life of the then-governor of Punjab. This paradox was enhanced by the conduct of the rest of the many members of the squad that accompanies an official of that stature.
They watched the evil deed being done in silence and let the murderer surrender like a hero, which he instantly became across the country. This murder had taken place at the high-end Kohsar Market in Islamabad where Salmaan Taseer had arrived to meet friends in a restaurant.
The reason he was killed was that Taseer was seen to have disapproved of certain aspects of the blasphemy laws and had expressed sympathy for a Christian woman who had been sentenced to death on charges of blasphemy.
Anyhow, the dark passions that surged across the country were so overpowering that even offering ‘fateha’ for the leader of the PPP in parliament was a problem, though the party was in power. One was advised to not talk about it in public. I am not able to portray the environment that existed in those days. The situation was worthy of a novel by Dostoevsky.
But why am I reminded of that particular event at this time........