It is unfortunate that Pakistan continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. While one acknowledges that as a developing nation it will be natural for any country to have its fair share of social, political and economical problems but where Pakistan is concerned, the real issue is not the problems but how practically nothing has been done to resolve them – the result is that the these problems have multiplied and become almost unmanageable. The economy is in doldrums, the law and order situation continues to deteriorate, terrorism has taken firm roots, unemployment is rampant as it poverty, etc. In short the country faces a complex multi-dimensional governance crisis where corruption and bad governance is the order of the day. With a rapidly growing population along with rising political tensions, both internal and external, and an economy trapped in the vicious debt cycle, Pakistan has been unable to attain the progress it needs to advance. To this end, the performance of politicians, those that currently rule over our destiny as well as those that are not in power, has been questionable to say the least.
The number of scandals that have erupted in Pakistan involving members of the ruling party or people affiliated with them, as well as people linked to other political parties must be a record of sorts. Two of the Prime Minister’s sons are allegedly involved in wrongdoing for personal gain. Musa Raza, the younger son is said to be involved in the illegal sale of ephedrine, a controlled substance involving billions while the elder son, Abdul Qadir has been linked to the Hajj corruption case. In addition, the mess created by the Memogate controversy needs no elucidation, all these have gone on to further blacken Pakistan’s image at home and abroad. Perhaps it is time that someone starts to compile a list of powerful people (MPS, bureaucrats, politicians, etc) who are involved in alleged wrongdoing and cover-ups. For the benefit of readers I am reproducing my article “MONEY AND POWER INFLUENCING COVER-UPS”.
To build and sustain a credible image for the country and/or lobby for a national objective it is not uncommon for “discretionary funds” to be available to various Ambassadors and other designated officials for disbursement at their discretion. Albeit for a national purpose, they are meant to be accounted for. An interesting revelation coming out of the Memogate Commission may be the “smoking gun” confirming Haqqani’s guilt, the use of secret funds to facilitate a cover-up.
The May 2 Osama Bin Laden incident required Haqqani’s constant presence in the US for damage control, what was our Ambassador doing away in London on a mysterious private visit? What was the need to speak to Mansoor Ijaz in Monaco from London? Denying this ad nauseam he had to finally accept when confronted with the phone records that he did indeed speak to him for more than a dozen minutes. Decrying Mansoor Ijaz’s failure to come to Pakistan, Haqqani’s lawyers and cronies in the print and electronic media (and interestingly enough PM Gilani) did a full 180° justifying Haqqani’s excuses to avoid appearing before the Memogate Commission in person. The fundamental difference, Ijaz is a private US citizen not bound by the Constitution of Pakistan, as a Pakistani citizen and former public official Haqqani is subject to the Pakistan’s Constitution. Men of integrity are putty in the hands of consummate con-artists like Haqqani who can easily put Henry Wilson, the man who sold the Eiffel Tower twice, to shame. “This was a man of his word” managed to worm his way out of Pakistan by fooling the Supreme Court into believing him.
For the most part Mansoor Ijaz story gels, corroborated by the various data he produced before the Commission. In contrast Haqqani’s continued refusal to make available his BlackBerry data is very damning. With his attempts at cover-ups further undercutting Haqqani’s denials, appearing in person would have amounted to committing suicide. His life is certainly at risk, not at the hands of the intelligence agencies but of those having a vested interest in shutting him up permanently. Haqqani is smart enough to know his feudal friends do not take kindly to possible approvers, they do not like leaving loose ends lying around.
Disclosure of how secret funds were used by Haqqani himself (and on his behalf) particularly post the period Oct 15, 2011. can easily establish the cover-up by co-relating the money disbursed into statements/news items/columns blatantly supporting Haqqani contrary to facts, moreover discretionary funds are not for personal purpose! Notwithstanding the right of the media to air a fact and/or opinion as it sees it to be, the credibility of the media is sacrosanct in the understanding that it cannot be influenced or coerced by money or power. Public cynosure is necessary for all those, media or otherwise, who have been (and are) the recipients of secret largesse. While one must not grudge those who deservedly get handsome packages, out-of-the-ordinary affluence must be accounted for applying the common law for “living beyond one’s means” for everyone, media persons included.
