Profound times

30 Jun, 2012

This refers to a media report that the PPP will not accept any neutral prime minister in formation of a caretaker setup, prior to the holding of the next general election, who would write the dreaded letter to the Swiss authority to open cases of graft and corruption against the Zardari-Bhutto clan.
Writing on the wall for PM Raja Pervez Ashraf, a.k.a. Raja Rental is all there in bold letters, ie, "write the letter to the Swiss authorities as directed by the Supreme Court, or get ready to take the next bus to Gujjar Khan, log, stock and barrel". If PM Raja Ashraf, like his predecessor, Gilani, refuses to write the letter, he will meet the same fate - disgracefully sacked and disqualified for 5 years to hold any public office.
The apex court cannot and should not treat Raja Ashraf any differently than his predecessor. Expediency is neither law, nor a doctrine of necessity. Law is law and justice will have to be dispensed equally, without any exception, period. The only consolation, that too, a fat one, Raja Ashraf will take home, are the monthly stipend, perks and privileges he is entitled to as an ex-PM, at the expense of the taxpayers of the impoverished nation. How despicable and disgusting.
There should also be no doubts that the PPP and its all coalition partners, including Maulana Fazlur Rahman, (looking feverishly all the time for a pound of flesh and getting it, too), the MQM, a permanent fixture of every government since 1988, the ANP with its ever absent party president and the ever manipulative PML-Q, with almost half of its legislators in the current federal cabinet and Moonis Elahi off the hook, will support Zardari and the PPP, all the way to have their way for the appointment of yet another lackey as the caretaker prime minister, for the pliable and subservient parliament has been reduced to Islamabad city pound, where the word 'conscience' does not exist!
The nation is left with only two following options: (1) the Supreme Judiciary should take it upon itself to directly write the letter to the relevant Swiss authority to reaffirm, reopen and reclaim ownership to the laundered money by directing the Registrar of the Supreme Court to write and dispatch the letter to the Swiss authority, after its unambiguous text has been duly reviewed and vetted by the apex court, or, (2) the Supreme Court to invoke article 190 of the constitution, call up on and direct all State institutions to follow and comply with the Supreme Court's order to implement its decision under the above constitutional provision. The role of the army in this regard will be critical and would determine whose side it is on.

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