Dr Mehmood-ul-Hassan Khan
UNFORTUNATELY, the so-called Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) an anti-government alliance is playing with fire in the country by making controversial our primer intelligence agency ISI and Pakistan Army (PA) by the sake of their own vested interests confine only to self-refuge because of its massive corruption, dishonesty, malpractices, misuse of official powers and last but not the least, self-glorification. Obsession of power and lust of uncontrolled corruption and corrupt practices have put them in a chain of divergent ideas, mechanisms and mode of operations wherein everyone is seeking refuge, salvage and, of course, protection from the irony hands of accountability and courts of the land by trumpeting so-called democracy. They should keep in their minds that pure democracy stands for development not destruction, community development not political conspiracy and decency not indecency. It stands for hope not for horrendous crimes against society and common people alike by promoting bribes and venality. Democracy upholds purity of the law and does not support any extra judicial mantra. But in case of most of the political parties now sitting in opposition benches for their political survival and protection of vested interests have even polluted basic cores of social, moral and political norms in the country.
A series of rotary speeches, irrational statements, out of the context comparison and untrue, speculative and baseless media campaigns against national strategic assets like Pakistan Army & ISI, nothing but leading towards total failure of the political system. So-called religious clergy are now trying to poison souls and minds of the common people to fulfil its own personal agenda because Islam prohibits chaos, uncertainty, disintegration and unrest in the society. Society has already been polarized and any further polarization on the basis of faiths and rituals may be fatal for the country. In modern civilization of the humanity and evolution of a strong, stable and sustainable political system the holy concept of national security plays very important role. Its paradox and self-defined and self-inserted definitions pertaining to supremacy of the law, functionality of the democracy and basic necessities of human rights may lead towards unavoidable conflicting realities and directions. But in the mad race of political rebirth and envy of rule has transformed the combined opposition now PDM a miserable proposition which is good for nothing and will achieve total disaster.
Political heat is on which is burning the souls of common people who are confronting with abnormal increase of prices and utility bills. Ironically, the PDM leadership has crossed all limits and compare political absconders with late Sayyid Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini. Indeed it has no comparison. One represents league of corrupt deeds and other a holy personality, spent his whole life away from corruption without seeking any monetary gains or financial bounties. Sadly, so-called pseudo intellectuals and loyal puppets to royal Sharifs make a false comparison between Hazart Fatima Zahra and mediocre Maryam Nawaz Sharif, once is the apex of divinity and simplicity and other the belongs to political corrupt deity. While addressing a ceremony organised by the Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF) in Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran Khan said PML-N leader former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had not pleasant working relations with Pakistan Army because he desired to turn the military into Punjab police. While mocking former Prime Minister Nawaz he termed his recent attacks on army and ISI as anti-state and pro-India. He added that if the Pakistani military was weakened, the country would see similar turbulence as in other Muslim countries such as Libya, Syria and Yemen.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Imran Khan also jeered at PML-N leader Mohammad Zubair comparing Nawaz’s life abroad to the time spent in exile by Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, saying while Khomeini was sent abroad by force Nawaz had gone abroad after his party’s repeated pleas regarding his health. The Iranian public showed great respect and love to Ayatollah Khomeini; when he left the world he had a small house he and his children did not have palaces and luxury properties worth billions in London. He said the opposition had tried to blackmail the government over the passage of legislation concerning the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and now wanted to oust the government because the country was emerging out of crisis. So tit-for-tat is on and common people are at receiving end, alas democracy is in free fall. On his part, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said that the Pakistan Army continued to support the government, whenever asked, according to the guidelines of the Constitution and the law. He added that the army would continue to support the government and “defend our democratic values to the hilt. It showed Pakistan Army unconditional support to the government without having any political motives and personal agenda. With the announcement of the PDM anti-government rallies, battle lines are now being drawn between the opposition and the ruling party. The opposition-led alliance has chosen Gujranwala, the bastion of PML-N’s support base, as the venue for its first gathering on October 16th.
Pakistan Army is a professional organization with unity of command which should not be dragged into the national politics anymore. Politics is the art of impossibilities which should not be hostage of personal inflexibilities and gratifications too. On its part, the army has attempted to distance itself from politics through the ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations), it seems both the opposition and the federal government cannot help but mention the defence forces during their daily verbal spats and sessions. It is feared that this cat and mouse dirty blame game can cost the country dearly. Opposition’s alleged blaming to primer intelligence agency may be counterproductive and hence dangerous.
Rule of law and institutionalization of social justice is the real essence of democracy. Whereas, unfortunately, Pakistan’s democracy has been hostage of families and dynastic oriented thus violated basic concept of democracy i.e. equality and tranquillity with certain checks & balances and separation of powers. Personalities have been holier than the system itself ultimately resultant of formation of personal dynasties instead of pure democratic political parties in the country.
Corruption is anti-development, anti-social harmony and even anti-human because its sucks basic funds and resources of the government to be used for welfare of the common people and community development. Unbridled practices and deeds of corruption have already produced serious dints to national treasury and its capacity building ability which needs to be ratified as soon as possible. Political mocking, juggleries and mere enmity may be fatal for the socio-economic prosperity and political stability of the country and its system too. Real democracy surely holds by the common people living in huts, small mudded houses, cemented rented homes and not in big palaces. Real political leadership stand first and suffer long for the revival of democracy and not for its own personal political and financial vested interests. Political fugitives should immediately come to Pakistan and face all judicial proceedings and should not seek any concession or refuge by blaming sensitive institutions of the country.
—The writer is Director, Geopolitics/Economics Member Board of Experts, CGSS.
