Articles of the year 2020

Within Punjab, Sharif‘s privatized government-owned industries presented development oriented budgets to the military government. These policies raised financial capital and helped increase the standard of living and purchasing power in the province, which in turn improved law and order and extended Khan's rule.

This string of successes made Nawaz Sharif the logical choice for chief minister of Punjab. In this capacity, he positioned his people and quickly mastered the art of administrative control. What he lacked in formal education he made up with a tightly run administration. The richest and most productive province, Punjab, went from strength to strength and Nawaz Sharif also successfully commanded the support of the smaller provinces. He soon clashed with Benazir Bhutto over the prime minister ship of Pakistan. This period became famous for political infighting and horse-trading of lawmakers. The Changa Manga forest became notorious for hiding MPAs. Benazir and Nawaz were to be locked in a fearsome battle to the end.

At this point Nawaz started to spread his wings and to aim for the grabbing of power, and took on the chief of army staff, who he considered to be usurping the power of the civilian rulers. His next tussle was with General Jahangir Karamat who was forced to resign over a Russian tanks scandal when Nawaz threatened to go public. The adversary after this was Ghulam Ishaq Khan, the then President. In a reported showdown between President Ghulam Ishaq and Nawaz Sharif as prime minister, there was a standoff when Kakar, then COAS, reportedly hit the table with his swagger stick and told them both to resign to break this impasse. In his Mughal emperor mode, he gifted the traffic rights for the northern areas to Emirates and Qatar Airways, while stating that they were fellow rulers. This destroyed the future of PIA. And it also created two monster carriers that were impossible for PIA to compete with.

Nawaz Sharif had initiated the fight with the President and succeeded in winning the battle, thus emerging as the undisputed politician of Pakistan. He next turned to the Supreme Court where some unruly party workers stormed into the Supreme Court, forcing Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah to remove the finding of contempt against Sharif. He engineered the attack on the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Chief Justice Sajad Ali Shah, and the other judges had to run for their lives.

Not content with this disgraceful display of mob rule he went on to send Justice Tarar to fly in the governor of Punjab plan to Quetta, with four crores in cash to pay the other two judges who were in session at Quetta. They then refused to serve under Sajjad Ali Shah and the rebellion was complete. Sajjad Ali Shah was forced to step down by his brother judges. This marked the darkest and most sleazy period for the judiciary of Pakistan. Justice Tarar was rewarded by being made president of Pakistan.

It is no wonder that the subsequent judgments of the judiciary of Pakistan have shown a strong bias and leniency towards the Sharifs. The superior court allowing Nawaz to proceed to UK for medical treatment while serving his unexpired jail sentence is to be viewed in the backdrop of the manipulation of the Sharifs showing their control of the judiciary. This bias and control is evident from the decision. The recent bail granted to Rana Sanaullah in the narcotics saga is yet another example of judicial bias. The judiciary is not only bent but is visibly bent. Pakistan is indeed doomed to being a failed state. Imran Khan cannot possibly prevail against such judicial might.

It also disproves that Benazir adage that democracy is the best revenge. Our politicians have shown that they are not only susceptible to corruption, but given the opportunity they became the chief architects and beneficiaries of this evil. Like Hitler and the Nazi party the Sharifs too, with Zardari’s support, have taken over Pakistan. It is quite apparent that real democracy, and the version practiced by politicians like the Sharifs and Zardari’s, cannot coexist. Pakistan must be rid of this cancerous evil.