Rayyan Baig
There was a time when those accumulating illicit money through illegal means, bribery and plundering etc were looked down upon by the society. They used to remain secluded in the society and people would distance themselves from them avoiding marrying their children in such families, even the children would avoid playing with their offspring. Slowly and gradually the ethics and norms weakened and materialism got infused into our society. Generally speaking, the desire to become rich became the norm disregarding the legitimacy of means and the society became insensitive to the bribery and grift, though the majority still abhors this trend. Unfortunately, those who became habitual started considering honest people as dull and asinine.
Over a period of time the dishonest people grew stronger and became a mafia. These unscrupulous folks formed a cartel to mutually guard each other’s interests. Slowly and gradually they moulded the system to suit their interests and infected the entire edifice. Those responsible to check them became their facilitators, rather accomplices, and any honest official daring to point his finger was made an example which served to scare others too. A few government officials who were supposed to prevent mall practices also made hey while the sun was shining.
The corruption became an art and surprisingly instead of feeling ashamed the corrupt became the standard bearers of ethics and norms and started lecturing others. The corrupt mafia made a strong netto mutually protect each other’s interests and targeted anyone daring to challenge them. The media, politicians and judiciary are the important pillars of a state who guard the interest of people and expose/ prevent corruption and ill practices in the society. Unfortunately, a few strong people in Pakistan rather use these pillars to protect their ill practices and corruption. If any politician is caught in corruption a hue and cry is made by this cartel and it is termed as an attack on the democracy. If a media person is caught in ill-practices it is termed as an attack on freedom of speech, similarly if anyone who is supposed to dispense justice is questioned about his source of income it is termed as an attack on judiciary. Surprisingly, otherwise rivals get together and come out in support of corrupt mafia.
The corruption impacts the lives of common people as the poverty in a country is proportionate to the level of corruption in the society.
There venue collected by the government goes from the pockets of every Pakistani including the poor who earn through their sweat. This money, and the one borrowed by the Government from the World bodies, is supposed to provide relief to people and take the country on the path to progress. The plundering of this money, in any shape and by anyone, is in fact plundering from the pockets of every Pakistani. Anyone committing said offence is culpable of crime against the entire nation and doesn’t deserve any mercy irrespective of his status and profession.
The quantum of wealth plundered by these “Artists of Theft” and stashed outside the country in Swiss Banks and in the form of expensive properties in UAE, UK, US, France and elsewhere early tells the magnitude of the suffering of Pakistanis. The nation needs to stand against all the “Wolfs in Sheep’s Clothing” and not get carried away by their coaxed narratives. If the sitting Caliph can be questioned by a common man about his shirt, then how can anyone claim to be treated as “Holly Cow”. All those who have plundered the public money need to be brought to the book irrespective of their status. Pakistan cannot progress till the time the corruption is routed out from the society by holding the THIEVES and bringing back the looted money to Pakistan.
