Articles of the year 2015
Published on June 23rd 2015
Karachi produces 20 percent of Pakistan’s GDP and one Pakistani out of every ten lives in Karachi. Karachi has 30 percent of our industrial capacity and Karachi is where the FBR collects 53 percent of its revenues.Resultantly, Karachi’s economy is valued at some Rs6 trillion and the conjectured Rs230 billion criminal empire is a mere 4 percent of Karachi’s GDP. Meaning: Major-General Bilal Akbar is in the ballpark.’
The above newspaper report has left one stunned at the enormity of the criminality being committed on the poor citizens of Karachi. The situation is far more dangerous. It is now a given, that the status quo is more important to the politicians, and they will fight to retain their source of income…Crime.
Democracy, the constitution, supremacy of Parliament, Sanctity of the ballot box, the rights of the elected, these are all the slogans resounding in the Assembly halls. All these are being used by the politicians to keep tHe status quo in place. The numbers are mind shattering. 230 billion Rs @102/USD is more than 2 billion dollars per year. This incredible figure explains the 42 trips made by Ayyan and the other unnamed models doing the Dubai shuttle. The Dubai Government has acknowledged the purchase of 300 million dollars worth of property by Pakistanis in Dubai. Indians and Pakistanis are in the forefront of this new local Swiss Bank equivalent. The difference is that the Indians are all businessmen, squirrelling some of their money away from the Indian taxman. The Pakistanis are all politicians, and Ms Ayyan will confess she knows no Pakistani businessmen. Her consorts and cohorts are all politicians, and politics is the biggest and most lucrative game in town. In fact it is the only game in town.
Gen. Bilal Akbar has done a fantastic job in exposing the quantum of the illegal business, and it is now the job of the government to catch the thieves. It is obvious that this state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue, and it is also clear that all the politicians are involved. If Nawaz Sharif is not prepared to step away from protecting the Sindi politicians, then the Army will have to step in. The economic terrorism is surely greater than the damage done by the Taliban, especially when the funds being used by the Taliban are being sourced from these illegal activities. The phrase Economic terrorism has an ominous ring, for it has a dual purpose. Firstly it funds criminal acts such as murder, and it prevents the proper use of funds in commerce and industry. Much of these funds also are parked in convenient places such as Dubai to fund other criminal activities. These funds are lost to the Pakistani businessman, and the Industrialist. While the wealth seems to be increasing, the exports are declining. Something strange is happening. Democracy is indeed supporting crime. Criminals and politicians are now bedfellows.
It is important that the Pakistan army step into the breach. Democracy does not allow Criminal behaviour. Democracy does not allow Target killing. Democracy does not allow kidnapping or Extortion. The Army must decide if it can afford to allow this illegal State to continue. It appears that the latest ‘criminal’ under scrutiny are the owners of Bol TV. On closer scrutiny they may be a lot less damaging than the extortionists, target killers, kidnappers or the Politicians. Gen Raheel Sharif will soon have to decide, and Nawaz Sharif will also have to extricate himself from the corrupt lineup lest he fall with the dominos.