I had seriously begun to believe until last Friday that I’d stopped being shocked or surprised by stuff that can and does happen in Pakistan. Under the circumstances it would appear ridiculous to say that I was rudely shocked. But that is what exactly happened.
The behavior of the PML(N) parliamentarians during the budget speech was grotesque to say the least. The sanctity of the chamber was viciously transgressed. It was unadulterated rape of the apex law-making body of your nation and mine. And yet why should one be shocked! The track record of that party is manifest with similar contempt of all that must be respected and protected by national leaders.
The Supreme Court was ransacked. Bills were introduced and passed in parliament within minutes that were contrary to the constitution and undemocratic in nature. Parliamentarians had to forego the right to vote in accordance with their conscience; they could not even abstain! The last amendment passed in the lower house but not presented, thanks be to Allah, in the upper house was designed to change the very structure of the country and create an amir-ul-momineen.
In this backdrop, it is probable that the majority of the parliamentarians enacting the scene that day had little option. One can safely assume that a generally dignified Ahsan Iqbal probably spent a sleepless night and a reflective day before presenting a roti to the finance minister. The bangle throwing lady: the less said about her the better. The flourish with she plays her role should win her an Oscar in the particular academy that views these performances with pride.
Let’s make no bones about this. This sort of behavior is ‘na manzoor’ regardless of provocation or the cries of na manzoor that were witnessed in the house that day. Let’s also not forget that this type of disparaging behavior found its way into parliament at the behest of today’s ruling party during GIK’s presidential address and then sadly became literally a terrible tradition. The good part is there was no retaliation on the floor of the house last Friday and one hears that good behavior will be the norm at the budget speech of the Punjab Assembly this weekend.
Full marks to the finance minister. During the ninety minutes, he was confronted with this provocation at very close range; he not only continued his speech courageously but also did not let the pressure get to him. He did not stumble upon words or delivery even for a second during the turmoil. In fact at the very end, the verse he quoted, with a smile, made the protest appear even more ridiculous.
I’ve been writing about the damage that negative and divisive politics is doing to the psyche of our people but obviously to no avail. By all means register a protest. Five maybe even ten minutes would have been enough. Then you get down to allowing the people across the country to listen and understand to something that has great meaning to them.
Sometimes excessive decorum and our dictatorial mindset allow the rot to set in without it becoming apparent until it’s too late. Shahbaz Sharif is a different kettle of fish. He is undoubtedly far more forward-looking; he has a better understanding of matters at the grass roots and is an asset to our country. Sadly, it’s the decorum that will always dictate his political path. It’s one of Pakistan’s greatest tragedies that the elders don’t make way for the younger and perhaps better qualified at an early stage. Not just in politics.
The budget for 2011-12 is a reform-oriented budget. It marks the beginning of a process to rationalise the taxation structure that is currently beset by a multitude of taxes leading both to tax evasion and corruption. It strives to reduce the taxes to two, income tax and sales tax, within the foreseeable future. It does away with 392 of 397 taxes and encourages the producers/manufacturers to pass on the benefits to the consumers. Resource mobilisation determines the development spending. This is where government must concentrate and, given the state of the economy, we the people, need to be patient.
Government’s biggest drawback is the archaic information system it continues to nurture. The information disseminated by the PID is of the lowest possible standard. In a world where specialisation abounds, to have mid-level bureaucrats present the policies of government is ridiculous. Even at the political level, every Tom, Dick and Harry cannot don the mantle of the nation’s information chief.
The answer lies, and I’ve said this repeatedly for years, in developing a press corps at the principal seat of power, coordinating and working with an outstanding press secretary who would be the spokesman for the entire government. In one go, one can do away with the Ministry for Information and yield immediate results. Of course, there will be push back. So, you need to handle it. This subject itself needs a dedicated article.
For now, once again, divisive politics, bringing the nation into disrepute and creating turmoil is Na Manzoor in the national interest.
The writer can be contacted at imranmhusain@me.com