Many of Pakistan’s main political families are launching their sons and daughters to keep the political power in their families and protect the status quo. In the land of the pure, politics has become a lucrative family business.
As 40 percent of voters are between the age of 18-35 years, these new children of political leaders are launched to attract young voters with false promises and hopes, the art which their elders have mastered.
Bilawal, son of President Asif Ali Zardari, has already started getting briefs from his party. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has launched his two sons and a daughter into politics. Nawaz Sharif has launched her daughter to head the women wings of PML(N) and Shahbaz Sharif’s son is already a member of the National Assembly. There are also close relatives of Nawaz Sharif in politics.
Former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qurashi’s son Zain will be contesting the election on the seat (NA-148) vacated by his father. Dr Zulifqar Mirza’s son will be contesting by-election on his father’s vacated Sindh Provincial Assembly seat from Badin.
Moonis Elahi, the heir of Chaudhrys of Gujrat, is a member of Punjab Assembly. PM’s son Qadir Gilani and Moonis Elahi are already tinted with corruption charges but as corruption is no more considered unethical or immoral in the land of the pure, they are likely to be the future political leaders. The prevailing election system protects dynastic politics and encourages constituencies-based elections.
The majority of seats in the National and Provincial Assemblies are from rural areas of the country where majority of voters are illiterate, poor and depend on feudal lords for their livelihood.
The pertinent question is: Do these new generation politicians have a vision of future direction that the nation must take and the goal that it must aim at? Did they have a deep comprehension of the historical and cultural ethos of the nation and an understanding of the regional and international environment within which they have to operate?
Are they able to inspire the nation through persuasion and personal conduct to follow them in pursuit of the goals that they have set for the nation? Do they have the organisation skills to guide the military and civil bureaucrats to the realisation of the national aims and objectives through the adoption of appropriate policies in various fields?
Leaders are made not born but unfortunately here the political leaders are born with a belief that wisdom resides in them alone, and that they have the rights to rule the poverty ridden masses, although they prove to be mediocre, incompetent, selfish, having no vision of leadership and knowledge of good governance.
They are immune to the use of reason of logic when approaching any matter or issue relating to statecraft or for that matter to anything that pertains to Pakistan’s existence. Although the new generation politicians are well-educated but lack worthwhile experience, moral integrity or any natural talent that could get the country going in the right direction.
S T HUSSAIN
Lahore