Rule of law and enforcement of ethics in a sovereign independent state can only be maintained by deterrence through accountability and a powerful independent judiciary. The constitution which was the foundation on which Quaid-i-Azam wanted to build structure of a democratic welfare was intentionally delayed to serve the vested interests of few. It is this conspiracy which has nurtured in this country a culture whereby every illegality has been regularized as a past and closed transaction.
When Pakistan was created, a new class of novae rich was created through filing fake claims for Evacuee Property, left behind by an affluent non-Muslim community. This group together with former members of Unionist Party or Zamaidara Party, who had been lavishly rewarded by British Raj for serving foreign occupation, acquired political power and laid foundations of politics without any principles, where sole purpose was to acquire power and wealth, instead of serving people, or strengthening democracy. It is this class which conspired to serve a military dictator Ayub Khan and pervert the image of Muslim League by making it into the King’s party, which it never was under Quaid-i-Azam, Allama Iqbal, Maulvi Fazal ul Haq and other pioneers of freedom movement. Unfortunately this group comprised of both those who were born in areas that constituted Pakistan and those who had migrated from Muslim minority areas of undivided India. The vast majority were those who were either illiterate, or had barely any education. It is in such circumstances that men with qualifications for either clerical jobs, or in some cases even those hired as foot constables, but who excelled in deceit or fraud went from rags to riches. There is a long list of such beneficiaries ranging from Zahoor Elahi to Yunus Habib etc. It was not just fake claims for property but also fake birth certificates and fake degrees that were submitted and accepted without any scrutiny by this nexus between establishment and opportunists. They exercised control over a regulated media to distort the vision of our founding fathers for establishment of a modern democratic welfare state to be replaced by a security state. Today we are bickering on verge of economic collapse, while lawlessness, flight of capital, brain drain and rampant corruption hinder foreign and domestic investment.
MALIK TARIQ ALI,
Lahore, March 14.