By deciding to
grant political indemnity for politicians, bureaucrats and
businessmen by the government under the pretence of "national
reconciliation" it is finally losing whatsoever face
and credit it has had before. By this new ordinance also the
last bid for any accountability in this country has been successfully
put to rest.
The looting of Pakistan's resources by its leading feudal,
political and bureaucratic families by now has created a situation
where even the common man doesn't understand any more why
he should live within his means and earn his bread honestly
when all the bigwigs are filling their coffers and live a
life of affluence while never any action is taken against
them. This situation is well known internationally also where
the donors experience the vanishing funds in any project;
investors have to deal with rising corruption in any field
of economic and administrative activity. In everyday life
corruption, fraud and cheating is going on unabated. At any
time and any place one has to be ready to face any of these
criminal activities in our everyday dealings with shopkeepers,
craftsmen, landlords or any other part of society. While each
of us knows countless examples of smaller such incidents in
our nearer surrounding, the latest big case has been without
any doubt the artificial flour crisis in the holy month of
Ramzan created by a combination of false reports about a bumper
crop and illegal hoarding and selling of flour and wheat on
higher prices to neighbouring markets by ruthless elements
of this society all of whom will now be exempted from accountability
under the cover of electioneering. This very government has
been unable to deal with it because they themselves and their
political allies are among those who are filling their pockets,
which they justify as required to win forthcoming elections.
As a matter of fact Pakistan is excelling first and foremost
in one field: it is holding a leading position in the list
of the most corrupt countries. Recognizing this year before
both the governments of BB and Nawaz Sharif had installed
accountability courts in order to give at least a resemblance
of 'justice' delivered in this country. But both of them failed
in this endeavour miserably because neither of the two has
any ill feelings about their own corruptions or those of anybody
else and the only aim of the whole exercise was to find a
way to cut to size the respective political enemy. One of
the first initiatives taken by the Musharraf government was
to install a National Accountability Bureau in a renewed bid
to deliver justice in this country. This time the high claim
had been about across-the-board accountability without political
victimization. This pledge had soon to be "put into perspective"
by taking the army and the judiciary out from the process.
Yesterday's "national reconciliation bid" now closes
the door upon this chapter of any future Pakistani accountability
also to bring the plunderers of national wealth before the
bar of justice. The strong desire for power of this government
finally has successfully overcome all moral scruples, if any,
and judicial hurdles. The "indispensability syndrome"
of the current civil and military leaders has resulted in
an unholy alliance of the power-hungry and corrupt to the
core. Any small thief or cheater can now feel relieved being
much less harmful than the ruling elite in the government
and opposition: current and future! So they say, "Rishwat
laiker pakra jaa, aur Rishwat deker bahar Aa."
