On paper the democratic process has been followed, with the electoral votes counted, tabulated, and the winner sworn in as prime minister. But here the Desi mind takes over, and the winner thinks he has been crowned King. The Desi cannot or does not believe in equality. And so must behave like royalty, complete with the twenty car cavalcade, and ambulance and fire engine! Someone could suggest the glass carriage. But that is not available in bullet proof version.
Meanwhile, the Royal is not attending to his royal duties, and the kingdom has to rely upon foreign loans to sustain the burgeoning expenses. The good news is that the MNA lodgings have just had their power cut for nonpayment.
In the meantime, the King is still engrossed in his tussle with the errant army chief, who was threatening to usurp some of the powers of the King. Powers that were not being used, and unscrupulous people were allowing the rebellious fundos to sneak into and bolster their madrassas.
While the cleanup in Karachi — a miracle, the move into the Punjab as the next logical step is being resisted with the Punjab government repeating their “all is well” mantra. The standoff with the Army continued till the Gulshan bombing killing 75 people shocked the nation, and the Army was forced into action.
The question now arises whether the Punjab government is capable of withstanding a detailed scrutiny of an army sweep through the Punjab. It is increasingly obvious that the twenty years of PML-N rule in the Punjab have allowed the Sharif family to believe they were “born to rule” and they continue to behave thus. With the Panama bombshell, the House of Sharif comes head on against democracy, and its pesky laws, with the ever growing band of hungry havenots. It remains to be seen if the Law Courts of Pakistan side with the royals or the have nots.
The time has come for the people of Pakistan to assert their will, and break from the grip of the Sharifs. The wasteful and myopic rule, without a thought to the progress of the nation, with the hordes of sycophants, screaming adulation, instead of getting on with the job.
The meaningless trips abroad. At huge expense. Focusing on buses and trains, and missing the big picture.
The management system of the country is steeped in corruption. The railways are the worst in the region, primarily because of corruption and the appointment of political largesse of the leaders, who don't deserve to lead. Merit has to be the measure, and equally important, punishment for non-performance. Being a Bhutto, or a Sharif cannot allow the wanton destruction of institutions like the PIA, or the Railways. Before the CPEC is completed, the Chinese should be contracted to manage the Railway operations, for passengers and cargo. The rail network is in place and huge traffic demand is in place. Let the Chinese bring their management and replace the British managers that left, taking their management with them. Leaving us our politicians who introduced incompetence and corruption.
The Indians have shown how it can be done. The contract for management of the railways is the most crucial. Otherwise, like the Nigerians, we will be left with just skeletons of a once-thriving state. And yet we are a nuclear power. I wonder if the bombs are in working condition. From the looks of the railways, and of PIA, it would be a pity to find out in the middle of a war. On the other hand the Army and the Air Force are independent of political control, and are not only thriving, but they are a showpiece matching any country, in their performance.
This makes for a good argument to remove the current politicians, and bring in more discipline, instead of the toadies currently running the show. Our leadership is to blame. So aptly shown in the latest cricket debacle. The eleven member team needed a good manager and coach. If Sheharyar and Sethi are not competent, bring in a good foreigner, who is not likely to be influenced by Islamabad, or the First Lady, or the First Son. Bring in someone like Steve Waugh, and we can guarantee the Fifty-Over World Cup will be sitting in the PCB boardroom in the next season. But to continue with incompetent men in charge is to be dishonest not only to a good team but a country. His Majesty must be told, that the Kingdom can be lost very easily, and this change may not be that smooth.
The Panama scandal has caught many leaders out. Many heads will roll, ( in other countries — the prime minister of Iceland for one) many others will follow.
