The Monkey with a Razor

Perception

  Ayaz  Fakir

     The Ambassador of a European country was at a dinner with some Pakistanis, and PM Nawaz Sharif came up in the discussion, and the Ambassador asked quite innocently, can your PM read and write? This set me thinking, is this the perception that people have about our PM? Can our PMs Public relations people in the PM office be so incompetent and that the image of the our PM so low, that doubts of his educational qualifications have been raised at international levels.

     The reality is more dangerous, for our PM’s education is not as low as his IQ which for a nuclear power is akin to giving a monkey a razor, only being a nuclear power is dangerous for the others.

     Being PM of Pakistan is a formidable task, and the destiny of 200 million people, and their future, is in the hands of someone who has a serious image problem,and the reality could be worse than the perception.

     The time has come for the citizens to rise up, against this sham democracy, which has succeeded in removing all the safeguards that had been placed to protect the people from the tyranny of the ‘elected’ majority. It would be pertinent to point out that Hitler and Mussolini were both elected as rulers through a massive majority, and it took a World war to finally remove them !

     Pakistanis have no solution other than to wait the five year term. In the meantime the ‘majority’ with a pliant opposition would empty the coffers, and pile up debts that will be impossible to repay. Surely our founding fathers did not envisage such a country for us. Do we deserve such rulers?

     While we have an army chief that is standing by and watching the plunder.? A Supreme Court that refuses to take notice of the destruction of a once flourishing society.

     A target killer was hanged a few months ago, Saulat Mirza, who had confessed to killing. 129 persons. Now someone has confessed to the murder of 400 persons. These are people who were used to bring the rulers to power, and sustain them in their positions.The Army has succeeded in arresting and bringing some of the killers to book. But the Army has not yet moved to prosecute them, nor has it decided to prosecute those who ordered the kills. The people are confused watching the Pakistan Army waiting for further instructions. Meanwhile many of the criminals are escaping and their money has already been moved to safe havens. The final go ahead from the Prime Minister is awaited, but this signal is already subject to a MukMuka (settlement) between the PMLN, and the PPP, both hesitating to yank the chain, lest both political parties are ejected. One thing is sure. The country cannot continue like this. The rulers of Pakistan have not realised the anger in the people simmering close to the surface. The recent examples of Saddam Hussain, Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak are all before us. Though Gaddafi and Saddam had given their people fantastic welfare benefits, education medical facilities amongst the best in the world, yet, when the tide turned they set upon their rulers and despatched them ruthlessly, without remorse. In Pakistan our rulers have given us nothing, taking away the future of our children. In our political setup the accountability of the rulers has been taken away, and replaced with more safeguards to protect the rulers when in fact it should be the people who should be protected from the rulers.

     Other than Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, no other politician has been held to account, and even Bhutto was hanged for the wrong reasons. The crimes he committed against Pakistan were manifold- the breakup Pakistan was engineered by him,and was a treasonable offence, as he played into theIndian plan of reducing the Pakistani threat to India, by half. By retaining the position of Chief Martial Law Administrator he put himself above the law. This showed the Pakistani political ethos of putting self above state. A dictum that has been followed assiduously to the present day. It can safely be stated that after Bhutto no political leader has considered the effects on the state. The use of target killers to ‘eliminate’ hundreds of people for political reasons, conjures visions of some medieval bloodthirsty Feudal Lord rather than an urbane poetry reciting Urdu ,living in the plush woodlands of Millhill. That too in the 21st century. These are the leaders that have foisted themselves upon us. Can we break the stranglehold they have on the Nation? Even Imran Khan has strayed from his path, which should be the elimination of the present corrupt leadership, through a ruthless                                                     accountability. Sparing none. All those politicians who have committed crimes to further their political agendas including murder should be ruthlessly punished. For example, the rise of the MQM using extortion kidnapping and murder under the cover of politics within the knowledge of the Head of ISI Gen Kayani, makes him an accomplice and as guilty as the target killer involved. These terrorist activities will also include the current political leadership. Can Ch.Nisar claim that he was not aware of the crimes being committed under his watch during the past two years? Can Gen Kayani plead he was unaware of these criminal acts?

    If indeed the leadership of the ISI kept its silence at that time to retain its position at the trough of corruption, then is the then COAS not liable to punishment? And as an accomplice the punishment is equal to the crime. It seems that the entire leadership of all the parties are accountable. For none can plead innocence of the knowledge of the criminal activities. This knowledge makes them criminally culpable as they were in positions of power, and could have stemmed the rot, and thus share the guilt equally.

     Fortunately the present Army leadership is in a position to wipe the slate clean.

     Only then can a new leadership emerge.