The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Sunday demanded that facts about the Ashura bombing should be brought to limelight. All probabilities should be analysed thoroughly and beneficiaries should be probed. President PEW Dr Murtaza Mughal said that the rampage that followed the 10th Muharram blast clearly shows that the local youngsters were not looting the shops, but were interested in destruction only.
No one would burn a shop without touching the cash and items therein, or would try to damage a burning vehicle, he opined. The President PEW observed that the arson could be a reaction against the dominated class, which is not interested about its responsibilities towards society. He said the reaction might also be a result of increasing poverty and unemployment, which is result of prevailing system that ensures accumulation of wealth in some hands. Dr Mughal pointed that the Qur'an has over three hundred times stressed Zakat, Khairat, Fitra, and Sadqa, but we have no regard for this. Instead, majority of wealthy is interested in pomp and show. Different conspiracy theories are being discussed at many forums, but they are missing the point that unemployed and hungry can be used by anyone, including the enemies of Pakistan, for anything, he added.
As a solution, he underlined the need to get the masses educated under the Islamic system so that distribution of wealth becomes just, which will also end poverty, crimes, unemployment. It will also help overcome dearth of leadership in Pakistan, which is the mother of many ills. He urged the billionaires to read Surah al-Qalam in which those who do not support the poor have been informed about severe punishment in this world and the Hereafter.
Dr Murtaza Mughal said that strikes, following the bombing, are only adding to losses and miseries of the people with daily wagers worst hit. We should adopt some decent way to protest, he urged. He demanded death by lashes to those that inflicted losses amounting billions of rupees to the trading community and for those who got their loans amounting to billions, waived off.