Yesterday was a sad day as 28-year-old Major Ishaq lost his life while engaged in an operation to clean up terrorist hideouts in Dera Ismael Khan. The image of the smiling young major holding his one-year-old beaming son in his lap was heart-wrenching, to say the least.
Another life lost in the ongoing fight against the scourge of terrorism. We salute you Major Ishaq for fighting for our security and that of the State of Pakistan. We are indeed indebted to you Major, with a debt that can never be repaid. May Allah grant you the highest place in Heaven and may He provide solace and patience to your family. Amen.
The young Major Ishaq gave his life protecting Pakistan, a country that has recently witnessed the lowest of the lows in terms of political bickering by those who are placing their own interests above those of the country — the country for which vibrant young men are dying.
While Major Ishaq and others like him are fighting an actual war, we have those who are openly challenging the writ of the court and the judges who are hearing cases. We have those who should be neutral and responsible but are blatantly working for getting a motion passed – a motion that has left the country aghast.
We have stooges who instead of answering questions about the alleged corruption are busy hurling baseless counter-accusations against others. We have religious clerics out on the roads holding the Capital hostage while a hapless government looks on. And we have an absconding Finance Minister who has now applied for an indefinite leave of absence and will not be returning to Pakistan to face charges.
Is this what Major Ishaq died for? It is shameful that while the Pakistan Army continues with its sincere efforts to eradicate terrorism and bring peace to the country, corrupt and inept people are apparently hell-bent on damaging Pakistan for their personal ambitions and gains.
While the government has accepted the leave of absence of the finance minister it has withdrawn the portfolios of Finance and Economic Affairs Division from him in the exercise of powers under rule 3(4) of The Rules of Business, 1973.
The finance minister after an already unaccounted for long leave of absence sent a three-page letter to the PM’s Office on Nov 20, requesting for leave of absence as his surgeon had asked him to avoid international air travel.
In this letter, he admitted that he had been running the affairs of the ministry via email and WhatsApp since Oct 27. Is this some kind of a joke? People entrusted with the highest responsibilities run abroad at the drop of a hat, while our valiant soldiers fight on to protect the State.
The ex-finance minister was indicted on Sept 27 in a corruption reference, but he continued to serve as finance minister amid strong criticism from opposition parties. An accountability court had on Nov 14 issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the finance minister because of his failure to appear before it. At a time when the country is in dire need of financial stewardship and governance, we apparently have none.
Major Ishaq sacrificed his life for Pakistan and its people and for that we are all eternally indebted to him; while others are evading responsibility and accountability for the condition that Pakistan is in. As long as Pakistan has men like Major Ishaq one feels there is hope for a better tomorrow. Thank you, Major.
This article is authored by Farrukh Karamat, a senior research coordinator at Spearhead Research.
