Articles of the year 2015
Published on June 16th 2015
The Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif has visions as the architect of a grand and vibrant Pakistan. His building of a network of roads is commendable, and is correctly considered the bedrock for any dynamic Nation. So far so good. The dreams of a historic legacy to be remembered, must look at the next step. Any leader once having attained the Seat of power must look at the future realistically.
A rereading of Machiavelli might be considered relevant and important at this stage. The salient feature would be the famous line ” having obtained power one must remove those who helped you gain power.” This is probably the single most important line in the entire book. Nawaz must now cast aside the ‘ Charter of Democracy’, for it brings with it the toxic company of the corrupt PPP party. Which has proven itself on a suicidal mission, and has seen itself dropping from the premier party of Pakistan to a miserable last position, and from a national party to a purely provincial one. The chances of recovery are remote, even if radical surgery is done on the obviously corrupt and inept officers. It is obvious that Zardari has no intention of correcting himself, and will continue to hawk his wife’s memory in an effort to cling on to power. This memory though powerful, is also dangerous, for the public are now stating that she was good, and he is evil. Zardari and his sister Farial are being tarred with the same brush.
Nawaz Sharif must decide quickly whether he will stand on the side of a bright future, or will he go down as the cohort of a bogus Charter of Democracy. Nawaz’s misplaced sense of loyalty should be readjusted to reality, and an example would be Benazir herself, who in similar circumstances would have coyly remarked after her ridding herself of the PMLN that new realities need new directions. “We cannot continue in this vein, our paths are dissimilar, and I must go my own way.” After taking power she would have unleashed a witch hunt to destroy the Sharif family, and with it the PMLN. For Nawaz Sharif to continue to support a hopeless partner in Sind threatens to take down the majority partner, the PMLN itself. In politics there are no permanent friends, and so Nawaz Sharif must realize that the parting of the ways is at hand. The National cry for accountability is becoming more strident, and Nawaz must heed this call lest he be tarnished with the same brush, and be swept aside by the wave that is building.
The anti-corruption cry, will not brook any past affiliations, or acknowledge debts owed, it will insist on a cleansing, and the most important and corrupt person is the leadership of the PPP which must happen soon, if the PMLN is to survive the oncoming onslaught.
The most important point is the effect on the economy and the future of Pakistan. The people will not be satisfied with little red busses. They want an improvement in their lives. They want to see Karachi bustling with life, throbbing with vitality, not empty factories with machines gathering rust. The power sector, with massive load shedding despite the slogans of six months and three months, now the Power Minister talks of three years. The PMLN should realize that with the power shortage is the water shortage, as both are interlinked, and both affect the daily lives of people. If the PMLN cannot make improvements in these two sectors, then they may go the way of the PPP, into political oblivion. This may happen by the induction of the third force ie Imran Khan, who will heed the call of the people, and will have a ruthless accountability. Much to the delight of the masses. This will be the birth of the New Pakistan. The PMLN must decide which direction it will take and when it should shed its bogus Charter of democracy.
The public does not wish to be fed placebos, that last only thirty days after people have voted, then waking up to the reality of having been cheated by the politicians yet again. It is time the Prime Minister wakes up, and realizes that little red buses will not relieve the masses from their living in the dark, unwashed and dirty. The Nawaz Sharif vision of a new Pakistan, must have a lot more than little red buses, and a grand Gwadar, which is ten years into the future.