Those familiar with Mario Puzo’s Godfather must be familiar with the role of “consigliere” who served as his lawyer and consultant advising don on safeguards required for implementing criminal acts to prevent his implication in any legal prosecution. This book was based on Italian mafia’s involvement in criminal activities for period 1945 to 1955. Pakistan itself has been hostage to various criminal mafias involved in criminal activities such as land grabbing, farming cartels, black marketing, tax evasion and organised crime involved in target killings, extortion, rape, kidnapping for ransom, money laundering etc. Profits generated by criminal economy are so lucrative and tempting that international criminals and terrorists have moved in, threatening the very existence of the country.
Unlike consigliere who was solely involved with criminal mafia, the Pakistani mafia dons have hired services of leading legal eagles and lawyers of repute, some of them even elected as parliamentarians and involved in Bar politics, who rely on legal technicalities in nexus with corrupt bureaucracy and political executive to prevent prosecution. Few members of media are also on their payroll. Pakistani consiglieres have been seen to go to any extent, even ridiculing a former chief justice who during his brief tenure wanted to expedite hearing of a case against a leading real estate don. So powerful are Pakistani white crime specialist advisors to our mafia dons that till to-date not a single criminal, murderer or target killer has ever been punished in Pakistan.
ANEELA CHANDIO
Sukkur