Interestingly, the income tax laws in Pakistan are as strict as India, but the implementation is another matter. Today Amitabh Bachan and Ashwaria Rai are both seriously worried. As, indeed, is David Cameron the British PM. Because of the release of the Panama files. In Pakistan nobody really cares, even though, the tax laws for non-disclosure of assets, can lead to immediate disqualification, seizure of the assets, and a prison sentence, and a fine equal to the amount seized! But His Majesty was moved to appear on national TV and tell the subjects, that he had no property abroad, and very little here. But all was well and his accountant, who is also finance minister of the country, has everything under control, and all the properties in London belong to his sons! As does the Bentley Arnage, seen being admired by David Cameron, when it was dropping our prime minister off at 10, Downing Street, for an official meeting with the British prime minister. A totally unnecessary flaunting of wealth, which cannot have impressed the British PM who regularly visits his monarch at Buckingham Palace, and is kept in line with some strict rules in place. Rules that have been obeyed for hundreds of years. Flaunting of wealth could invoke the wrath of the King, and the loss of the asset or the head.
And so it would be wiser for our Majesty to put his house in order, before embarking on such an unnecessary parade of “toys” drawing flak, which Pakistan can do without.
Panama Leaks
In Europe during the 18th century when organised banking was in its infancy, and the industrial revolution had started with the advent of the steam engine, and the mills in Lancashire were coming up, the banking and money requirement was growing by leaps and bounds.
The atmosphere in Europe was very rigid, and constrictive. The countryside was lawless, and the cities were developing into ghetto-like areas where the Jews clustered together for self protection. But the industrialist in France and trader were used to squirrelling away money in other countries, and the Swiss banking system was formed for these wealthy persons to hide their money from the emperors who would invariably request for funds, to support their wars. Europe, in those days, was discovering new lands, which had to be conquered colonised and policed.
Demands on the trader needed the protection of a banking system that was built on secrecy of the client. The rulers at the time grew progressively demanding, Fascism was growing, and the Swiss banks were the bulwark that protected the trader. The numbered account saved many from the enquiries of the fascists. With the coming of Hitler, the Swiss banks came into their own, and they alone resisted the Nazi onslaught. This was followed by the Iron Curtain, which saw many wealthy Polish, Hungarian, and east European countries vanish with their wealth and art works, amongst the finest collections in the world. These are the lessons learned by the Europeans, and studied by every student of history, with any asset of note.
After independence the nationals of the African states continued their secret accounts, this time hidden from their own newly-formed governments.
We Pakistanis followed suit. And it was easier, and safer to park ones money in companies that were just shells. Away from the dictators and the taxman. Unfortunately, for our Pakistani politicians, we are too deeply mired in corruption, to be given a clean chit by the Election tribunals. The present regime of Sharifs will not stand close scrutiny and the Courts may also not give relief. More importantly, the support from the US for “democracy” will not work, as the Panama documents has put paid to that. The smell of criminal corruption will tend to prevent any support from abroad, even the Saudis, who will remember the recent slight, over the Yemen imbroglio. The Saudis do have long memories, and do not forget ingratitude.
The world is still reeling from the aftershocks of the Panama papers, but the Sharifs find themselves with no parachute to hang onto. Unfortunately for them, all the accusations of Imran Khan are proving accurate, and even the local support for MNS seems to be evaporating. Even the Chinese will be seriously reconsidering their 45 billion dollar investment, and the shaky government. Of course, the Pakistani people, and any future government will honour the commitments made, provided no backhanders are discovered.
The Panama papers have come at an unfortunate time, and there are too many names in too many countries. The protection of the Sharifs is very low on the priority of the world leaders. Especially when the world is focused on international corruption.
The Pakistani Army will have to decide if this democracy is not a danger to the state of Pakistan. The Army has also discovered the extent of the cancer in southern Punjab, and the facilitators. These are the multiple threats being faced by the Army, and now is the best time to remove them because they stand completely exposed. The question arises, if we can afford such irresponsible governance, which is, burdening the people with huge losses? Can the Army sit back and bear silent witness to the rape of our country?
These criminals must be removed, charges filed against them. The trials must be in military courts. Because as in all Pakistani institutions the judiciary is bent out of shape, and beyond hope. It also needs a complete overhaul. In fact, the Pakistani Army is the only institution left that is functioning as it should. And must rescue the nation from complete disaster. The politicians are achieving what the enemies of Pakistan could not dream of.
Post a Comment