The Pakistani Spectator

This year the Independence Day and the Defence of Pakistan Day were celebrated with an unusual and spontaneous people’s participation. A lot of people and intellectuals kept wondering, why such spillover of national emotions and joy on the streets and elsewhere. Has the governance improved, has the economy improved bringing more jobs and prosperity for the people, has the price hike been checked, has corruption declined, has justice reached doorsteps of people, absolutely NOTHING of the sort, Governance is all a mess. The government was at best Lukewarm to this national event to the extent that the ceremony marking such formal occasion was delayed by an hour. The portrait of Quaid e Azam was nowhere to be seen, even the national flag had been in a way desecrated by the ruling party stalwarts by putting party colors and photographs of their leaders. Why than this unprecedented outpour of joy and nationalism? A serious group of analyst reached the conclusion that the nation’s mood was changed only and only due to success of the Army in its fight against the Taliban. Only a few days back, there was total depression all over. With bomb blasts in main cities and Taliban taking over Swat and Buner, International and own media drove fear in everyone that the Taliban were on the roll and it was a matter of days before they take over the country. There was despondency, people were looking at immigration abroad, businesses were closing down and national moral had plunged to the lowest. The Army as usual was there to take the people out of this morass, our brave soldiers shed their blood to give us the confidence to celebrate our independence day. The Army continues to do its job to secure the future of our new generation from the menace of extremism and Talibanisation.

It has been more than two years of political and terror related mayhem in the country. There hasn’t been a dull moment for the political actors, the ‘Awam”, the law enforcement apparatus and the Pakistan watchers alike. A soft military leader has gone with his team of political misfits and replaced by an elected political government with an all powerful elected President. The lawyers movement saw another element of power being introduced among the pillars of the state, the lawyers achieved what they set to seek, the chief justice stands restored. With democracy in full effect and independent judiciary, the least the people expected was good governance, political stability and rule of law. Nothing good is happening, I think we as a nation are adrift with no sail and no anchor. The national political culture of blaming all ills on the previous leadership continues, the same old game of settling scores at the cost of national development and diverting all energies and digging graves continues.

Pakistan Army is considered a disciplined force with high ethics and moral values. While it is an expected norm for politicians to throw accusations and filth at each other, such behavior is considered unbecoming of military officers, its no longer so, there is a beeline of ex military officers not only attacking each other but also attacking the institution of the army which has made them what they are today. Politicians and elements in the media continue to play their games and exploit these officers. A new trend has been introduced with politicians and media using ex military and intelligence officers for character assassination of national figures. Knowing our corrupt political culture, there is plenty of material with these fired cartridges to tarnish anybody’s image. In fact after the revelations of these military squealers, it is extremely difficult to find a single politician of any moral standing. Unfortunately, it appears there is no law which prevents these retired soldiers to open their mouths on acts they performed in Line of Duty, does the military have such a law of “Silence” or not?. Similarly, there appears no sobering moral conventions which prevent the media from exploiting such characters. It’s so irresponsible and the whole game is so sickening that no decent person would want this to continue, it doesn’t help anyone nor the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It must stop.

Pervez Musharraf’s resignation and the restoration of the Chief Justice may be huge victories for democratic ideals but what have we the people of Pakistan got to celebrate or cry over in our proud new found political dispensation. The governance is factually not at its worst, it is simply not there. Corruption has crossed all bounds. Today on the streets, people are not asking the price of sugar and Atta but are running from shop to shop just to find out where these vital commodities were available. Those who discover the commodities are baton charged and slapped and kicked in the holy month of Ramadan for asking for Atta and Sugar. People are dying for Atta and Sugar in our country which has an Agro based economy, what a shame. 18 Poor women lost their lives only yesterday in Karachi in quest of free food. Unfortunately, the route to these artificial shortages does not take one to the backyard of a deposed military dictator but its no secret that more than 50% of sugar and flour mills and the Arath of vital commodities is in the hands of the political leaders of all shades, both in and out of government. If these commodities are being hoarded to the benefit of our worthy leadership, who is going to bring them to justice?

Although, our founding fathers idealized democracy but having been crushed under the weight of our peculiar political culture, the people today are again looking at the army to relieve them of this mess. The other day in the press club, I came across a group of the people including women from the interior Sind who were agitating against forced takeover of their land by some influential landlords. I got into discussion with them, and to my surprise, these Haris actually wanted military rule to come back. They clearly said that they can do without democracy and without the politicians. They said unlike the politicians no General has ever grabbed the lands of the Haris, No General owns sugar and flour mills which are hoarding Sugar and Atta, no General owns Sugar Mills which are not paying to the growers.

Believe me and I dare say that, if the political leadership does not mend their ways, the people would be clamoring for the army to take over in a very few days.

Published in Pakistan Observer