The Election Commission of Pakistan has disqualified the former prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan (IK) from holding any public office for five years. The weapon this time was the Toshakhana Reference (TR) and the ammunition used was the Article 63 (1).
I am no fan of Imran Khan, the Sharifs, Bhuttos or mullahs. We have tried all of them. Not once but several times. And the universal truth about them is, they all are corrupt to the bone. They are nothing but opportunists, looters, turncoats, liars and everything that can be the trademark of the hypocrites and the bad people. But I am deeply concerned about a much bigger issue i.e. justice which is dispensed by the institutions.
We look at the institutions for justice when the individuals disappoint us. But the institutions in this country have a track record of making mockery of the justice. The custodians of the Constitution act swiftly against the corrupt politicians but they are helpless before the corrupt generals. Holy and sacred cows can’t be touched. They fail to protect the Constitution when a military dictator abrogates it in a jiffy. They come up with unique theories like ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ and issue the dictators a license to play with the Constitution.
For the last 75 years, the institutions are dancing to the tune of the powerful and ambitious generals. And yet we are told every day that army has no role in politics – sometimes by ISPR and other times directly by the serving army chief. Nobody cares about the disasters the climate change has inflicting upon us. Our biggest concern is the extension of a general! It certainly does not happen in India which in most problems is like us and also not older than we are! And we love to compete with it in every field – weapons, nuclear bombs, films, corruption, etc.
Look at the latest example of the mockery of justice. A proclaimed offender like Ishaq Dar is brought back from London and installed as finance minister. The one who appoints him – Shahbaz Sharif – is also a proclaimed offender. Like Dar, he too is called back from London and uploaded as prime minister of Pakistan. His niece – Maryam Safdar – is declared innocent. Her passport is returned and she flees to London. We don’t remember how many times, this clique called Sharifs was in and out of favour. Their government was dismissed twice like Benazir’s government on corruption charges. No decisive punishment was awarded to them.
But they were brought back as heroes and saviours and installed on us time and again. This drama is being played with Sharifs as the main cast for the fourth time. This spectacle forces me to draw an analogy.
The politicians in this country are the most loyal creaturea. The masters will throw them out from the house at their will. These politicians will wait outside in the street which can be London or Dubai. The masters would let the other lot come in. The masters will soon be tired of the new brand. The masters will throw it out and ask the old creatures to get in. The older one will wag the tail, look at the master with thankful eyes and enter the house.
This is what has exactly happened to Khan. All he needs to do is to wait outside in the street. He has proved himself to be extremely patient. He waited outside the streets for more than 20 years. Finally, the masters let him.
It is just his very first turn to be out in the streets. But he must keep on wagging his tail. Not only his disqualification will be reversed, he will be asked to guard the house again for more lavish bones with a lots of meat. The politics of agitation like long march will bring the old dogs closer to the masters. It is known that the romance of humans and animals does not last long. So, sooner than the later, Imran Khan will be shown a bone full of meat and he will be in the cozy drawing rooms of the masters again.
Mohammad Shehzad is an author, writer and journalist based in Islamabad. Email: Yamankalyan@gmail.com
I am no fan of Imran Khan, the Sharifs, Bhuttos or mullahs. We have tried all of them. Not once but several times. And the universal truth about them is, they all are corrupt to the bone. They are nothing but opportunists, looters, turncoats, liars and everything that can be the trademark of the hypocrites and the bad people. But I am deeply concerned about a much bigger issue i.e. justice which is dispensed by the institutions.
We look at the institutions for justice when the individuals disappoint us. But the institutions in this country have a track record of making mockery of the justice. The custodians of the Constitution act swiftly against the corrupt politicians but they are helpless before the corrupt generals. Holy and sacred cows can’t be touched. They fail to protect the Constitution when a military dictator abrogates it in a jiffy. They come up with unique theories like ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ and issue the dictators a license to play with the Constitution.
For the last 75 years, the institutions are dancing to the tune of the powerful and ambitious generals. And yet we are told every day that army has no role in politics – sometimes by ISPR and other times directly by the serving army chief. Nobody cares about the disasters the climate change has inflicting upon us. Our biggest concern is the extension of a general! It certainly does not happen in India which in most problems is like us and also not older than we are! And we love to compete with it in every field – weapons, nuclear bombs, films, corruption, etc.
Look at the latest example of the mockery of justice. A proclaimed offender like Ishaq Dar is brought back from London and installed as finance minister. The one who appoints him – Shahbaz Sharif – is also a proclaimed offender. Like Dar, he too is called back from London and uploaded as prime minister of Pakistan. His niece – Maryam Safdar – is declared innocent. Her passport is returned and she flees to London. We don’t remember how many times, this clique called Sharifs was in and out of favour. Their government was dismissed twice like Benazir’s government on corruption charges. No decisive punishment was awarded to them.
But they were brought back as heroes and saviours and installed on us time and again. This drama is being played with Sharifs as the main cast for the fourth time. This spectacle forces me to draw an analogy.
The politicians in this country are the most loyal creaturea. The masters will throw them out from the house at their will. These politicians will wait outside in the street which can be London or Dubai. The masters would let the other lot come in. The masters will soon be tired of the new brand. The masters will throw it out and ask the old creatures to get in. The older one will wag the tail, look at the master with thankful eyes and enter the house.
This is what has exactly happened to Khan. All he needs to do is to wait outside in the street. He has proved himself to be extremely patient. He waited outside the streets for more than 20 years. Finally, the masters let him.
It is just his very first turn to be out in the streets. But he must keep on wagging his tail. Not only his disqualification will be reversed, he will be asked to guard the house again for more lavish bones with a lots of meat. The politics of agitation like long march will bring the old dogs closer to the masters. It is known that the romance of humans and animals does not last long. So, sooner than the later, Imran Khan will be shown a bone full of meat and he will be in the cozy drawing rooms of the masters again.
Mohammad Shehzad is an author, writer and journalist based in Islamabad. Email: Yamankalyan@gmail.com