ppp – My Bit for Change

Goodbye Mr President

Good Bye Mr.President. Those who announced to drag you on streets gave you an honourable farewell in the end. Five years of Zardari regime will be remembered in the history of Pakistan. Corruption, incompetency, lawlessness and ‘mofahimat’ (reconciliation) are the ‘golden’ words of Zardari’s era. If our memory is not too short, we must not forget the long list of corruption scandals PPP government got on its credit. It can easily be marked as the most incompetent government of all times which failed to solve any crisis whatsoever. Rather, it made everything worse. No doubt, it inherited a lot of issues from the regime of Musharraf but it is also a reality that people think of Musharraf era, a’ lesser evil’ in comparison with Zardari tenure.

When Zardari came into power after assassination of his wife, he raised the slogan ‘Pakistan khappey’ which was welcomed across the board. But his decisions/actions were contrary to his slogans. Main goal of the regime was to install Jiyalas on every post and reward PPP stalwarts as if Pakistan was their inherited property.
Incompetency to solve the economic, energy and security issues proved to be disastrous for Pakistan. They raised the slogan that Democracy is the best revenge and indeed the nation felt the revenge. Moreover, murderers of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto remained at large throughout PPP era.

It’s easy to criticize a government which is gone now. Especially when people have given them a real life feedback for their bad governance in the recent years, yet we should not forget that Pakistan touched all lows in Zardari’s era. Zardari has left the office thinking about reorganizing the party to get the next turn or may be bringing Bilawal Bhutto forward to take the next turn. But political legacies and their alternating turns should come to an end now.

PM Nawaz Sharif bade farewell to Zardari in a cordial manner. Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif must be reminded of their speeches of the election days when they were openly abusing Zardari. That’s the dilemma of Pakistani politics. The language of public gathering is totally different from drawing room meetings for our politicians. Whatever they promise with public, they easily forget it behind the close doors.

Will Sharif’s be any different in the office? We have to see carefully. They have installed a puppet in the President house. PM holds key ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence with him and Finance ministry is already out for loans. But I hope that they work responsibly towards national issues. The government has five years to go and I believe they should be given a fair chance to show their real face or service. I believe if Pakistan can survive the disastrous era of Zardari, it will be able to survive the era of Nawaz Sharif also and then people will realize that they are two sides of the same coin.
Zardari era is gone, but the memories will chase us even in the nightmares.

A Brave New Pakistan Under Construction

The election results have without doubt been the most decisive in Pakistan’s tortuous path towards political maturity. While it may be considered a setback for those seeking change, it was indeed a heavy price paid by the governing PPP ruled by the Bhutto dynasty. Their mismanagement of Pakistan ranged from the devastating floods to the rising cost of living; consequently pushing millions more into poverty. They managed to worsen Pakistan’s image, as foreign aid became the staple of corrupt officials holding onto power. Few can forget their endorsement of Drone attacks, which has claimed thousands of innocent lives thereby etched in the memories of the Pakistani electorate. The results have almost ravaged the People’s Party (PPP) which may have confirmed a permanent residence for father and son Zardari and Bilawal in the UAE and London. This outcome is major progress for Pakistan’s development when looking ahead. However, one shouldn’t disregard their historical comebacks even if their most recent success occurred on a wave of sympathy. Their political strategists will have the luxury of time to plan a return to front line politics.

The popularity of PTI in Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region has sent the most powerful message to the new government of Nawaz Sharif and any potential coalition partners concerning the terror of drone attacks. The people of this region perhaps couldn’t have been compensated with a more energised and vocal representative than Imran Khan which will ensure continued coverage of this volatile north-west region of Pakistan on a national and international level.

Another major force of continued scrutiny and exposure of the next administration is the invigorated and diverse media outputs, which largely filled the vacuum of any viable opposition over the last five years.

The remarkable achievement of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) can be better realised once we begin to appreciate the decades-old siege of two political superpowers, the Sharifs and the Bhuttos, with an estimated combined wealth of approximately $3.2 billion between them. PTI’s success in KPK provides a new front for Pakistani politics which was traditionally fought between Punjab and Sindh. They have introduced meritocracy, free from bonded loyalty, and led by their charismatic leader. We only need to compare them with the likes of UKIP here in England, who are yet to gain a parliamentary seat despite the accolades they were given by the British press as a serious threat to the Conservative Party. Even if we take the example of Liberal Democrats languishing as the third party for many years and often the butt of many jokes about their relevance, many pundits still predict their annihilation at the next general election in 2015 despite their coalition government status. PTI can therefore celebrate its position as the official opposition and fulfil the important role of providing the checks and balances needed for any civilised country claiming to uphold the basic tenets of a democratic state.

