Sick democracy
Ambassador’s Diary
Dr Samiullah Koreshi
Monday, July 05, 2010 - Two issues are dominating public attention these days, fake degrees of an inordinate number of Members of the Assemblies and the Terrorist attack on Data Durbar in Lahore. A movement or institution depends on the persons who are its “élan vitale” or its running force. It is as strong or honest as majority of its members . The one reason that each attempt to bring rule of the people has been from partial success to failure is the fact that the waderas of Punjab and Sind dominate Pakistan’s political leadership and do not let common man win elections. Those who do become their pliant substitutes. They have complete hold over political forces whether it be party x or y. The question of fake degrees is an outcome of this phenomenon. Waderas and education are contradictions. They must come to the Assemblies to get hold of power and indulge in give and take with the Power. They buy the votes, buy favours, buy the administration, buy the Rulers, so why not degrees. This is the crux of the problem.
The fact that the cases of fake degrees have attracted so much attention indicates that the public has considered it as a matter a shame resented that the incident of fraud be so spread among those who are supposed to be the symbol of national conscience . At issue is the question of indulging in dishonesty and defrauding by those who are supposed to be the symbol of rectitude of the country.. As the magnitude of the problem of fake degree is becoming known , it is obvious that there had been an epidemic of faking degrees to become eligible for election when this condition was in force. It remains to be seen how many of these great fixers are waderas. It is doubtful if any one of them is from the poor The interesting thing is that there is no feeling of remorse over their defrauding either in the Government at the highest level nor among the concerned persons . Funny and unacceptable explanations are being paraded by those who should be the conscience keeper of the nation. . .
I recall that during my posting in Canada a very prestigious journal had come out with a story “Ph( oney) D.” about a teacher in a university who was employed for teaching mathematics on the basis of this false degree showing him as Ph D in mathematics. He was dismissed with disgrace on this fraud. .But that was Canada and this is Pakistan; the difference between the standards of public morality of the two countries is vast..
The Government is cock eyed and is giving cock and bull unconvincing explanations in support of this malpractice. One wonders whether in their hearts of heart the government leaders believe in the words they utter. This is a highly disgraceful situation for Pakistan . To acknowledge one’s mistake happens only in Western countries or some countries in Asia. . In Japan the personal sense of honour is so great that the accused commits suicide for losing his face.. I remember that when I was in Tokyo on my posting there the fire chief committed suicide because a massive fire in certain part of Tokyo had destroyed vast area. He was the final head of Fire Brigades in Tokyo . He felt ashamed that his organization could not extinguish the fire and caused such loss of life and property..,
It is astonishing what alif Liala type explanations are being given for the phenomena of these fake degrees.. Imagine the Chief Minister of Baluchistan saying that a degree is a degree false or real Can one say A bank note is a bank note fake or real? But would he start employing officials in the government on production of fake degree. At the highest level even the name of the Father of the Nation was dragged in to compare the faker of degrees with the Quaid allegedly that if they were not degree holder so what the Quaid too was not a degree holder. . The issue was not holding a BA degree but faking a degree by the current defrauding Pakistani politicians.. Incidentally the Quaid was a Bar at Law , same as Nehru was, same as Gandhiji was , same as Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru the top legal luminary of his time had and . many top Indian lawyers had.. Bar at Law in those colonial days was esteemed higher than an LL B . It was considered as equivalent to a degree and the Quaid became one of the most famous lawyers of the subcontinent in his time. No one could even think of dragging the Quaid’s name in a matter of fraud. No where any top man in the country would drag the name of his Father of the Nation to defend a disgraceful act of his parliamentarian.
The point is pure and simple. Forging papers is a matter of fraud under PPC . The number of parliamentarians from all sides of the divide who are involved in this act of defrauding is astonishing. It was not a few who forged degrees but a massive number of them. . The most astonishing thing is that the constituents of a defrauding member re elected him after he resigned on the charge of having a fake degree , He sought re-election His CFonstituent said who cares for matters of morality. . This speaks volume how in a wadera culture people dismiss matters of conscience easily. Imagine so many fraudulent persons sitting as legislators. For people who came from across the border the question is will such disrespect for moral and legal responsibilities remain a fixture of Pakistan’s politics. .
