The unprecedented events of the last two weeks have unveiled some of the realities and brought forth where the nation stands in terms of patriotism, ethical and moral values of its political and religious leaders, the civil and judicial cadre of the nation, the media and the businessmen of this nation. The facts that surfaced are really depressing.
The first shock wave came in late March 2016, when a religious gathering at Islamabad staged a sit-in at D-Chowk after damaging public and private property including the newly positioned metro bus in which travels the poor and middle class. Religious leaders in this part of the world largely enjoy the privilege of role models and they are expected to perform the task of peace and tranquillity. This perception was put to test at the sit-in at D-Chowk. Chaudhry Nisar, the Interior Minister of the country, put a question mark on their credentials based on their conduct throughout the protest and specially on account of the foul language reportedly used by some religious leaders against the government and opponents.
The revelations emerging out of the Panama leak confirms what has been appearing in media for a long time but denied by politicians and others suspected of using safe havens for the custody of their assets. Little did they realise that fate takes its own course.
The objective of the political parties in the opposition is apparently to 'witch-hunt' PM Nawaz Sharif while condoning the conduct of others named in the list, who have, in fact, been directly named as beneficiaries in the Panama Papers. This act of the opposition is abetted by the print or electronic media whose focus is also the PM. This is a mistake, it will never serve the national interest.
The intention of the political parties appears more of self-aggrandisement than anything to do with the national interest. While one political party seeks PM's ouster with a view to paving way for early elections, the other wants to derive benefits for itself as a trade-off to ease pressure on a besieged PM. What is common among both parties is that they both want to keep the PM under pressure but for different objectives.
The Panama leak is just a trailer and a strong reflection of the conduct and true face of our political leaders, politicians, business leaders, civil servants and people of means. The issue is far more complex than this sampling provided in the Panama leak. Moreover, many similar 'leaks' are likely to follow. The current media hype will be history in the next one month or so with little or no consequence for the nation.
The issue is that the whole system of state governance and morality is collapsing. Revelations emerging from Rangers' action in Sindh, exposing massive financial and political irregularities, are mind-boggling. The current Rangers' operation in Punjab will throw up new revelations. This week the Defence Ministry briefed the Senate's panel about the Indian Intelligence agency RAW's network aiming to carry out espionage and subversive activities against Pakistan. This was the first briefing on RAW's involvement of unrest in Pakistan since the issue came under a renewed focus following the arrest of Kulbhushan Yadav. The other day, General Raheel Sharif expressed concerns about RAW that is blatantly involved in activities aimed at undermining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The most dramatic revelation about RAW's involvement in Pakistan came from Britain's former deputy head of mission in Karachi, Shaharyar Khan Niazi, who on the strength of the "insider information", revealed at an exclusive interview on a TV channel that MQM leader Altaf Hussain "voluntarily told" the British government that he works for RAW and that the British government and Scotland Yard had evidence that a written agreement existed between MQM and RAW. He further "revealed" that the former interior minister, Rahman Malik, was aware of the same. An MQM source and the former minister, however, termed the claim baseless. Such three happenings in two weeks make clear where this nation of 200 million people is heading.
The following is a poem written by Sir Walter Scott which has relevance to what is going on around us:
'Breathes there the man'
Breathes there the man, with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land!
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burn'd,
As home his footsteps he hath turn'd,
From wandering on a foreign strand!
If such there breathe, go, mark him well,
For him no Minstrel raptures swell,
High though his titles, proud by his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim,
Despite those titles, power, and pelf,
The wretch, concerted all in self,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonour'd and unsung.
While growing as a young child in mid 50s, I memorised this poem taught in our school which I remember to this day. Growing up in a budding new nation which promised a better land I could not then imagine that there can ever exist a man not sincere to Pakistan. Today I cannot say the same.
(The writer is former President Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
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