How many of you were actually planning of going to India for the upcoming Indian Premiere League this year?

Well for all you cricket lovers out there; let’s have a little reality check. In case you loose your passport or any other official document by ‘MISTAKE’ and you happen to be a poor Pakistani on an Indian land then chances are that you might end up dead after six years of physical torture. Like this cricket loving poor fellow; Khalid Mahmood, who went to watch the Mohali test but never came back.

4^th March 2008, Obaid ullah was watching Kashmir Singhs return to his loved ones. Celebrations on the Wagah border, dances, music, happy faces and loads of Indian and Pakistani Media coverage. One hour later the phone rungs, Obaid answers the phone and found out that his brother Khalid died on the 28^th of February (about a week ago). I wonder what took them this long to inform.

Now I want to go back in history when Khalid was in a prison near Delhi. His family tells the media that their beloved Khalid (who was just a conductor in a transport company) was badly tortured by Inidan police and agencies officials. They daily use to pour steamy hot water on his head, which resulted in permanent lost of hair. They also nailed his feet while torturing that made him handicap. His body couldn’t take any of this inhuman treatment and gave up on his life.

The same Wagah border that was all festive few days ago was depicting sorrow and grief. Every eye was wet. Khalid’s mother, sisters and brothers were crying their heart out but there was no Govt official to condole them. The role of the Pakistani High commission was predictably hopeless, it was a small case of passport misplacement but why would they help an innocent Pakistani when our own local jails are filled with innocent souls.

I was expecting some kind of protest from the Indian community not on official level but certainly from the human rights groups and activists. Unlike our country India claims to be the biggest democracy on the face of the earth. We witness every day thousands of Indians marching on the roads of Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta etc protesting on everything from dear hunting, Sania Mirza’s mini skirt to Sania Mirza’s disrespect to the national flag but will a single Indian will march out of his house and protest for Khalid Mahmood? I guess I am expecting too much. Who will protest for a Pakistani Muslim In fact the blood of Muslims is the cheapest at this time of the year, especially when that Muslim happens to be a Pakistani.

The unfortunate question on every Pakistani’s mouth; is this how the Indians return a favor?

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