Malik M Aslam Awan
EXORBITANT stress on narratives, make the people
believe that this is the last and final reverberation
and it is not only echoing but would be endeavoured hard to be materialized. But when same narrative is suddenly thrown into the deep ocean and U-turn is taken, then the high hopes of the people suddenly smash down and pyramids of immacalation of the personality falls deep down in stark darkness. Prime Minister Imran Khan during his struggle for entry in the power corridors and wear the crown, frequently repeated and exerted in the minds of the people that he has unflinching faith that the progress of the State lies in the fact, to struggle hard to extinguish corruption. People rightly realized that Imran Khan is shrilling sound and his narrative is based on the crystal clear fact. No doubt corruption is the root cause of the weak economy of the country, cliques of bureaucrats have squandered the national exchequer mercilessly and the looted money has been laundered to Switzerland, the UK and USA, etc.
People of Pakistan are shrewd and sane enough to smack to the right corner to have a clear idea of burning spot. A large segment of society has now learnt a lot from the politicians of the country and one is right in formulation of a thought that the politicians are the teachers, who have taught the masses and let them know and learn by heart, they should never have a faith and trust in them. They must believe that the promises and narratives of politicians have a fragile entity. People often question and assert their opinion that there is a large number of old and aged politicians in the ranks of PTI who have for long exploited the country’s resources especially during Musharraf regime. But when they find that merciless accountability slogan has vanished to ashes, they get disappointed and feel ashamed at their wisdom to trust a series of politicians who made a breach in their trust and let them wander aimlessly.
During and after elections intellectuals often discussed and murmured that it would be first time that a leader is asserting to the nation to repose their confidence in his integrity and a trail of promises. Masses had themselves made them believe that this time will surely be a “Nayya Pakistan”, they will happen to see the dawn of a new era, but all the promises, slogans, assertions, narratives came down on earth with a bang. Not even a single portfolio holder has faced accountability process in proper sense of accountability. To put the PPP leaders and PML (N) stalwarts on fire is not a purified accountability. Big wigs of PTI must face the stern accountability because the Constitution and law of the land both cohort that every citizen of Pakistan is equal in the eyes of law and every guilty person who has ill-gotten money and assets beyond known sources must be driven mercilessly within the ambit and clutches of law.
The pyramids of wealth abroad or in the country is required to be driven back to national exchequer and there should not be even an iota of doubt and discrimination in the due course of accountability and the due course of blind law knows no bounds, no identity, whether the personality in front of law is wearing a blanket of PTI or else one. People are fully aware of the glaring fact that the recourse to U-Turns reverberate the journey back to zero point and since 1947 we resorted to so may U-Turns that we are still standing at zero point, while China getting freedom after Pakistan has travelled to the destination of being the world’s biggest economy and it is certainly due to sincere, devoted, dedicated vision and honest leadership, having not resorting to even a single U-Turn and indiscriminate blind accountability, knowing no personalities but only the due course of law in operation and efficacy in promulgation.
Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah adopted a clear-cut vision of two-nation theory and once taken the stance remained firm like a rock on it because he had transparent vision to imbibe the lesson from the Muslim history that Hindus and Muslims are totally two different nations having different religions, customs and traditions. He was well taught and aware that the stance once taken, if get back, get lost its efficacy. U-Turn is an ample testimony to the fact that the narrative was built in haste and without due deliberation and is unwarranted and unjustified. Sorrowfully we had to witness that a host of narratives exhibited and cohered by PML(N) supremo Nawaz Sharif had to see the same fate as that of PTI big-wigs and the smash of “Vote Ko Izzet Do” loomed on the horizon of politics as air crash in the extension moot point of Army Chief, which had greatly disturbed the sentiments of PML(N) staunch supporters.
—The writer is a freelance columnist and independent analyst based in Lahore.