Notwithstanding British pride in the integrity of their democracy, a number of politicians, bureaucrats, policemen, etc were on Murdoch’s payroll. To their credit, the British public will prevailed against Murdoch’s money. The disclosure of the recipients of slush funds exposed the real character and integrity of those who claimed they only disseminated the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Incidentally money is not the only motivation for influencing perceptions and/or evidence, fear of retribution can be. Chicago’s Al Capone was guilty many times over of publicly committing murder, mayhem and other crimes, out of fear for their lives witnesses would never testify against him. Those who despair failing to ever get witnesses to court, please note that Al Capone was eventually incarcerated in a Federal prison for tax evasion.
The “ephedrine” case is a case study for both money and influence being used for cover-ups. Health Ministry officials Dr Rashid Jooma, Asad Hafeez and Abdus Sattar Mehrani gave statements under oath to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) mentioning Yusuf Raza Gilani’s son, Musa Gilani, for badgering them on telephone to remove the ban on the import of this illegal banned substance in favour of his two favourite companies that ostensibly sold the drug on to drug smugglers. On the ANF’s refusal to drop the case, all powers of investigation by ANF were withdrawn on Mar 21, 2012 by the Federal Government. Guarantees of protection given by the Supreme Court mandating ANF to continue prosecution of the case notwithstanding, on April 6, DG ANF Maj Gen Shakeel Hussain was arbitrarily repatriated to the Army and the ANF was put under the direct control of Secretary Narcotics Control Zafar Abbas. If this is not a cover-up of the highest order, what is?
The “cover-up” trail in this case reaches the highest in government. With honest officers persecuted/sidelined by the use of high Constitutional office, precedents are being set for public officials to wholeheartedly not only condone but expedite crime. If criminals function in the name of justice, justice becomes a crime. Not a failed state, we are well on our way to becoming a criminal one. Aesop (620 BC – 520 BC), a Greek slave of possibly Ethiopian origin to whom many fables through the centuries are credited, observed almost 2500 years ago in 550 BC, “we hang petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office”. “Ecstasy” is the end product of ephedrine, will justice be the by-product of the attempted cover up? The Supreme Court is trying, quite unsuccessfully uptil now, to use reason and the Constitution instead of the force of necessity to establish the writ of the rule of law.
The Saturday before the Annual Formation Commanders Conference in GHQ Rawalpindi, tragedy struck in Siachen, an enormous avalanche burying over 124 of our soldiers and 11 civilian personnel. Kayani rushed to Skardu to personally supervise rescue operations. Incongruous but unfortunately symbolic. Instead of grieving for those who vanished under tons of snow while protecting our frontiers, our President and Supreme Commander was gushing all “teeth and smiles” at a lunch in New Delhi hosted by Manmohan Singh, the Chief Executive of the nation our soldiers died protecting their difficult frontier against.
Kayani has an inherent responsibility as COAS to stand behind his command, scrupulously honest and upright officers like ANF’s Shakeel Hussain and his colleagues were only doing their assigned duty. Notwithstanding an outstanding job uplifting the morale of the men in uniform, Kayani must seriously undertake self-assessment of what stops him from living upto his sacred trust whenever push comes to shove? Protecting his men from the sudden avalanche in Siachen was impossible, what about the constant barrage of the moral avalanche of perfidy they are being buried under in the name of the Constitution? Repeated compromises afflicting Kayani and his conscience on issues of national security can ultimately only lead to an artificially created greater disaster.
Given that the detractors of Pakistan now seem to have solid support at the “ground zero” of the inner circles of our hierarchy, Memogate is probably only the tip of the iceberg!
