Farrukh Khan Pitafi’s Official Website « Enough! Time to stand aside Mr Advisor!

Enough! Time to stand aside Mr Advisor!

Arguably it is too early to ask a reigning interior minister or advisor to stand down. Yet the story does not end on incompetence alone. The man in question was in charge of Benazir Bhutto’s security. She is no more but he still rose to the high post. The video footage captured by the CCTV of the Saturday’s Marriot attack and the linked expert commentary reveals sheer incompetence of the interior ministry in meeting challenges that are part of the very portfolio. Our heart bleeds to think that if the administration was a bit more ready countless precious lives could be saved. But that is not all either. With Mr Rehman the assessments and claims keep changing with the speed of light. One would have expected the preliminary report to have been finalized and if possible published. But there is no such thing. When Mr Rehman Malik himself is not sure how can we conclude that there is no deficit of understanding on his part. His method of blurting out first and then reneging on his words is almost obnoxious. This kind of comic strip approach to security cannot be tolerated in these bitter times. But even this lapse of his could have been digested by some, albeit with great pain and remorse. But he is indeed turning out to be a symbol of division rather than unity. At a time when the opposition is throwing aspersions on the government and absolutely ignoring the need for the aggressive diplomacy needed for securing our western border from the US incursions is making quite a bit out of the President’s decision to embark on his itinerary to the UN, Mr Malik being most available face of the government has failed to alley such concerns. He is a man not even trusted among the ranks of the People’s Party. His popularity is abysmal in the establishment. And to top it all he is not even an elected representative of the people. In these testing times the Interior Ministry is of critical import. It deserves better leadership with sound orientation. When its Co-Chairman happens to be the President of the Federation, the People’s Party need to show more responsibility than any other party and rollback its grand interior folly. We are sure that the most popular party of the country can come up with far too many more trusted and able faces in shortest span of time for the post. If someone is so fond of him that his follies are to be overlooked he should be engaged in some more realistic and personal capacity. Please do not disappoint us.