A remarkable lack of consistency

The Republic of Pakistan houses a strange nation, inconsistent in the extreme when it comes to matters of government and governance. From the 1950s onwards, we have witnessed the comings and goings of a string of mainly lacklustre leaders and governments who and which have all been 'hailed' (as is the popular term) when they enter into power through whatever means. For a while, they are tolerated, then impatience takes over. It happened with Ayub Khan, 'hailed' by the nation as a saviour, the departing politicians vilified whilst he was welcomed in with flowers. When he fell, he was bombarded with metaphorical shoes and there was much rejoicing in the land - premature as it turned out. This scenario has repeated itself down the ages. Zulfikar Bhutto's entry was muted, the situation not warranting any wild acclaim, and when he was ushered out, his usher-in-chief was 'hailed' with gay abandon. And so it went on, through the 1990s with the ins and outs of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, each acclaimed with dancing in the streets. The same happened when Pervez Musharraf was gifted to the nation on a silver salver, he was 'hailed' as yet another saviour of a badly-done-by country, ill-served by the preceding politicians. He in turn had his ignominious exit, his popularity graph having waned with the years, as happens with all those who seek to rule and perpetuate power. Enter then Asif Zardari, by sheer accident, followed up by some quick thinking and shady dealings, 'hailed' as the true heir to his murdered wife. A year and many months later where lies his popularity graph? In his case there has been a double inconsistency. The dishonest, amoral NRO has been around since October 5, 2007. Thanks to this truly disgraceful and shameful bit of Musharraf-US legislation, Zardari has been able to get to where he now is. And, suddenly, after a lengthy silence, all are up in arms rightly reviling the NRO for having been responsible for the foisting upon the nation of a bunch of alleged crooks-cum- criminals. Where have all these men and women, now shouting themselves hoarse, been since the end of 2007? How come there were no protests at that time, or even in 2008, how come no one then objected to the NRO and the quality of man and woman power it was inflicting upon the governance of the country? Why did none remember the NRO when they voted in the elections of February 2008, why did no non-PPP-Z politician voice unhappiness over the NRO knowing fully well the cover it was providing to Zardari and his chosen coterie? There are just over 40 million voters on the electoral lists. If even 50 percent (optimistic) of them turned out to vote they were all surely aware of the NRO and its effect upon the PPP-Z, yet the majority of the 20 or less million voted in Zardari and his brand of PPP. The political parties, some of which derived no benefit from the NRO but surely knew of its malafide intent, topped it all by installing Zardari's handpicked man as prime minister, thus bestowing full approval of the NRO. Later, and to add further insult to the wonky national perception of right and wrong, when the NRO-protected Zardari managed to rid himself of the man who stood between him and the presidency, the assemblies of the democratic and Islamic republic almost unanimously united to endorse and 'hail' the NRO by voting in Zardari as their head of state. Reportedly there have been over 8,000 accused who have so far evaded the normal course of justice, taking shelter behind the now despised NRO. The mind possessing element of the nation, the non-PPP-Z politicos included, have awakened out of a zombie-like trance and are now jumping up and down in a retarded form of righteous indignation. Everyone, just everyone who knows anything about Pakistan in and out of the country were fully aware of the records of Zardari and his men in positions as far as the corruption and crime front is concerned. And now, 'they' who put aside the NRO and the past are baying for Zardari's blood. The NRO is in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, thanks to two men with a conscience, former PPP politician Dr Mubashar Hasan and former bureaucrat Roeded Khan. The nation awaits the verdict of the learned justices of the apex court. Afterthought: A probably apocryphal anecdote for our robber fraternity. Alexander the Great's last wish made from his deathbed was that he wanted the world to learn from him three lessons. He asked that his physicians carry his coffin, so that people know that doctors are powerless when it comes to death - life should not be taken for granted. The pathway leading to his tomb was to be strewn with gold, silver and precious stones, not a fraction of which he could take to his grave. His hands were to be left dangling out of his coffin to show that he came empty handed into the world and with empty hands was leaving it. The world should know that he who conquered the world departed from it with nothing. The writer is a freelance columnist. Email: jilani.amina@gmail.com