Articles of the year 2010
Published on May 29th, 2010
It is truly sad that the Pakistani leadership is always surrounded by sycophants that swarm around the new office bearer immediately after the swearing in, even as the ink is drying on the notification. While the nation waits eagerly for signs of change in their destiny, all the promises of a better future are relegated to a backburner, and an immediate priority is assigned to the protection of the leader from an attack from any direction.
In almost all instances if no threat exists, as is normal, for the leader is surrounded by the halo of a victory and the thousands delirious, happy supporters. Even before this euphoria subsides, the defenders spring into action, and the threats are perceived, correlated and then magnified till the subject leader is cocooned in a bubble impregnable from any outside element. Like Zardari, who had not ventured out of the Presidency, not even to his late wife's grave. This also serves to isolate the leader from any sensible advice. Sensible is immediately translated into anti, and banished from ever being mentioned again.
In this manner our leadership in his cocoon is isolated, and sealed (for his own good) by the faithful loyalists. He will soon be anointed a Quaid and his name taken with a certain reverence, complete silence will prevail, while the newly named Quaid holds forth.
The loyalists are falling over each other in claiming their loyalty, professing "over my dead body" to anyone, that may dare challenge the leader. It remains to be seen how this following of sycophants, following their instinct of "leader preservation" performs its most insidious function of sidetracking of the leader from functioning as a true leader of the people; he is forced to concentrate on his self and the threats thereto. While the country swelters, without water or electricity; while our soldiers are fighting against a brutal enemy that is bent upon undermining our state; and while our poor are facing hunger, and our factories shutting down for want of power - increasing the already rampant unemployment. None of these issues are considered important enough for the consideration of our cocooned President, who is being given briefings on the latest threats to his office.
This is so reminiscent of days gone by when the sycophants convinced Nawaz that Pakistan could not survive without his assuming the position of Amirul Momineen. However, these sycophantic highs were not enough to prevent an army takeover with ignominious results all round.
The sycophants retired into the woodwork but have now appeared on the political stage and have created the Supreme Court of Pakistan into an adversary. It is so unfortunate that a country that is bedevilled by so many troubles can now be attacking its own organs of state. There is no need for this confrontation, between the Supreme Court and the Presidency.
Far better for the Presidency is to bow before the Supreme Court than to have the Pakistani public witness the likes of Rehman Malik elevated to becoming a cause célèbre, a most unlikely candidate for rocking a government, let alone be the cause of its downfall. Far better for him is to be sent abroad - out of the way. The State of Pakistan is the only country we have, and is certainly too important to be jeopardised over such people, nor is the Supreme Court to be threatened by the likes of Babar Awan. These two gentlemen are not worthy of being able to create a crisis of such great magnitude. The Presidency must distance itself from these two, who have managed to create these crisis for Pakistan, something we do not need.
This is indeed the first time that we have a Supreme Court that is independent, and this independence was hard won from a military dictator. And that too by an uprising by the people of Pakistan in support of a free judiciary, whose freedom has been dreamed of by Pakistanis ever since Justice Munir trampled on our constitution, repeated by many leaders after that.
Yes, the Presidency has been manoeuvred into a confrontation by enemies of the Federation. This standoff is created over two of the most unlikely actors, both have very serious allegations of bribery and corruption, against them. If the Presidency were to be gambled it should have been over more deserving causes.
The President would be better off getting rid of the sycophants, who are busy in finding a way to further beatify him, elevating him to a Quaid at least, causing serious cracks in the 'pillars of the state'.