What a travesty that the prime beneficiary of Ms. Benazir Bhutto’s murder should shed crocodile tears on her death anniversary and call former President Pervez Musharraf a “Billa” (tomcat). While one could disagree with Pervez Musharraf on any number of counts (including the NRO that permitted Zardari another go at Pakistan’s treasure chest), Musharraf is not a thief. Musharraf’s riposte about ascertaining which “Billa” drank the most “milk” was therefore most appropriate. The irony is that Zardari, who is normally liberal with the truth, should so brazenly taunt by inference the Pakistan Army. His PR types tried damage control by calling his remarks “allegorical”, allegorical indeed!
The superior judiciary well knew about the endemic corruption that permeated Zardari’s regime but in a reverse use of the “doctrine of necessity” conveniently ignored reality in the mind-boggling belief that they were upholding the Constitution. This highlights the fantasy democratic world that we have created for ourselves. The President of Pakistan should be the person symbolizing the rule of law, Zardari displayed utter contempt for the rule of law. This contempt persists even when he is out of office, just consider the blocking of a main thoroughfare in Karachi adjacent to Bilawal House under the name of security. The Sindh High Court (SHC) ruling for removing the obstacles/barriers cuts no ice with the Sindh Govt, when criminals function in the name of justice becomes a crime! Protesting Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) workers squared off with PPP activists and had to face beating by police batons. To their credit SHC pulled one back by declaring the obnoxious amendments to the Sindh Local Govt Bill as unconstitutional.
As Chairman JCSC and COAS, Gens Rashid Mahmood and Raheel Sharif are lucky in not inheriting the mess Musharraf left the Army in, eroding the professionalism of the senior hierarchy by promoting mostly undeserving “Bajis” into three star slots. Kayani moved on a broad front not only to make the Army into the mean fighting machine it once was but to restore its self-confidence and public image. However he failed to integrate the higher command of the Armed Forces. Rashid and Raheel owe it not only to a higher calling as patriots but to their professional integrity to remove the anomalies presently disfiguring what should be a unified command structure. The rank and file can only rise upto their expectations of their Chiefs if they rise beyond the selfish parameters of their personal fiefdoms to the aspirations of the nation.
Despite his recent five star incarceration Musharraf persists in being seriously delusional, his statement that the whole army stands behind him is wrong and mischievous meant for his own survival. Musharraf should have the strength of character and propriety not to get the Army that suffered because of his personal ambitions embroiled again in controversy to save his own neck. Shame on him for trying to get the Army into “the line of fire”. He owes that much to the uniform he once wore. While the Army’s rank and file will not like to see their former Chief humiliated being dragged through the courts, they certainly do not condone treason. Having violated the Constitution in what they thought was the greater interest of the nation, Musharraf and his aides should now have the courage to stand by their acts of Oct 1999 and Nov 2007, and in-between. If what he did was not for his personal sake why should soldier Musharraf fear the consequences?
On his return to the Court in 2007, the former CJ set off unprecedented judicial activism but on issues of substance, NRO, Swiss Case, etc, he engaged in deliberate filibuster. There was much noise in the Courtroom but no substance, justice was delayed and as such it was denied. The silver lining during the former CJ’s tenure was the induction of over 100 judges in the superior judiciary, over the years this will make quite a difference in the quality and potential of our superior judiciary. To his credit there was also considerable movement on human right issues, after his departure we have seen the superior judiciary in only a short period lower the decibel count for sensationalism, things are now less personal and more professional. The former CJ first tasted political power from his time in the streets, if he can somehow escape accountability over his son Arsalan’s escapades, etc, he has a political future marked out for him.
The govt has to focus on re-invigorating the economy, to do that it has to first tackle the insecurity that is eroding the confidence of the investors. While it pursues dialogue with the Taliban to get them into the mainstream body politic of the country, one does not hold out any great hope that these ruthless militants will ever give up the power they presently exercise though the barrel of the gun. Moreover how will we separate the ideologues from the criminals? While the military has fought a successful counter-insurgency, all the talk in the govt about a Counter-Terrorism Force (CTF) is just that talk, at least uptil now. Steps must be taken to re-activate National Counter-Terrorism Authority (NACTA) and convert the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) into the nucleus of a CTF.
Without energy the economy is going nowhere. Initially prioritizing getting more out of our existing power plants by overhauling and efficiency-sizing them, the govt has taken positive steps putting in new units on a first track basis, whether hydro thermal, solar, wind, etc doesn’t matter. Incidentally we have again fallen behind in our circular debt cycle.
This govt inherited an awful mess from their predecessors, therefore one has to give them more time. The barometer of Zardari’s mis-governance can be gauged from both the PPP PM’s, Gilani and Ashraf, being under investigation for corrupt practices even while PPP-led Coalition was in power, on the evidence at hand they most probably be indicted. The PML (N) had good knowledge of the problems they were likely to inherit if not the full extent of it, on the face of it they did work out not plan of action. Proper and effective management is needed for both the govt and senior-govt entities, the lack of it is asking for trouble, a recipe for economic and political disaster. If there is a paucity of talent among their loyalists, the govt must tap potential outside of its political cadres.
While we have yet to see the fulfillment of many promises and the economic aspirations of the people are far from being assuaged, there is no comparison between Mian Nawaz Sharif’s regime and that of Zardari. Anything is better than the mis-governance of the PPP-led Coalition, the Sharifs are at least attempting to provide good governance in contrast to the deliberate malfeasance of the Zardari-led regime.
For one reason or the other the electoral process is being delayed mostly by first-dragging by the Provinces. The Provincial Govts will get incentive only if the Courts re-install the previous Local Bodies administration till the delimitation process is correctly completed. Presently this democracy is in a state of hypocrisy without Local Bodies functioning at the grassroots level.
Courtesy: The News
