(Breathing space – October 10, 2007)

There is a lot of hoopla about the so-called National Reconciliation Ordinance whose acronym NRO is quite remarkably common with the US powerful agency called the National Reconnaissance Organisation. Now I do not understand why people are so flustered at the passage of this ordinance. We have even witnessed some of the leading liberals also condemning the law. I am sure the reason why many of the conscientious ones are against it is their weariness with Musharraf’s legacy of political summersaults and evident contradictions. Otherwise it is the most welcome development of the recent days, especially because it distances Musharraf from the opportunist political groups that were formed only by the rent-seeking political class to ensure its stay in power. We can then certainly understand why the Chaudhries of Gujrat, Farooq Leghari and other such folks appear so perturbed. But let’s face it.
(Article continues – Click here) Musharraf’s rule was quite tolerable until the elections of 2002. Pakistan Television (PTV) used to be relatively free, Musharraf approachable and open to new ideas. The same could be said about the federal cabinet and the government’s response to the openly expressed dissent. Then a coalition was built out of political traitors, who certainly were here to seek personal favours and power. This ensured that they would, instead of being answerable to the voters, be obsessed with staying in the general’s good books. Such a political situation was indeed a recipe to disaster. When mediocre non-leaders rise to the top, all they can do is to make hay and stay indulgent. The white collar corruption has been seen burgeoning at an unprecedented speed.
Those who think that it is unfair to forgive the follies of the past should rethink and reflect. In more civilised parts of the world when banks cannot recover the bad debts, they write them off in order to ensure the smooth functioning of the economy. Those who think that the alleged corruption of the 90s was seriously too humungous and that cases registered against the democratically-elected representatives were not at all politically-motivated, should open their eyes and face the truth. The democratically-elected governments of the time were not powerful enough and after the demise of General Ziaul Haq, the debts that we had incurred upon ourselves under the garb of the so-called Afghan jihad and whose beneficiary could be anyone but the state became visible owing to the Pressler Amendment and other such restrictions, as they no longer remained renewable. Likewise, even if there were some serious cases of corruption in those innocent years, they were nothing compared to the crafty ways of the corrupt today. If you think that the horses of politicians have stopped eating fruits, then you should kindly pay a visit to Dera Ghazi Khan. Someone should ask Faisal Saleh Hayat why was he demoted from his interior ministry job owing to no apparent fault of his own and who is responsible for the zonking proportion of human trafficking from the country. But this is not it.
The privatisation of the Steel Mills and other state assets have revealed how rapidly some stock investors, who also had their names involved in the crash scandal of the bourses are seizing control of the nation’s industry. From the Coastal Highway, PIA’s fateful Fokker flight to the demise of a flyover in Karachi, one thing is becoming evident in the country: corruption has made the entire system just as mutilated as a computer system where viruses are so rampant that even the best anti-virus software cannot locate or destroy the computer viruses. When you know the old way is not working, then you should try a new course. The army’s willing departure from the civilian corridors, appointment of a new army chief and the tolerance shown to a dissenting court are good steps if they are translated into reality.
I know those who have stayed part of the lawyers’ movement might be feeling a bit cheated right now. But the truth remains that their struggle is the actual catalyst that has brought this huge paradigm shift in the worldview of the rulers. There is always a limit to what movements can achieve over a short span of time and this movement has achieved that already. Of course there are some important changes required. For instance, by declaring the results of the presidential election on the floor of the House, our Election Commissioner has shown how much he cares about the judgments of the courts. He needs to be replaced with a neutral umpire. Likewise, the government needs to ensure that the new caretaker set-up should come quickly and without the trappings of the current order.
As for Benazir, I must say I am baffled that many consider her to be a traitor to her father’s cause. I mean when even bankrupt politicos like Mustafa Khar issue such statements you should know that doomsday cannot be that far off. Benazir has indeed shown that she is more committed to the democratic cause and the goodwill of this nation by striking a deal that ensures the transition to civilian democracy without weakening of the state apparatus. Even if she talks about cooperating with the Yanks, we should know that she does this to ensure that the presence of the US forces in the region does not pose any serious threat to the country’s integrity. Her views will become more reflective of the ground realities in the country. We are accustomed to the official propaganda of the pro-Zia zealots in the establishment to such an extent that we often forget that the decade of the 90s was not the only troublesome and controversial time in this nation’s history.
When we think that Benazir can pose a security threat to the national interest, we actually want to overlook the violence done by the establishment to its people and its vital interest. I do not look at her and wonder what she may do in the future. What I prefer to do as a citizen, as a voter, and as taxpayer is think of her keeping in view her potential and what she can actually do for this country. The establishment has finally got another opportunity to root out the wasteful biases of Zia’s regime and come to terms with this country and democracy’s true spirit. If the present coterie of sycophants can be rounded off, the country may return to the hopeful road to democracy. Let us look forward and not backwards.

Courtesy The Post

Posted by farrukh at 11:29:53.

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