The Ephedrine scam

The PM must understand that he is not above the law and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) investigators have a right and an obligation to carry out investigations, even if that involves summoning record of Prime Minister House visitors. Organisations such as ANF are funded by the tax-payer, so that narcotics manufacture and distribution is strictly regulated in accordance with laws and international monitoring agencies. No individual, including the elected constitutional office holders have any right to play with lives of our future generations.

We have had enough of this damage inflicted on our nation by the abuse of self assumed powers of our public office holders, who lack ethics or respect for rule of law. After all if the PM is innocent, as he claims, why does he want to evade investigations and obstruct judicial procedure.

The Ephedrine and Hajj Scam depicts the pits to which our political elite, obsessed with their greed for ill-gotten wealth can sink to. These stinking episodes are a smear on our democracy and the image of Pakistan. It is an insult to our founding fathers, who dreamed of creating a modern welfare state delivering justice to its citizens, instead of becoming a fiefdom of corrupt political elite, or its equally selfish paid civil and uniformed bureaucracy.

Nobody including the president enjoys immunity from investigation. It is the process of prosecution from any criminal charges, from which the president enjoys immunity if any, and that is also subject to interpretation of Supreme Court and not the perceived immunity understood by office of president, the prime pinister or law ministry.

Those who hold high public offices, such as that of president, prime minister, governor, chief minister or ministers must be subject to public or media scrutiny and investigations to ascertain that they are not involved, or have ever been convicted of financial misappropriation, or any other crime involving moral turpitude.

Pakistan has suffered enough because of misconceived powers assumed unto themselves by its rulers, both elected or dictatorial, who destroyed the moral and constitutional fibre of this country and its economy either by their incompetence, or their indulgence in rampant corruption and insatiable greed.

MALIK TARIQ ALI

Lahore

(II)

This is with reference to lead news appeared in your esteemed paper (20 April) that Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) nominates prime minister’s son in Rs 7 bn drug scam. As a result, prime minister has warned the Anti Narcotics Force Chief, Brig Fahim, for nominating his son in drug quota scandal. While sounding a warning used language unbecoming of a prime minister.

It is very strange that our chief executive is unaware that ANF is a civilian organisation and operates under civil law and not under the army act. Since his son has been named in the FIR, the prime minister should have extended all the courtesy instead of threatening the officer and reminding him that he was borrowed from the armed forces. Officers are not borrowed but sent on deputation or services are loaned by ministry of defence to other ministries

I would like to cite two specific examples of British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s wife Cherry Blair while travelling in the subway was caught by the local subway police for not having a ticket. In another case, Tony Blair while serving as Britain’s prime minister had to go to the local police to complete the official formalities of bailing out his son hauled up for rash driving. Incidentally when this happened I was in UK and the TV flashed this news. To my utter surprise, the same evening during question answer session in the house of parliament, he tendered his apology to the house on account of this incident. Can such a thing ever happen in this country?

Our rulers should now understand ground realities that things have changed, people are well aware about their activities and with such large number of TV channels nothing can be hidden. It is time they respected the law of the land.

The prime minister should have refrained from interfering in the case and should have avoided confrontation and allowed the law to take its own course. No one has the right to influence the proceedings of the case as it tantamount to interfering in the matter and attracts provision s of law. Let the law takes its own course, the investigating officer knows that he is handling son of a prime minister and would be extra cautious while dealing with him, but he must present himself.

MUKHTAR AHMED

Karachi