STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan
One learns a lot from rustic wisdom. The tale of a dog in a well represents futility of corrective action when the original sin persists. A dog fell into the village well and the water drawn from it smelled foul. Villagers went to the local Imam for a solution. He decreed to draw 600 buckets and the smell will disappear. It was enthusiastically carried out, yet the problem persisted. Imam insisted on repeating the act; yet after multiple attempts the smell did not go away. Tired, the villagers approached a wise elder for help. After a site visit, the elder assembled the villagers and told them “Idiots nothing will change till you get the dog out!” This anecdote truly represents what is happening in Pakistancurrently.
We are slipping deeper and deeper into a quagmire sincelast thirty months. It culminated in the Supreme Court decision legalizing corruption for a second time. The first time, it was done through judgement on NAB amendments that legalized money laundering and setting free looters of national exchequer. In this decision, CJ Qazi permitted that floor crossers’ votes can be counted. He legalized horse trading of Parliamentarians to the highest bidder or those that wield the biggest stick. CJ Isa is the biggest manipulator and himself the biggest beneficiary.
Look at the irony of the situation. PML(N) won between 17 to 22 seats in National Assembly. Now they control 213 seats. That is a multiplier of ten. The gap they seek to overcome for 2/3rd majority is 10 seats. They seek to achieve it by either arm-wrestling Maulana Fazal and get some renegades of PTI. Their objective is passingConstitutional Amendments to kill nascent democracy and pave the way for a decade of General Asim Muneer’s dictatorial rule. The partners in crime will be rewarded by extending Qazi’s absolute control of judiciary for three years. The other major partner, ECP Raja, will get a similar extension. Pakistan is headed for its darkest days ever.
The conductor of this orchestra is sitting pretty in the GHQ in Rawalpindi along with his crony generals. Since the takeover by the army in 1958, the levers of governance in Pakistan have been taken over one by one like an octopus spreading its tentacles. Army has the greatest number of guns; they are the biggest financial empire and the most coercive intelligence network. They require a compliant judiciary and a tame parliament to achieve total domination and control the destiny of this nation.
The English proverb “one bad fish can spoil the pond” has proved to be true in case Pakistan’s Judiciary. This evil incarnate is personified in Qazi Faez Isa. Ever since the cash injection he received from Sharifs for his services in Hodaibiyah Paper Mills case, his subservience to Nawaz is complete. It translated into London flats and the money laundering associated with it through his wife Serena aka Zarina. Till then Qazi J displayed an independent streak at times bordering on defiance of Establishment. His decision on TTP dharna was his claim to fame. The next twist in his life occurred, as claimed by Barrister Shahzad Akbar, when Qazi was hospitalized for Covid during the pendency of reference against him. His meetings with MI honchos led to closure of proceeding against him and his wife in an open and shut case. His subservience expanded to include uniformed bosses. Since then, he lives and breathes to serve his two masters. His entire conduct revolves around furthering his bosses’ agenda, justice be damned.
The present Parliament is a product of most deplorable vote rigging facilitated by the 3rd member of the “gang of three”, ECP Raja. He was provided an “Iron Dome” cover of judicial protection by CJ Qazi like the one provided by USA and NATO to Israel to shoot down aggressors entering its airspace. All ECP’s illegal actions have been ratified. This entire process has been exposed to the world through brave social media challengers of status quo and bold and unflinching stand taken by Imran Khan.
These 30 months of abuse, torture, kidnapping and cruelty are about to reach their climax through Amendments to Constitution that will eliminate freedom, judicial independence and give extensions to “Gang of Three”. “Fauji Tout” Bilawal is pretending to lead this effort. He is a legless dog trying to stay relevant.
Those sitting atop the power pyramid have one weapon; brute force enforced by a narrow base of police and paramilitary force. Confrontation between Army and public will be apocalyptic. This is no match to the pent–up anger and resentment built over 30 months of cruelty. Theresistance has converted into “Azadi Ke Jang”, a freedom movement. The masses are prepared to offer the ultimate sacrifice based on their belief. Fear has evaporated and morphed into a determination rarely displayed on the streets of Pakistan.
The tsunami of an irresistible struggle has gained momentum and brutal suppression will only fuel this movement. Pakistanis have risen to the call of IK “La ilaha ill lal la” and broken their shackles. Scenes from D Chowk Islamabad is just the beginning. All the shenanigans by manipulative backroom players will be defeated by popular will. Mohsin Naqvi flying around in a helicopter must gather enough fuel to flee the country before it is too late along with the “gang of three” and their political lackeys.
