Pakistan has endured gross mismanagement on a scale which has been broken since the 1990’s, leaving it harnessed to a mountain of debt which is a source of extreme serious security threat to its very being. Between the rules, rather misrules, of PPP and PMLN – both having taken three turns each – the nation stands on the precipice of economic and physical disaster. Nothing, absolutely nothing works in this country any more. The lies keep piling up and so do the loans, each new tranche garnered through the fudging of the figures at the ministry of finance under the tutelage of the self-admitted money launderer, Ishaq Dar.
One wonders if the international monetary agencies are deaf, dumb and blind that they cannot see the reality of our economic state and yet they dole out more and more loans with nary a wrinkle on the forehead. Why? The only realistic reasoning or aim seems to be to put us in such an economic bind that we are forced to compromise on our nuclear assets at sometimes in the very near future. Are our present leaders so blind that they cannot see this coming? No, they know very well and they are part of this whole charade. Their sole aim is to get more and more loans sanctioned so that they can spend the money on bogus projects and take out their commission. The nation be damned, they have no plans to be within the country when we hit the mountain of loans headlong, so why care. Let those who are to follow put up with this eventuality.
Sadly, there are those parts of the establishment from whom much more is expected in the curtailment of this fraud, yet they are mum. They have been found looking the other way for the last nine years and in the meantime, the country has literally gone to the proverbial dogs. Musharraf, for all his weaknesses, provided Pakistan with dignity, security and a powerful and progressive economic base, only for the politicians to make a mockery of the rule of law and good governance.
With power comes responsibility, so goes the saying, but are the Generals showing any? Let’s just look at the Dawn leaks scandal. A high level security meeting is held in the PM House. Within hours, a popular English newspaper prints a story saying that the civilian government has blasted the armed forces on their presumed support of so-called terrorist organisations and how the world is blaming the government. Fact sheet: 1) No such matter was ever discussed in this meeting. 2) Since the meeting was between the highest ranking power brokers, how did something like this even get into a newspaper? Simple, this news and later article was a figment of a sick mind. After the article’s publication, a storm was raised, the language of this article was exactly the viewpoint of our neighbour India and the west. It was an attempt to cut the wings of the armed forces and put our nuclear assets up for grabs under the excuse of a rogue army at play.
Once the top army brass started facing the wrath of their officer corps and jawans, they demanded an explanation from the government. This led to the formation of a JIT to investigate the matter. The army, through its intelligence agencies, were able to gather a record of all the telephone calls to the correspondent and editor of the newspaper for publication of this news item. Reportedly, leading this cacophony of calls was none other than Maryam Nawaz, followed closely by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister and some say even the Defence Minister, all beseeching the editor to print the news.
Once the previous COAS left his post due to retirement, the report of this JIT fell into abeyance, all done on purpose by the PM House. This did not last as the New Chief started facing questions at every garrison that he visited after taking office as to the result of the inquiry, since the rank and file felt that they, as an institution, were deliberately targeted by the government. General Bajwa demanded the release of the JIT from the government.
Now one hears that some back door meetings have resulted in a sort of compromise whose details shall be in the open shortly. The point that needs to be understood here is that this PM has repeatedly lied, misled and conned the establishment to his benefit at the risk of undermining the state. The question that begs an answer is, how will the COAS sell this backdoor arrangement to his officer corps. Time shall tell but time can be cruel.
Adding to the Dawn leaks scandal, there is the Panama papers mega scandal. After the formation of another JIT to probe the issue further of the corruption, of the Prime Minister and his entire family, the composition of this panel includes the same two Brigadiers, who were part of the Dawn Leaks probe. One can read this development both with assurance and tepidity all in the same breath. If the result of the Dawn leaks inquiry results in a compromise with this corrupt PM, what can one expect from them in the Panama Papers case. But let there be no doubt in anyone’s mind, including those of the generals, the nation will not let Nawaz get away with his corrupt ways. The people of Pakistan will rise and throw these people out without any help from a state institution.