Articles of the year 2015
Published on June 16th 2015
The latest diatribe by Dr Zulfiqar Mirza has certainly caught everyone’s attention. His onslaught on the MQM is not surprising, but may be confusing, as the Party co-chairman has telephoned Altaf and they have jointly announced that they will be part of the government of Sind. This announcement may not muzzle the fiery Dr Mirza, as he has made savage accusations against the MQM leadership, which have voiced the concerns of many rural Sindhis. So far the two ethnic groups are polarised, and the interaction is fractious, turning acrimonious every so often. Eventually both arrive at a non-harmonious settlement, which falls apart quickly, and the slanging starts again. We will have to wait and see whether this rift will heal and for how long.
What is even more serious is the impending trip to Karachi, of the COAS, and the PM Nawaz Sharif on Friday. Coming at a time when the MQM is facing multiple problems from the PTI, which has brought the Baldia Fire into focus, and the entire Nation is caught up in the horror of the crime. 256 people burned to death. The MQM is trying desperately to deflect the anger of the people. The complete political spectrum has joined in speaking against the crime, and the JIT report is being attacked by the MQM supporters. This matter is coming to a head on Friday, and the COAS, and the PM will have to decide on the course of action. As the JIT report has been prepared by a joint Investigation team, whose members are undeniably above reproach, the decion by the COAS and the PM will have far reaching consequences, certainly the future of th MQM at the very least.
If the further investigations lead to the implication of senior members of the MQM then the party may well have to overhaul itself, or it will bring down the wrath of the Military and Civil officialdom combined. This may be too much for the Party to bear. This is the first time in our history that the Civilian Government, and the Army find themselves on the same page, and the same line together, and that too over an outrageous incident that was being swept under the carpet. Their decision will be observed by the entire Nation, and will decide the future of Pakistan. Will we be able to run a country free from blackmail and threats.? Will the findings of the JIT be honoured by punishment to the perpetrators? Can the Civ-military group that has come together under such unfortunate circumstances, rise up out of the disgraceful decade of running a country where crime and corruption worked to destroy the hopes and future of an entire people. Where votes were obtained on hollow promises as a stepping stone to loot and plunder with impunity. Is this the future that we wish for our children? We will soon see which direction the joint team gives us. The wrong decision, or one that is biased will disappoint the nation and bring the wrong guidelines for building a strong Nation. These two leaders bear a huge responsibility for the charting of a new course. We have suffered too long under groups of politicians that have continued their rule of corruption, to make illegal money at the cost of the Nation. This has cost the country considerably in future and present revenues, and opportunities. No investor would invest in a crooked market.
That is why the last two decades have seen a slump in investment, and a flight of capital. The conditions in Karachi are directly responsible for the establishment of the Bangladeshi textile Industry. Not only have our machines been relocated to Bangladesh, but our Spinning and Weaving masters, and our Managers, who have learned in Pakistan- and have made Pakistan a force in the Textile world, ar now our own biggest competitors. All this is due to our politicians allowing corruption to take a place in our political parties, and to then use this influence to drive merit out, and threats and extortion to rule, removing the simple hardworking people out of business. The job of the politician is to chart the future of the nation, not to destroy the future. For the last two decades, we have seen a reversal of the fortunes of Pakistan. Whilst our neighbours have progressed, we have retrogressed. And our politicians have reaped the riches of their corruption. The politicians have also succeeded in alienating the entire country who now regret having voted them into office. Nawaz Shows his contempt for the office by not showing up, leaving his deputy PM Chaudri Nisar to attend the assembly on his behalf. Asif Zardari prefers to run the PPP from his Bilawal House bunker, with most of the wheeling and dealing being done by his sister Ferial. He has admitted that his only asset was that he married well.
A note of discord has been heard in the Punjab political circles. And that is that over the last twenty months the Cabinet Minister have not been able to meet the PM, and the PM communicates through his Kitchen cabinet of four members. The upshot is that for the Senate vote, the hitherto ignored members of the Assemblies are about to retaliate, and may insist on getting their ‘say’ for they have tolerated for some time the abuse from their constituents, who are not getting their work done, and are being ignored by the PM and his staff. They are being told in no uncertain terms that they can forget being returned in another election. The PM himself is oblivious of his present loss of the once solid vote bank, having been assured by the surrounding sycophants, that he is still way ahead. Many analysts are sure otherwise. The Assemblies are a farce, and the elections were rigged as claimed by Imran, but with MNAs realizing that they have been suckered into a toothless assembly where they have no importance whatsoever, they feel they have been shortchanged. They might get a better deal from Imran, who is on the prowl. Difficult times are ahead.