The Pakistani Spectator

A fresh and brand new round of tussle has started between the Nazims of Punjab and the PML(N) Punjab government led by Shahbaz Sharif. Most of these Nazims belong to the PML(Q) and they are largely considered as the legacy of Musharraf and most of them acted as foot soldiers for Musharraf.

Just go to any city, town or village of Punjab (or to any other province for that matter) and you will see yourself as what is the progress of these Nazims. Filth, dirt, corruption, dilapidated infrastructure, dismal health and education facilities and a confused hierarchy of command is what these Nazims have produced over the years.

Instead of solving the problems and resolving the issues of the people of the area, these Nazims have acted as the source and origin of problems. Just take the example of Tehsil Taxila’s Nazim Sadiq Khan. He is the brother of the then PML(Q) minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan. Both earlier belonged to PPP and then changed their loyalities and joined PML(Q). Sadiq Khan is the biggest thug in the area. He maintains a band of villians who roam the town of Taxila and it’s adjacent villages and exploit people. Their terror is immense. In normal circumstances, nobody in the area would even like to spit on the man, but during Musharraf era, Sadiq Khan became Nazim.

This is the typical Nazim throughout the country with few exceptions. Regardless of the feud between Punjab government and the Nazims and the power struggle between PPP and PML, it wouldbe a welcome step to abolish this thuggish system of Nizamat.