Mr Zardari is to be congratulated on his idiosyncratic political fiat as he and his team was able to get a reprieve from the Swiss judicial authorities, even though it was based on the immunity he enjoys as the president of this unfortunate country. What happens once he is no longer the president and if there is an honest government, remains to be seen?
However, the decision of the Swiss government does not absolve him of all the crimes he may have committed. There is still the matter of six millions US dollars at the heart of the case which were released and subsequently shifted to some other account, which rightly belong to the poor people of Pakistan. Their whereabouts remain to be discovered. There is the case of his Surrey Mansion, the French Chateau and the UN based food for oil case which all needs to be explained and brought to their logical conclusion.
No doubt Mr Zardari has shown his mettle as an astute politician and has ran circles around the likes of Mian Nawaz, Altaf Hussain and Maulana Fazal to name a few; it is only regretted that he did not use his prowess for the good of the country and the people. He could have done so much during the last five years, during which even the army had taken a vow of non-interference. No doubt now the onus of the critical economic and social conditions of the country rest solely on his shoulders, due to his misplaced reliance on his corrupt cronies and criminals and known looters and tax dodgers.
It is also surprising to note that the photographs of Benazir Bhutto are missing from his, as well as the PM’s background, during TV and press coverage in their meeting with dignitaries. Democracy has certainly done him and his buddies a lot of good. The less said about the lot of the people, the better. May Allah save us from a return of the current political dispersion!
MAHMOOD L MALIK,
February 13.