In a scene from the movie "The Million Dollar Hotel" an FBI agent, detective Skinner (played by Mel Gibson), to quell a loony crowd fires his gun in the air and remarks, "No matter how strange or despicable you act, I can do one better, because I work for the government". This is exactly what General Musharraf’s regime has tried to prove on May 12, 2007.

The General and all his brainless cohorts devised a brilliant strategy to outmaneuver the people of this country by staging the ’Mother of All Rallies" in the federal capital by attempting to gather a large number of supporters by using all available government machinery. The purpose of the rally was to prove that the wretched people of this country are ardent supporters of this regime. In some way this antic was also supposed to dampen the anti-government movement of lawyers and opposition groups. The extent to which the General’s party has gone this time proves that their confidence has been shattered and if any reassurance was required, it was not for the masses but, for the government itself or more specifically our commando leader himself about his popularity graphs.

While the ruling elite of our poor country planned to awe and shock the nation with their amazing gathering of stalwarts around 30 people were killed in the port city of Karachi. The supposedly still popular regime was unable or unwilling to restore law and order situation in the financial capital. Horrifying images of gun totting young men roaming the city were flashed through out most of the day while it seemed that the government had decided to give the entire law enforcement force a day off. The mass media once again became the target of some "unknown force", while the popular government danced to drum beats, celebrating a prosperous Pakistan. What happened in Karachi on that day can only have two reasons, one the government had planned and orchestrated all the events that occurred or secondly the writ of the popular government has been challenged once more and this time it was in the financial hub. Either ways the responsibility of protection life and property of citizens lies with the state which in this case it failed to do so one more time. But I believe popular governments do not need to worry about such trivial matters. They can always rely on staging demonstrations by hiring participants to prove that they are still loved by the masses.

Also a popular regime like the General’s does not need to worry about providing justice or restoring law and order situations. They can smartly get away with it by simple condemning the act. The godfather of Karachi Ishrat-ul-Ibad, lord of Punjab Chaudry Pervaiz Elahi, the bungling Minister for Information Durrani, good old Lion of Punjab Shiekh Rasheed, leader from Attock (or was it Thar) Shaukat Aziz and his Excellency the General of Pakistan, Pervaiz Musharaf all made a one liner statement condemning the killings in Karachi, while at the same time ignored to answer the big question mark as to why the popular government was unable to protect its citizens. What I fail to understand is that why do governments try to get away with a simple statement of condemnation where as they should be taking substantial steps to resolve issues. But again, popular governments probably do not need to hassle with such actions. There is always plan-b in such cases, which is to throw the blame over someone else and walk off with a clear conscious.

In this case the blame was thrown onto the Chief Justice of Pakistan saying that we had warned him not to come to Karachi. The killings continued even as the CJP was held inside of the airport and not allowed to enter the city. This drama finally ended when the justice was sent back home along with some other people whom the provincial government exiled from Sindh. As the writ of the popular government was challenged on the streets of Karachi the official statements continued to hold the Chief Justice and his companions responsible for all the killings. And that’s exactly what any popular regime would do. It would filch people of their basic rights, evade its responsibilities and let its leader settled in London make fiery speeches over the phone (who by the way is such a patriot that he choose to adopt the British Nationality and also flaunted about it).

As night fell over the cities of Karachi and Islamabad, two remarkably contrast pictures were seen. As dead bodies were being moved to morgues and injured to hospitals the popular General congratulated the nation on the glory it had achieved (or the conscious everyone has lost). Glorious victory of the General was celebrated and promises of more of the same were made.

The General must have observed the cheering crowd from behind the bullet proof shield and probably thought that he has again become the chosen one who is destined to rule this nation. He must have been a very satisfied man that night, knowing that he has become popular once again, simply by allowing gun wielding men create panic in Karachi, by forcibly not letting the CJP to enter the city and by spending tax payers’ money to stage a grand rally. The thought of the deaths and violence must not have bothered him as he walked onto the stage to accumulate accolade and it makes sense, because popular leaders need not worry about such trivial matters.