Nawaz Sharif can still turn this around if he can improve the economy and subsequently raise living standards as well as resolving the Afghan/Pakistan issue. Many will not criticise his confrontations with India during his previous premierships and many still praise him for testing the Nuclear bomb despite international pressure to hold back, which served as a counterforce to India’s nuclear threat. The Pakistani people are extremely resilient and forgiving despite having been let down in the past. If this is not the case, then Imran Khan’s PTI could make serious inroads over the next five years. In many ways this is a brave naya (new) Pakistan.

The Elusive Last Straw

I am such an idiot. I thought we should get that out of the way early.

Remember September?

When the whole blasphemy video issue happened? When the PPP “capitulated” to the religious right?

I remember certain people, who hold sway in the media, people who claim to be on the left, being deeply scarred by all of it. I remember their anger and outrage, and I remember them finally running out of patience with their beloved party.

I remember it being “the last straw”. And I remember believing them.

Silly me!

Corruption, poverty and just plain slaughter that goes on in Karachi every day is not of much concern for the intellectually gifted. It’s the pandering to the religious right, the targeting of minorities and the evil machinations of the military that fuel their fury.

Admirable! And perhaps, why September seemed like a turning point; a last straw. It was and it wasn’t.

September was a last straw that came after many last straws, and many last straws have come after it. Many will come. What will change? Nada.

There might be some noise made when the circumstances don’t allow otherwise, like in September, but most last straws don’t even register. The camel quite obviously is on steroids and the last straw is but a myth.

Proof, you ask me?

Well, what do you know about the Sunni Ittehad Council? Forget that religious parties are inherently against the “we want a secular state” brigade, the SIC also openly supported Mumtaz Qadri. Mumtaz Qadri, in case you have trouble recalling, is the man who killed Salman Taseer. Salman Taseer, in case you have more trouble recalling, is the man certain people remember every day as the hero who fought darkness, the knight in shining armour and other stuff in that category.

Now, there’s been an alliance involving the SIC and a “liberal” party Salman Taseer called his own. Et tu, anyone? Well, no one, at least no one in the “independent” media and hence; no last straw.

Moving on we observe that the independent media doesn’t only exercise its independence by giving the PPP a free pass. Enter Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz, hail Nawaz Sharif, the lord and owner of Punjab. There’s a strange kind of love for his highness Nawaz Sharif in our “leftist” press, despite his very Zia-ish roots.

It so happens that the saviours of our Shia community never question PMLNs shady links with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, past or present. And whilst PMLN might have entered into a declared alliance with ASWJ again, during the by-polls, chances are that the anchors will talk about the weather when Mr. Sharif graces her show.

Here too the last straw, needless to say, remains unattainable.

What about the military then?

“Military = Evil”. So, Military+PMLN+PPP = Outrage. This is just simple math, right?

Not quite.

All of you will be pleased to know that in light of Supreme Court’s Asghar Khan case judgement, which stated that military was indeed involved in rigging elections, PPP have done the honourable thing.

The party proudly announced that they will not be probing Punjab owner Nawaz Sharif for taking ISI money and the Asghar Khan case was, their words not mine; buried.

The military interference and the ISI money and the stealing of the people’s mandate; all forgiven. Surely this is the bloody last straw?

In your dreams!

So to recap, in the space of a half a week, the PPP and PMLN have combined to

1) Protect election rigging, the famed will of the people.
2) Give cover to military interference and protect culprits in this regard.
3) Form alliances with sectarian outfits blamed for much of the violence against Shias in the country.
4) Form alliances with religious outfits supporting the murder of a sitting governor over the blasphemy law.

And yet no last straw! Actually, no straw at all!

Since 3rd December, when SIC-PPP alliance came to light, till today, here’s how the honest and upright, the “dissenters”, have reacted:

The English media, famous for their knack of spotting ASWJ flags, did not have an editorial on ASWJ-PMLN, nor did these teary-eyed Taseer fans give space to PPP-SIC. The newspapers also abstained from commenting on PPPs general amnesty for military interference.

