We are an unfortunate country who from its birth never saw an ideal situation of rule of law. The cleverest, the most thuggish and most dishonest have ruled the country especially after 1999, when a military ruler took over and brought into his fold the famous looters and plunderers depoliticizing the mainstream society! New venues of corruption were opened as the money was pouring in after he sold both sovereignty and dignity of a nation to the USA and west in the back-drop of 9/11. B.B’s elimination in 2007 was most disastrous and fateful incident happened to this unfortunate nation of 200 million people. The USA and west now wanted to get rid of dictator and put into power civilian agents serving their personal interests, which were now fast becoming army-hostile.
Since 2008 they (USA and West) have managed to install the governments in the country both corrupt and inept while these civilian thugs were pushed by USA and west to tease the military establishment. Asif Zardari’s Government avoided all that with cleverness as he got army chief of low stature whose own family members had then got indulged in obtaining dubious contracts and making money. Secondly, Zardari being always fearful of courts did not resume any adventure against defense establishment so he greatly disappointed USA and west.
In year 2013 Sharif’s assumed power in the Center and the formers found new players to work with their agenda against Military establishment. Sharif’s being comfortable with courts and bureaucracy, whom they found always on their side and with changing world scenario, thought it an appropriate opportunity to settle score with military establishment because of their outstation and humiliation in 1999. The Sharif’s tried to asset their position from the very beginning and attempted to cross the red line in the matters of defense and foreign policies but were rebuked indirectly by the real powers in the country. Since these rulers were not directly resisted by military, they were encouraged and ultimately indulged in teasing the military establishment, through news article widely known as dawn-leaks. This proved to be point of no return as Government’s later avoidance to implement finding of Dawn-leaks inquiry added fuel to the fire which resulted that all the evidences of accumulating illegal money gathered against the Sharif’s.
Apart from the corruption of ruling elite both in federation and provinces, the way the institutions are being run by their holders is more worrisome. Pakistan is a democratic country, though with a farce democracy as many people call it, hence an elected Prime Minister is primarily supposed to be answerable to the masses who elect him. The state institutions are the product of democratic system so they all are subservient to the will of people. In Nawaz Sharif’s case it became very evident that the court was predetermined to show him the doors which writing on the wall started reading by Nawaz Sharif as the case progressed both in the court and in JIT. In this whole episode, the weaknesses of our system and especially apex courts have come to the forefront, which indicate that the country is heading towards destructive path not because of people but because of corrupt rulers and inept state institutions.
On the other hand, by acting on the behest of powerful and deciding the corruption and malpractices committed decades ago under the shadow of some special situation the justice system of the country has been exposed in many ways. First, it seems to be always selective and situation-oriented; secondly, it is not across the board and would be used against certain people in certain situation and thirdly it can be used by the powerful whenever they need so. Since rulers have failed the governance and democracy in the country and now with failing of our justice system, are we not fast heading towards anarchy?
ABDUL SAMAD CHANNA,
Karachi, September 19.
