Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has publicly stated as reported by TV channels that he was a PM and not a peon and that he would prefer to accept 6 months imprisonment by refusing to obey the order of Apex Court. PM conveniently forgets that as per Article 25 (1) of Constitution, “All citizen are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.” His comparison between PM and Peon betrays his feudal mindset as in Islam there is no difference between a king and a pauper before law. He being a scion of a saintly family ought to recall the case of a poor “baddu” who was struck a blow by a chieftain of a large tribe upon being treaded by the “baddu” on the tunic of the chieftain during “tawaf” of Kaaba after accepting Islam. Hazrat Umer-i-Farooq had said that the “baddu” should strike the chieftain a blow as per Islamic law of eye for an eye. The chieftain was not ready to accept the indignity of being struck by a poor man and neither the poor “baddu” would forgive the chieftain. Consequently the chieftain offered to recant from Islam. He was told that in that case he would be beheaded. Finally he escaped with his 500 horsemen during night. This was a classic case of equality before law.
DR. MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI,
Lahore, March 16.