The grandiose pictures emanating from Gaza shake the spine of the viewers—Muslims and non Muslims alike. Charred and raged bodies, blood bathed babies and faint cries surging from leathery and helpless lips of sisters and mothers require steely heart to watch and withstand the agonies. Amid relentless sultry heat and trying Ramadan, tears of the mourners seem to have dried.

In this backdrop, the desperate cries reverberating from Aqsa, Qibla e awal, shook the souls of millions across Pakistan. As a last resort, the minarets of Al Aqsa echoed with the cries of the thousands of helpless Palestinians calling for Pakistan and Pakistan army to come to assist them.

These heart wrenching cries, crossed over the power hungry Egyptian Army. These forlorn cries for help also flew over the wealthy sheiks, sharpening their swords to secure their interests in already bleeding Iraq, and Syria. These yowls also oozed passed the nuclear ambitious Iran. These shouts for help also boomed across Turkey, where Tyab Ardagan is battling for his survival.

But, but God knows what thoughts moved  the  minds of the mourning Palestinians amassed around Aqsa that they gave a bewailing  call to Pakistani people and Pakistan Army. May be the frantic slogans soaring to sky at the time of the creation of Pakistan, Pakistan ka matlab kia la ela ha ill Allah resonated in their minds. May be the brave sentence spoken by tha great Quaid calling Israel the illegitimate son of the West reverberated in their mind. Or the heroics of our air force pilots flashed through their minds. Yet another possibility could be that the epoch making moments of 28 May 1998 re-echoed in their imagination that thousands gave a piercing cry to Pakistan for help against the barbaric onslaught of Israel.

The reason for call could be any. Nevertheless, the reality of response to this call is even more harsh and distressing. With a heavy heart I want to bring before this excruciating fact to the people of Gaza that your this call for help is nothing more than a vain cry in the desert. Everyone knows that you are bleeding profusely and not so for the first time. But no one would come to heal your wounds, dry your tears and console your mourning mothers and sisters.

Gaza, I know my sentences would aggravate your wounds, well up more tears and wither the already wailing faces of the children. But I do not have a heart to sooth you with false promises and hollow consolation. Pitiably, you yourself have to dig the graves, and bury the coal burnt martyrs. My heart bleeds to speak that you yourself have to lift the injured and bandage them with the rags, if available and seek the divine cure for them.

Yes, you called us-Pakistanis to bear a hand. But, dear ailing Gaza, your, our beloved Pakistan is itself bleeding. We are caught up in a vicious internal quagmire. We ourselves are at throat with one another. Our dear army is fighting a war at various fronts-both against external and internal foes. Moreover, it is not possible for us to deviate from the designs of the USA-the same USA which supports Israel, assists us also. In fact we are the third biggest recipient of the US aid after Israel and Egypt.

Also, our political leadership has its own limitations and preferences. It cannot afford to earn the ire of the Americans. Even it has stopped mentioning the Kashmir which is also bleeding like you are, for it irks the Indians and Americans alike. It also affects their trade ties with the Indians. After all one has to fix his priorities. You might remember that same call for help was made from Abu Ghareeb also, but no one had the spine to help those who were humiliated and maimed by the Americans.

Yes, the people of Pakistan would babble the prayers, earnestly for you. They would also throng the streets and roads with banners. Besides, they would dry their throats to condemn the wild brutality of the Israelis. Aside from that they would burn the effigies of Israel-the illegitimate. But, but, these voices of sincere Pakistanis won’t be able to stir the conscience of those whose decisions actually matter.

This is the holy month of Ramadan and the number of martyrs is on the rise. Don’t wail dear Gaza. The angels of heaven themselves would come to receive these martyrs. Heaven itself will heal thy wounds, dry thy tears.