Friday, June 14, 2013

With Ziarat Residency Burnt, A Piece of Pakistan Died Too



June 15, 2013 would now be remembered forever now. Today the legendary building that adorns our hundred rupee notes was burnt and destroyed in a targeted terrorist attack. All the historical photographs and furniture were destroyed and as always the militants escaped unhurt. Today, not just a wood and brick building was destroyed, but also a piece of Pakistan died with it too. 


Quick history check: Ziarat residency was constructed in 1892 with the idea of it becoming a sanatorium due to the presence of a Juniper forest in the area in which it was constructed. Later on it was converted into a summer residence of the Agent to the Governor General. But it being the building where Quaid e Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah spent his last days is what it makes it truly historical. Nations all around the world, preserve such places, securing them, guarding them from any calamity, manmade or natural. But we failed to protect our revered founder’s second last earthly residence.  Jinnah, loved the peace and quiet of Ziarat, as Fatima Jinnah in her book My Brother informs us, but he also said that it was easier to breathe in Quetta rather than Ziarat.
It was a majestic building, with so much history in it. Its walls were privy to the musings of the ailing leader who was concerned about the genocide that was happening along the border, worried about the future of the fledgling new created state, worried about who would replace him in the future and would he be able to keep the ship of Pakistan afloat. Its walls saw many leaders arrive, begging for Jinnah’s guidance. Its walls saw Jinnah fighting bravely against tuberculosis, unwilling to give up. The walls heard everything, the walls saw everything, but we never will.
 
The very fact that the founder of the nation’s residence has now been burnt down to the ground- destroyed in a militant attack- speaks volumes about where we as a nation have come down to since 1948. It is not just about the priceless archives, photos and Quaid’s furniture, it is not about the loss of a tourist hotspot in Ziarat. It’s about preserving the memories of a man who gave his all for our freedom. It is about the preserving the idea of Pakistan, where every ethnicity and religious group is free to live and practice its customs because this has nothing to do with the business of the state. But when intolerance and tyranny seeps in, it destroys the ideals on which this state was founded. When people are alienated with daily abductions, killings, then you force them down the path of separatism that further leads down towards terrorism. Burning down Ziarat Residency was a symbolic act of terrorism. An act to show the world that they don’t want to be part of Pakistan any more. By burning down Ziarat residency the terrorists have shown that the idea of being part of Pakistan is abhorrent to them. The impact of this event are enormous. How many people would go missing? How many pipelines would be blown up? How many Punjabis professionals would be shot in the aftermath? Would we approach this matter softly or come down harsh?

In a way, the burnt down hulk of Ziarat Residency is a perfect metaphor for the state of Pakistan’s affairs. Pakistan lies burnt to the ground with militancy, corruption, nepotism rife. May be in the future, Ziarat residency might be restored, replicas of furniture installed. But would we and our country be able to rise out of the ashes? That remains to be seen. I hope that our authorities would take appropriate steps to ensure the security of all places associated with Quaid e Azam.

For now, Dear Quaid, I am sorry, we couldn’t protect your property.

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