STRAIGHT TALK by Hafeez Khan
Nawaz Sharif’s time in court approximately 30 minutes; Imran Khan 3 months and counting. Nawaz was granted preemptive bail without appearance or any formalities; IKwas ordered to appear in person and get biometrics. Nawaz is given immediate relief while Imran is languishing in jail. Red carpet rolled out for Nawaz with NAB personnel cowering in the corner, Imran declared persona non grata and biggest criminal for crimes he never committed. The same Judge is giving diametrically opposed decisions for the two former Prime Ministers. The list goes on.
It is becoming clearly evident that the entire system has been hijacked to serve and protect the crooks. Those seeking the righteous path are to be eliminated at all cost. It is a sad day for Pakistan. I remember the respect and awe that surrounded the Judiciary. The Judges would isolate themselves and were unapproachable. There were some bad apples, but they were few and far apart. Judges’personal beliefs would not mar fairness emanating from their decisions. As a young man opposed to Bhutto’s regime, I was at the receiving end of his Government’s ire. Despite his despotic rule and at time ruthless suppression,we got relief from the High Courts. It gave us faith in the system.
Unfortunately that is eroding at an accelerated pace. The downward drift is snow balling with each passing day. Islamabad High Court has become the epicenter of this national disaster. Dual standards and unequal treatment have become the order of the day. People are losing faith in the entire judicial system. Loss of credibility is leading to Pakistanis losing faith in the system of justice. A nation is bound together by its institutions that manage the affairs of governance. One by one these institutions are being dismantled to pave the path of kleptocratic rulers.
Kleptocracy is defined as a government whose corrupt leaders use political power to steal the wealth of the people and land they govern, typically by embezzling or misappropriating government funds at the expense of the wider population. Is this not the perfect description of the Sharif family? Ever since their launch by a crafty dictator in the eighties, Sharifs have led the path of undoing the moral fiber of this nation. Being the product of martial law,they grew in political stature under the protective umbrella of the army.
There is a traditional alliance between the right wing Islamists groups and the army. Both use each other in furtherance of their own agendas. Within this grouping is a powerful segment of media which promotes their image building propaganda. The Sharifs were its beneficiaries and were able expand their popularity and acceptance amongst the masses. As their base grew so did their wealth; the primary objective of coming into politics. As this sapling grew into a full-fledged tree under the guidance of their patriarch Mian Sharif, they increased their entrenchment by penetrating the bureaucracy, police and judiciary. Their sole criterion was personal loyalty; competence or honesty was never their yardstick.
As protégés of the army who had developed deep tentacles and achieved public support, Nawaz Sharif started to take on his own mentors in the army. He was able to assert with some army chiefs till he met his match in Musharraf. At that point the Sharifs had reached the pinnacle of their power by winning a two third majority. Their attempt to remove General Musharraf and appoint a lackey blew up in their face. They were unceremoniously booted out and Nawaz was locked up. For a leader who has no conviction or belief, being incarcerated is living hell. He maneuvered and begged his way into exile.
The same cycle was repeated in 2018. This time around Sharifs have wizened. These Kleptocrats bought protection from the uniforms. This was embodied in what is termed as “the London Plan.” Together they have become a lethal combination. The only impediment in their way is Imran Khan who has won the hearts and minds of the Pakistanis and refuses to submit to these forces of evils.
Ever since IK was removed from power in April 2022, every weapon has been deployed against him by the establishment. With the failure of each attempt, their viciousness has grown. In this age of social media this axis of evil got exposed each time, further ruining their reputation and solidifying the support of masses for IK.
Despite being rejected by the popular will, various phases of London Plan continue to unfold. Now their Honcho Nawaz is back in town. Despite his lackluster, much hyped event in Lahore, Nawaz is strutting around as a peacock.He is relishing a PM’s protocol. His conviction is being peeled off by Islamabad High Court. It is height of hypocrisy and discrimination based on directions of remote controllers sitting in Pindi. While this two tier system of justice is corroding our guts, alarm bells are going off within the other contenders of power.
PPP, Fazal and other PDM partners are being left high and dry. They have been squeezed out of the power game. If they want to stay as contenders, they have to adopt the PTI’s stand for a free and fair election giving everyone a level playing field. The time window is small. Political minds who want to save democracy and foil the design of this axis of evil must come out into the open. The choice is simple – a fascist rule of kleptocrats or a democratic Pakistan based on Constitution.
