Arshad Sharif was a prominent Pakistani journalist, reporter and television news anchor. His investigative reporting was of top-notch. The excellence of his reporting was supported by the investigated evidence he would bring to support his claims. He was awarded with several civil and journalism awards for his marvellous work in the field.
It was not merely his investigative reporting that brought him recognition but his bravery and boldness for not remaining quiet on controversial social and political issues. He was not afraid of speaking against any powerful authorities in the country if he found them causing unrest and corruption.
It was his patriotism, a will to see a peaceful land along with his fearful nature that became a reason to take his life. When he realized that the most trust institution is the real culprit behind the enormous corruption he started speaking against it. Consequently, he was threatened for his and his family’s life. He refused to stand with the corrupts and kept on bringing the truth to the public creating awareness among masses.
When the authorities realized that they could not quieten him despite fabricating the false allegations and issuing threats, they devised a grand plan for his murder which was executed on 23rd October, 2022. The hero lost his life in pursuit of peace and betterment for the people of his country.
Though I am not very much into watching news channels, I remember I had tears in my eyes when I heard of Arshad Sharif's murder. It was because the bravery of this man had made him dwell in the hearts of the people. His refusal to stand with the evil and his steadfast commitment to the truth earned him tremendous admiration from the public.
There was a massive crowd of thousands of people on his funeral ceremony underscoring the admiration and respect people have had for him.
Several reporters, journalists, political leaders and their followers adopted the verdict that Arshad Sharif was the red line that had been crossed by the authorities in question. There was a great outcry on social media for the following few days. Songs and videos were released to pay tribute to the brave heart. Voices for justice were raised. Public displayed a great mourning and disappointment for the system. And then.........
The same happened that happens always. The Luminary started disappearing from the limelight. New problems and issues got attention by social media activists. The outcry dwindled and the news cycle moved on to the next controversy.
No justice could be brought to the brave. No peace reigned; and no corruption eliminated. Evil continued to prevail with its ultimate powers intimidating the public from speaking the truth.
Because Arshad was a well-known figure in the country, the public is at least aware of his story. There are several other people who lost their lives in pursuit of peace and improvement in the country. Their deaths made no difference in the unrest and corruption prevailed in the state.
History demonstrates that significant changes and revolutions in a society are brought by widespread shift in the mind-set and attitudes of the general public, rather than by the daring feats and sacrifices of a few individuals.
If someone comes to me and says that I may bring peace to the entire world by sacrificing my life, I will have no second opinion other than that the person is a liar.
The death of an individual by no means has the potential to bring peace to a community let alone the entire world. There is no method of eradicating poverty, hunger, disease or corruption by taking life of an individual. So, my answer will be a straight NO to any such call.
I will keep on playing my part for bringing the betterment in my surrounding and thus the society. However, that will not involve agreeing to a call that would ask me no contribution or efforts for a cause but to surrender my head for the cut.
This post is my participation for Hl-featured contest edition 2 of week 123.
Image created by me using Bing