"Après moi, le déluge" ("After me the déluge). Louis XV the king of France said that some 250 years ago. President Musharraf said that 5 years ago. And our PM Gilani said that 5 days ago though not in the same words. The PM spoke on length in the Parliament mid week last and reiterated parts thereof on the next two days. The main burden of his speeches was Memogate and PPP's resolve to complete the term.
What he has not thought fit to talk about on those occasions or in the near past were subjects like the power and gas shortage crippling the industry and burdening the life of common man beyond endurance and what the government is doing about these and in what time frame. Neither did he speak about inflation reducing the middle and low-income groups to starvation levels or whether there are any plans to curtail the colossal expenditure on the personal upkeep of the President, the PM and the Army of ministers so as to divert the money to reduce poverty and starvation in the country. We therefore confine our observations below to what the PM actually said on the occasions mentioned. What do you think about both?
"Après moi, le déluge" Said PM Gilani: "If I go down, all will fall and there will be no polls in our lifetime". Spotlight: Let the PM not get too excited about the future of democracy in the country on account of what happens or does not happen to him! We all know from what we have seen of the PPP rule of the four years under Gilani that he would hardly be missed by any one in his government or in the opposition. Everyone knows that all decisions during the period have come from the President or were taken under influence of discreet nudges or shoves of the establishment. The PM has not counted for much.
Said PM Gilani rather mysteriously: "I know the MP (who was in touch with Mansoor Ijaz) but I will not name him. It is a conspiracy against the President." Spotlight: Why not Mr Prime Minister? Name him and get done with it while also explaining why it is wrong for any one in Pakistan to communicate with Mansoor Ijaz or anyone else in the world as long as it was not part of a conspiracy. We all know that our man in America (enjoying complete trust of the President and allegedly comfortably bypassing you in all matters) was allegedly himself constantly in touch with Mansoor Ijaz if not in cohort with him.
Said the PM: "My forefathers played a role in the Pakistan movement but now we have to take a certificate of patriotism from others." Spotlight: Respectfully Mr Prime Minister, the role and reputation of your respected forefathers are not in question at the moment. History will be a judge of that. What is relevant today is the state of governance in the country under your stewardship (ok, nominal stewardship) especially in the context of decision making free of foreign influences or alleviating the lot of the poor of this country.
Declared the PM: "Mansoor Ijaz, the writer of the so-called memo who is not a Pakistani citizen, has no credibility at all." Spotlight: Why were you then in such a hurry Mr Prime Minister, in asking the President's man in US to resign?
Announced the PM: "I asked Ambassador Haqqani to resign in the presence of the President, Chief of the Army Staff and DG ISI. I picked up the phone and asked chairman Parliamentary Committee on National Security to probe the matter."
Spotlight: No comment.Charged the PM: The illness of the president had been unnecessarily made an issue. "Any person can fall ill but illness has become a sin in this case."
Spotlight: If the news released by the PM, by Farhatullah Babar, by other spokespersons and leaders of the PPP are read together they give an impression of both deep panic as well as desperate attempts to hide the truth. Imagine Hillary Clinton issuing President Zardari's health bulletin!
Explained PM Gilani: The President could not be treated in hospitals in Pakistan for security reasons, so he opted to go to Dubai. He said the President's father remained on a ventilator for a month but he could not visit him for security reasons, as he faced threats to his life. The government had even arrested some people who wanted to target the President.
Spotlight: Shakespeare reported King Henry IV's lament thus: "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown". It must be terrible to have a crown on one's head. The PM also wears a crown being the Chief Executive of the country. It also explains why PM's motorcades numbering perhaps fifty vehicles or more cause roads to be closed to traffic for ordinary people for hours at a time leading to deaths of people who cannot reach hospitals in time and to women giving birth in Rickshaws. We think those elected to wear a crown should be put into solitary confinement till the crown is knocked off their heads. They could then enjoy freedoms experienced by ordinary mortals. And, by the way, who are the people arrested for targeting the President and has an FIR been lodged?
Challenged PM Gilani: If anyone did not like his face then that someone should bring a no-confidence motion to replace him.
Spotlight: No one dislikes PM's face. His handsome appearance and great dressing style and dandy suits are the talk of the town and not just in Pakistan. No less a person than world celebrity Angelina Jolie had said he could do just as well in show biz!
Asked PM Gilani of the opposition: Could they form a government in case he stepped down? Spotlight: For a change you said something right, Mr Prime Minister. The opposition today is hardly in a position to form a cohesive government. A caretaker government could fill the gap should you step down, however.
Vowed the PM: All foreign policy decisions, including relations with the United States and ISAF, India and Afghanistan, the Kashmir issue as well as decisions on all national issues, would now be taken by parliament. Spotlight: Why did you not try to do these things during all of the three plus years you have been PM, sir?
Claimed PM Gilani: The issue of the Nato attack on our check-posts had also been referred to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and it would be for parliament to take a decision as per the recommendations of the committee. He said the government took a courageous decision reflecting the aspirations of the people and in line with the resolutions of parliament and APC.
Spotlight: Well said but it is months since the Parliament passed a resolution asking the government to stop supplies to Nato forces, take steps to prevent drone attacks and in general to revisit our relations with America. Pertinent question: how many resolutions and how much time must elapse before we see some action.
The recent actions in that direction (tentative stoppage of Nato supplies, vacation of Shamsi Base and boycott of Bonn Conference) resulted more from Army's anger at the deliberate attack on its outpost than from Parliament's resolutions. We have still to learn what was happening in and from Shamsi Base all through the period of Gilani's premiership.
PM on corruption: About corruption in the Government and in Public Sector the PM used the same tiresome ploy his spokespersons use in talk shows: other governments in Pakistan were corrupt as well. The PM then goes on to ask the parliament to debate the issues concerning the public sector organisations and come up with recommendations, which would be welcomed by the government.
Spotlight: But the level of corruption under his premiership is unprecedented having crossed all bounds. One proof of this is Steel Mill bankrupt, half of PIA aircraft grounded, Railways incapacitated and dying, NILC and OGDC profusely bleeding. This never got as bad in the past as it is now. As for recommendations let us help the PM with some of our own:
Do not appoint incompetent and corrupt people to high office. Do not make miserable the life of honest officials and do not make them non-functional by every executive trick under the sun when they get too close for the President's or the PM's comfort to catch the culprits said to be near and dear to them.
PM on corruption in Balochistan: The PM argued all parties are represented in the Balochistan government. It follows in his words: "Whether they are performing well or not is not my business and I do not care whether they are utilising the funds judiciously, as it is the people who elected them who should question them." Spotlight: Unbelievable! This is close as one can get to saying I have no work to do!
(owajid@yahoo.com)