About terrorism at Data Durbar. It seems the matter has been viewed in a stereotype version- attack of terrorism by Taleban and so forth. First it should be viewed in a new angle. No Muslim would think of attacking Data Durbar, because of love for the shrine of that great Saint whose devotees run in millions and millions. No real Lahori can do that , nor generally a Pathan or Pakhtun who also traditionally respect the Saints. It can be an act of some one who does not respect the Saints, the symbol of service and love who won hearts of devotees of other religions also. If at all, if a Muslim did it , it can be one who believes that respecting the grave of saints is “shirk” if it was any local or Pakistani involved in this sacrilege. Any normal Muslim would think of the wrath of Allah that would descend upon his family and progenies. Even few Hindus or Sikhs would attempt it, but it cannot be ruled out.
Second the main target of a certain saboteurs or terrorists is Lahore itself. Have it escaped the attention of our experts that terrorist acts of a certain kind of saboteurs are targetlng Lahore. I shudder to think that the Badshahi Mosque, the Shalimar Gardens, the Lahore Fort, and such symbols of Lahore are next on nthe list of such saboteurs who want to destroy Lahore, the cultural historic, hearty of Pakistan. Is it not Lahore which they want to destroy or Lahore’s eminence in the North . Otherwise, why is it always some main place in Lahore which is their target?
Third I am inclined to think that the acts of terrorism in the Pakhtun belt are committed by one kind of terrorists and in Lahore by a different kind of saboteurs-terrorist. The aim of the two is very different. In the Tribal belt it is part of reaction to the American Afghan operations. In Lahore it is of a different kind of saboteurs. It seems to me that this angle has escaped our authorities. Who? Is a task for our “intelligence” to detect.
I was Pak Ambassador to Lebanon during the worst days of Civil War and Palestinian –Israeli conflict. There I learnt that normally the “operations” never took place on the spur of the moment. They were meticulously preplanned for about a month in advance, target was selected , every detail was examined etc, and then the ooeration was launched. So I am inclined to feel is the case for terrorist/saboteur operations in Pakistan particularly in Lahore. Even if it took fifteen days to work out the operation, how it is that our police and intelligence remain unaware of the operations being planned. In Yew York they know right away the Time Square planned terrorist operation and in Pakistan we are always found sleeping each time. .Why? Our intelligence and police are very vigilant otherwise. How come in the case of operations in Lahore they never know in advance what is cooking.
Is it time to adopt Emperor Ala uddin Khilji’s policy of maintaining peace in his Empire. Ala uddin Khilji ruled from 1296 to1316 and was a ruthless ruler. He would hold the Police incharge of the area responsible for any case of lawlessness personally and immediately dismiss him from his post for letting lawlessness in his jurisdiction. Administration must be ruthless in rubbing out terrorism by dismissing police and intelligence of that area right away. Shahbaz Sharif is a vigilant administration and can be ruthless. He should act decisively in such situation First dismissing the police officers of that post and then holding a detailed post morteum of the incident. It does not seem that any post morteum of the event is held thoroughly. It is hyigh time it is done.
The fact that the cases of fake degrees have attracted so much attention indicates that the public has considered it as a matter a shame resented that the incident of fraud be so spread among those who are supposed to be the symbol of national conscience . At issue is the question of indulging in dishonesty and defrauding by those who are supposed to be the symbol of rectitude of the country.. As the magnitude of the problem of fake degree is becoming known , it is obvious that there had been an epidemic of faking degrees to become eligible for election when this condition was in force. It remains to be seen how many of these great fixers are waderas. It is doubtful if any one of them is from the poor The interesting thing is that there is no feeling of remorse over their defrauding either in the Government at the highest level nor among the concerned persons . Funny and unacceptable explanations are being paraded by those who should be the conscience keeper of the nation. . .
I recall that during my posting in Canada a very prestigious journal had come out with a story “Ph( oney) D.” about a teacher in a university who was employed for teaching mathematics on the basis of this false degree showing him as Ph D in mathematics. He was dismissed with disgrace on this fraud. .But that was Canada and this is Pakistan; the difference between the standards of public morality of the two countries is vast..
