Mr Arif Nizami, in his recent article, printed on 28 January in Pakistan Today, has drawn a very clear picture of the issues that have engulfed the country.
He starts with backtracking statement of the prime minister on COAS and DG ISI, fruits of back channel diplomacy, continuing stalemate with the US over NATO strikes, Pak-US relations, especially dominated by military, lack of authority on the part of foreign ministry vis-a-vis civil-military relations, future relationship with the US, Husain Haqqani’s fate, appointment of Sherry Rahman as ambassador to the US, collapse of memo case, Mansoor Ijaz’s testimony, allegations against ISI by Mansoor Ijaz, PML(N)’s lack of interest being complainant in Memogate, role of Parliamentary Committee on National Security, senate elections, general elections, contempt case hearing against Prime Minister, and debate initiated by Khalil ur Rehman Ramday, the ex-Supreme Court judge on president’s immunity and advice to the Apex Court and many more.
Like poor law and order situation, increase in target killings, deaths of over 100 people in Punjab Institute of Cardiology and tussle between centre and Punjab. There is a long list of failures.
Any sane person after reading such serious ailments of the government must be anxious to know if that is the state of governance, how the government is surviving. The only plausible answer is that army’s wings have been clipped down for their own wrongdoings. There should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that civil-military relations are at their worst and there is no likelihood of early patch up. You cannot openly scold army chief and DG ISI which belong to your own army.
The army has ruled for a considerable period and when not in power were doing the same behind the scene. The government wants to keep the army at a distance whereas their acts speak the reverse. What is the justification of posting a retired major general as ambassador when you have well qualified officers in the ministry of foreign affairs? Memogate is a self-created injury now reaching its logical conclusion. Why any sane person should come to Pakistan when interior minister openly says Mansoor will be arrested? Commission on Memogate and the role of Parliamentary Committee on National Security is a self-contradiction.
Why should a retired judge, or for that matter guests appearing in TV talk shows, should discuss the Memogate issue when it is still in the court? Under the present circumstances, with the role the judiciary is playing, opposition’s soft corner for the government not to derail them and various major parties having outright confrontation, PPP should have no problem in smooth sailing of Senate elections. The writer has summed up the whole issue in a very articulate manner just in one sentence: “However, the Apex Court needs to be cautious regarding the president and prime minister lest it lays itself open to the criticism of engaging in a witch-hunt.”
I would add the word extremely before cautious as prime minister has hinted he is ready to go to jail on Memogate. But the fact of the matter is that President Mr Asif Ali Zardari has outmanoeuvred all politicians. Asghar’s Khan’s petition in the Supreme Court has proven to be a blessing in disguise and the government should have no fears to complete their term of five years. Genuine tragedies in the world are not conflicts between right and wrong, they are conflicts between two rights.
MUKHTAR AHMED
Karachi
