Articles of the year 2010

The statement of the British Prime Minister against the ISI, and that too, delivered to an audience in India has been taken as a calculated insult to a very important pillar of our intelligence organization. The insult was contrived to attack the choice whipping boy of the Western allies, the ISI of the Pakistan Army. The isolation of Pakistan and the Pakistan Army in particular, is now being ratcheted up a notch while the anti Islam lobby has gone into over-drive.

The Presidency is the symbol of unity of the federation of Pakistan, and requires respect from all. Including the occupant. It seems that the pliability of our PPP leadership with the US, as negotiated under the NRO has been extended to the Government of the day, and it appears that the Presidency is out of synch with the Foreign Office, and the Defense Ministry, for the DG ISI would never act on his own. The Presidency cannot itself decide, and it is highly unlikely that the Prime Minister had given his consent to Gen Pasha to cancel his visit unilaterally. Again it appears that there is a disconnect between the top pillars of the state, and if the President does go ahead with his trip, then the Army top Brass will seem to have acted in haste and without consultation with the Government. Either way, the President will have to cancel his trip under the circumstances, or he will be further isolated from the Government. The Republic of Pakistan is governed by very strict rules- including the Presidency. No Government official can be seen to flout these rules especially when it can lead to a conflict between two of the pillars of the state. The Advisers of the President are drawing him into an unnecessary confrontation. This is not a monarchy yet, and the Presidency has to abide by the code of conduct as stipulated by the Government procedures.

The Army as an institution will not appreciate such a challenge from what should be only a figure head. Unity in the face of an external insult is the need of the hour and should be above all other considerations, including the coronation of a new Chairman of the PPP. Pakistan has not recovered from a major trauma of the air crash, with many families in mourning, and is in the midst of probably the worst flood disaster in our history, certainly not the time for a birthday bash or a coronation or any celebration. It is a time to mourn. As the figurehead of a Nation, Zardari must respect the feelings of the people. For him to ignore these feelings, over the advice of his sycophants would be extremely imprudent. The people of Pakistan are a very sentimental bunch, and Zardari should know for is he not the beneficiary of the people's sympathy?

The entire Political leadership in the country, have all advised against his trip to the UK, and to ignore them all may be foolhardy at the very least.

The multiple problems facing the country are being ignored, and scams are surfacing daily, including the new sugar shortage at the onset of Ramzan, threatening large increases in the price of this commodity an essential during Ramzan. Sweets are the major attraction during the otherwise bleak pleasure-less month of denial. To make Ramzan even more painful is unfair on the people, especially when it is solely due to mis-governance.

The silver lining in our clouds is the emergence of Abid Sher Ali the Chairman of the House Committee on law who has emerged as the leader of the fight against the bogus degree brigade and deserves all the support from the media, for without his forcing the cases to be moved into the courts the entire SC judgements would be meaningless. Especially if the criminality of the acts were not tried under the appropriate laws, and punished accordingly. For democracy to work , the law must be enforced. Similarly for a Supreme Court no matter how honest, to work, the judgements passed, must be enforced, or the Jamshed Dastis et.al will continue in thumbing their noses at the judgements issued against them. We need more men like Abid Sher Ali as crusaders for the enforcement of judgements, which will encompass bogus degrees and doctorates. We must cleanse our Assemblies from the filth that has cheated and bought its way in. Every child that has had to sweat and fret through his exams will also join in the clamour against the degree thieves.