Not a single one of “always excellent” op-ed writers was bothered by these trivial happenings. In fact the folks in these “newspapers”, God bless their unbiased heart, did not even report the SIC-PPP alliance.

Beyond pathetic isn’t it. Depressing even!

All is not lost though, for these people will find their voices again once the PPP and PMLN are not in the picture.

Now when that happens, and it will happen, I would be thankful if everyone, respectfully, tells them to take their appreciation for Taseer, their concern for the Shias, their disdain for the deep state, alongside that elusive last straw and bury it all for good.

With Friends Like These

Is safeguarding the life and rights of religious minorities a responsibility of the government? In the context of Pakistan, present or past, it appears not to be the case.

So is the targeted killing and persecution of religious minorities actually a credit to the government?

If you follow a certain Mr. Faisal Raza Abidi, it would seem so. For wherever Faisal Raza goes these days, he wears the badge of minority rights with great pride and greater pompousness. It’s quite mesmerizing actually.

For instance, I was dumbfounded when I saw him invoking the names of Shia leaders, at the top of his voice, to batter an anchor into submission. The fact that these leaders had been killed on the watch of a PPP government that seemed not in the least bit interested, or bothered, about their life or death, was lost on Abidi.

We have seen a lot in the last four years or so, granted. But vying for political mileage over dead bodies? That too of people you were sworn to and failed to, or didn’t want to, protect. I really cannot come up with an analogy.

You may ask what allows Abidi and company to get away this. How can they stand by and watch as their citizens are butchered and then shout about it on TV? Well, it’s the media, or a certain section of the media.

This is the section that lays claim to be the champions of free speech, of tolerance and are great friends of the minorities in Pakistan. They are also great friends of the PPP, but don’t say that out loud. Irony, isn’t it?

It’s peculiar how these mild mannered folk, who believe in tolerance and abhor abusive trolls, love the slightly less mild mannered Mr. Abidi. It’s also peculiar how they oversee, every day, what the PPP has done to minorities in Pakistan.

How? The “Deep State” (Establishment)! It remains the refuge of the PPP apologist. They hide behind it, pleading that their liberal party is helpless. They say the party’s hands are tied.

Yet there is much they don’t say.

They don’t say how there is more sectarian strife in the country today than when the military was directly in power, under Musharraf. They don’t say how the siege of Shia-Hazaras in Balochistan intensified under the current regime or how the PPP Chief Minister can’t even feign pity for them. Let alone the President.

They don’t say how this government has failed to control growth of sectarian outfits throughout the country, from Sindh to Gilgit to Balochistan. They don’t say that the PPP has failed to introduce stricter anti-terrorism legislation either. Apparently, the ‘Deep State’ wanted to do away with the third time prime minister clause instead? It also demanded public office holders be granted immunity from contempt proceedings.

It’s not that these people don’t have a voice. They speak ferociously enough, just not when the “secular” parties are involved. Just imagine, if “Sheeda Tully” was involved in forceful conversion of Hindu girls. But it was a PPP MNA, so he’s safe. Similarly, imagine if a ‘Right-Wing’ government were to incarcerate an eleven year old Christian girl on blasphemy charges. Now imagine the state of the self-proclaimed liberal anchors, writers, bloggers and activists! Exactly!

The fact is, an ulema council has actually come out to support the girl. In the meantime, former Prime Minister, upholder of the constitution and champion of the masses, Yousaf Raza Gillani has claimed credit for Bhutto’s Ahmadi achievement.

None of these champions of minority rights will ask the PPP why they have been this inhuman, this unmoved and this complicit in the atrocities committed. They will instead write one harrowing tale after the other, each ending before the victims can lodge a complaint against their government. A government that not only abandoned them, it persecuted them as well.

It is, however, a PPP government, so that must not make it to the papers. It doesn’t need to, man. You wrote a vague story from a distant land, such bravery would put a lion to shame. You outdid yourself sire. Your best article ever, for the third time this week! And it goes on..

Young “jiyalas” don’t grow up to be unbiased commentators. A Radio only broadcasts its feed. Institutes don’t fund themselves.

There is so much this county has given to minorities, isn’t there. And prominent among our many gifts – are friends like these.