I would like to believe that the Aaj TV interview of former President Farooq Leghari had high viewing, and that it had viewers contemplating about some of his grim observations and recollections. That he speaks very well is an understatement.
He speaks forcefully, with passion and conviction. And the fact that he has been a President of the country, makes an enormous difference.
It is a fact, that he is a former president and it makes one attract to what he said about the need for accountability of all those who have been in power, without exception, and that there was a need to have them declare all their assets. "There should be no exception, and no exemptions", he said categorically.
Sardar Farooq Leghari who also founded the former Millat Party, was appearing in the Aaj TV programme called 'Siasat', with compere Khalid Zaheer as well as an audience that asked very pertinent questions.
Advocating strongly the need for soul searching to be done in Pakistan, it was interesting to see the easy manner in which he recalled details of the circumstances, the context and the other relevant details of how and why the Millat Party was formed.
It was as if it was a revolt against the working and the attitudes of the Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (N). He said that after the poor performance of the Benazir and the Nawaz Sharif governments, he was of the view that Pakistan needed to get strong and that this was possible only through democracy and its judiciary. In his view that Pakistan two main issues and challenges were centered around the themes of prices and unemployment. He added that even today these were the two main challenges, implying if they be overcome it would change the face of Pakistani society.
The former president was critical of the Charter of Democracy that had been signed by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif and said that he wondered about the meetings of the two political leaders who met in the London mansion of a former Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency .He added that such people who had taken away the resources of Pakistan ,should be made to return the "loot" as the money belonged to the poor people of Pakistan.
In what must surely be regarded as a thematically strong political interview Sardar Farooq Leghari underlined that he had an agricultural background ,but added that his lands had been reduced substantially after the land reforms in the country. He remarked that there were such individuals who had more urban land than those who had agricultural land ,but no one talked about that. He said that sometimes there was a light-hearted conversation wherein it was said that a shop in Anarkali in Lahore was a better and financially attractive proposition than most agricultural land.
Sardar Farooq Leghari also took notice of the activists jurists, social reformers and journalists who were focusing on the need to have rule of law and its sustained supremacy. It was a good interview all the way.
It is certainly and appropriately timed, this focus on the local bodies scene, for which the nazims are being called in to answer questions, live and on line. I have just seen a promo of the Aaj TV programme called "Nazim On Line" in which the Lahore city Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood is himself announcing that he will be appearing on TV to talk to the citizens.
Now while there is this Aaj TV focus on the Nazim theme, the Geo has a programme called "Nazim Hazir Ho" One would like to believe that this is a reflection of the growing value of local government, and the manner in which priorities are changing in Pakistani society. In fact, I have noticed that the City Nazim, Karachi, for instance is frequently asked questions about the problems that are being faced by him, and the citizens, and he has to answer by saying that there are over a dozen agencies working in Karachi, and the absence of the required degree of co-ordination and harmony amongst them.
In my channel surfing I have seen some parts of these interviews with nazims, and one of the points that came through was the impatience of the citizen when it came to seeking solutions and finding answers to their day to day civic problems .Should one regard that as a healthy sign? And that now the electronic media is also playing a useful role in the creation of public opinion and public pressure on the elected leaders. These are the sort of thoughts that come to mind.
The Aryone channel had in its programme 'Views on News' (anchor person Dr Shahid Masood) a very engaging question answer programme last week, and the three participants included the City Nazim Karachi, Syed Mustafa Kamal. He spoke realistically and forcefully and I am certain that he reflected the views of many Karachiites.
One would like to refer here to a news report from the news agency PPI, which was headlined as "Kamal invites NAB to probe city government affairs." I am reminded here of the sugar scam that has been reported in the country, and the NAB stepped in. Then it was apparently asked to step back, or else there would be a complete and severe sugar crisis in the country.
Now in this news report it has been stated that "the city Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has presented himself for accountability and asked the National Accountability Bureau to probe all affairs of the city government from the day he assumed charge to date and make its report public."
He was quoted as saying that "I present myself as a city nazim for accountability. I ask the NAB to hold a thorough probe into my assets. I am ready to face every punishment if a single extra rupee is proved in my assets." He said this while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on "corruption free society - suggestions and measures " at the Al Markaz-e-Islami.
The seminar was organised by the City District Government in association with the NAB Sindh.
It was very significant to hear from him that we were not living in an ideal society and that the 125,000 employees of the city government were part of this very society, and hence could be affected by the evils that exist here .He added that the old perceptions that work could not be done in the city government without "greasing the palms" was gradually changing for the better.
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