The Government is cock eyed and is giving cock and bull unconvincing explanations in support of this malpractice. One wonders whether in their hearts of heart the government leaders believe in the words they utter. This is a highly disgraceful situation for Pakistan . To acknowledge one’s mistake happens only in Western countries or some countries in Asia. . In Japan the personal sense of honour is so great that the accused commits suicide for losing his face.. I remember that when I was in Tokyo on my posting there the fire chief committed suicide because a massive fire in certain part of Tokyo had destroyed vast area. He was the final head of Fire Brigades in Tokyo . He felt ashamed that his organization could not extinguish the fire and caused such loss of life and property..,
It is astonishing what alif Liala type explanations are being given for the phenomena of these fake degrees.. Imagine the Chief Minister of Baluchistan saying that a degree is a degree false or real Can one say A bank note is a bank note fake or real? But would he start employing officials in the government on production of fake degree. At the highest level even the name of the Father of the Nation was dragged in to compare the faker of degrees with the Quaid allegedly that if they were not degree holder so what the Quaid too was not a degree holder. . The issue was not holding a BA degree but faking a degree by the current defrauding Pakistani politicians.. Incidentally the Quaid was a Bar at Law , same as Nehru was, same as Gandhiji was , same as Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru the top legal luminary of his time had and . many top Indian lawyers had.. Bar at Law in those colonial days was esteemed higher than an LL B . It was considered as equivalent to a degree and the Quaid became one of the most famous lawyers of the subcontinent in his time. No one could even think of dragging the Quaid’s name in a matter of fraud. No where any top man in the country would drag the name of his Father of the Nation to defend a disgraceful act of his parliamentarian.
The point is pure and simple. Forging papers is a matter of fraud under PPC . The number of parliamentarians from all sides of the divide who are involved in this act of defrauding is astonishing. It was not a few who forged degrees but a massive number of them. . The most astonishing thing is that the constituents of a defrauding member re elected him after he resigned on the charge of having a fake degree , He sought re-election His CFonstituent said who cares for matters of morality. . This speaks volume how in a wadera culture people dismiss matters of conscience easily. Imagine so many fraudulent persons sitting as legislators. For people who came from across the border the question is will such disrespect for moral and legal responsibilities remain a fixture of Pakistan’s politics. .
About terrorism at Data Durbar. It seems the matter has been viewed in a stereotype version- attack of terrorism by Taleban and so forth. First it should be viewed in a new angle. No Muslim would think of attacking Data Durbar, because of love for the shrine of that great Saint whose devotees run in millions and millions. No real Lahori can do that , nor generally a Pathan or Pakhtun who also traditionally respect the Saints. It can be an act of some one who does not respect the Saints, the symbol of service and love who won hearts of devotees of other religions also. If at all, if a Muslim did it , it can be one who believes that respecting the grave of saints is “shirk” if it was any local or Pakistani involved in this sacrilege. Any normal Muslim would think of the wrath of Allah that would descend upon his family and progenies. Even few Hindus or Sikhs would attempt it, but it cannot be ruled out.
Second the main target of a certain saboteurs or terrorists is Lahore itself. Have it escaped the attention of our experts that terrorist acts of a certain kind of saboteurs are targetlng Lahore. I shudder to think that the Badshahi Mosque, the Shalimar Gardens, the Lahore Fort, and such symbols of Lahore are next on nthe list of such saboteurs who want to destroy Lahore, the cultural historic, hearty of Pakistan. Is it not Lahore which they want to destroy or Lahore’s eminence in the North . Otherwise, why is it always some main place in Lahore which is their target?
Third I am inclined to think that the acts of terrorism in the Pakhtun belt are committed by one kind of terrorists and in Lahore by a different kind of saboteurs-terrorist. The aim of the two is very different. In the Tribal belt it is part of reaction to the American Afghan operations. In Lahore it is of a different kind of saboteurs. It seems to me that this angle has escaped our authorities. Who? Is a task for our “intelligence” to detect.
I was Pak Ambassador to Lebanon during the worst days of Civil War and Palestinian –Israeli conflict. There I learnt that normally the “operations” never took place on the spur of the moment. They were meticulously preplanned for about a month in advance, target was selected , every detail was examined etc, and then the ooeration was launched. So I am inclined to feel is the case for terrorist/saboteur operations in Pakistan particularly in Lahore. Even if it took fifteen days to work out the operation, how it is that our police and intelligence remain unaware of the operations being planned. In Yew York they know right away the Time Square planned terrorist operation and in Pakistan we are always found sleeping each time. .Why? Our intelligence and police are very vigilant otherwise. How come in the case of operations in Lahore they never know in advance what is cooking.
Is it time to adopt Emperor Ala uddin Khilji’s policy of maintaining peace in his Empire. Ala uddin Khilji ruled from 1296 to1316 and was a ruthless ruler. He would hold the Police incharge of the area responsible for any case of lawlessness personally and immediately dismiss him from his post for letting lawlessness in his jurisdiction. Administration must be ruthless in rubbing out terrorism by dismissing police and intelligence of that area right away. Shahbaz Sharif is a vigilant administration and can be ruthless. He should act decisively in such situation First dismissing the police officers of that post and then holding a detailed post morteum of the incident. It does not seem that any post morteum of the event is held thoroughly. It is hyigh time it is done.
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