Our political leadership irrespective of party has established new traditions by not adhering to the laws of the state and feel pride in violating them and allowing their supporters to follow the trend. We have created a history in cursing, abusing, threatening, maligning all institutions of the country and ridiculing them on daily basis.
We set bad examples in arresting sitting session’s judge from the court, attacking Supreme Court and criticizing superior court judges if the cases were not decided in their favor. We have been amending the constitution suiting to individual conveniences. It is on record we systematically destroyed industrial units by appointing cronies and filling them by party workers. PSE’s were converted in to employment exchange and people were employed without any proportion. Under the cover of privatization we sold profit making enterprises in pea nuts and retained loss making units because it was of no use to buyers and sellers. Pakistan Steel and PIA are the glaring examples of our gross negligence. We sold PTCL 26% shares and handed over to Etisalat who still owe us $800 million. There has been massive corruption in almost all the state enterprises.
Observations of Auditor General are thrown in the dust bin. Our system of handling corruption is unique as compared to other countries. All corrupt people are given VIP protocol and when they come to court to face corruption charges are accompanied by hundreds of workers to put pressure on courts. We have seen how late Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah had to run from his chamber to save his life from the attacking mob.
Since the Panama leaks we have witnessed grand show by politicians of all parties how they treat our courts and honourable judges. We have seen even Supreme Court’s decision are not implemented, contempt of court has become a routine affair, they do it later on appear say sorry.
No one can deny that in Pakistan there are two set of laws one for the elite one for the poor. It is also true that law is only applied on poor and their cases are disposed off in shortest possible time
What is worrying is that in most of the cases our respected politicians and people from other segment of society do not respect the laws of the land and crush them under their feet, that means there is something wrong with the system as a whole. That would ultimately lead to anarchy; in fact spade work has started.
Recent example is return to jail by Nawaz Sharif who broke complete chain of law and has set new trend that no one can force them to obey the law of land. According to jail manual prisoners have to report at 5 PM. There is no provision that a convict can move in rally with hundreds of workers creating hurdles for law enforcement agencies to maintain law and order. A person who has been three times Prime Minister of Pakistan should have set an example of being law abiding citizen, but he chose the other option to send message that no law can be applied on him. In fact as a self respecting citizen his entry in jail should have been on a quiet note.
At present it appears that our politicians are in no mood to follow rule of law. Pakistan’s problem number one is not Sharif, Zardari, or Imran but our real problem is absence of rule of law. Leaders have to set a personal example, though they are setting good examples but in opposite direction. What is happening in Parliament for the last 8 months, opposition is united on one issue that no official business will be allowed except for shouting on each other and crowding around speakers desk and using filthy language. They want to keep the momentum high not to allow government to move any bill and then declare government’s failure and go for early elections
PTI came with a new slogan of making Naya Pakistan; it appears now as a distant dream because nothing seems to be in control. Economically we are hard hit and left with no choice to take dictation of IMF, in our case we are employing people from IMF team to get bailout package. In principle it is a principal error on the part of the government. What is more disturbing that slogan of austerity has died its own death before it could take start. One question why import cars when we have plants in Pakistan. why import luxury items when locally made stuff is available in Pakistan. Government has just to regulate the prices and not allow manufacturers to fix the price according to their whims. It appears everything is out of control. Just to quote an example appointment of Chairman FBR whose name was put in ECL as circulated on social media. A good person intelligent hard working honest and good choice but with name in ECL cannot be appointed. I am sure his name must have been taken off but there has been no clarification from the government. Why home work was not done
In fact bureaucracy is not cooperating for simple reason they are not consulted while taking decisions at national level. We do have very competent officers why borrow from outside? Prime Minister has decided to change the old hands with new but this should have been done in first two weeks, now it is too late. Opposition is against the government, coalition partners are not happy with the ministries given to them and they are demanding more share, government is standing on 7 votes a delicate majority that can be disturbed any time. Situation is very alarming, issues are not being taken seriously, adhocism has become the order of the day, immaturity is reflected in each and every action, therefore every action by government is challenged, there is no improvement in governance same old procedures are being followed . What is alarming that government writ is being challenged openly and that should not be allowed. If this trend is not stopped it may result in a big disaster. In the words of Lord Chesterfield Firmness of purpose is one of the most necessary sinews of character, and one of the best instruments of success. Without it, genius wastes its efforts in a maze of inconsistencies.