Opinion Maker

Asif Zardari and his corrupt regime are undermining Pakistan’s national interests in a very sophisticated way. Appointment of corrupt, incompetent and compromised people on the top position is on top of his agenda. He has learnt to bypass the state system of governance that is how Hussain Haqani was able to issue visas to black water mercenaries from Washington and his close relative from UAE and Rehman Malik is reportedly running his dodgy businesses abroad and allegedly passing on classified information as well as signing secret agreements to harm Pakistani national interests. Someone said now, ‘Rehman Malik will either be promoted or diluted by President Zardari as he has started his own lobbying to become ‘Mr big’ in post Zardari era. Every one is blackmailing every one in Pakistan?

By Dr Shahid Qureshi

The wave of scandals of political, moral and financial corruption in Pakistan has now reached its boiling point. The most laughable state of affair in Mehran Bank scandal is that; ‘politicians are undermining each other and accusing each other because some of them took money from middlemen bankers allegedly instructed by the state premier security agency ISI. But what about those who took and/or are taking money from foreign governments?

This case is actually a dossier against the army, secret agency and politicians of Pakistan. No doubt all of them behaved in appropriately? The culture of taking favours after retirements is keeping the door of corruption open and is harmful in the end. This what happened in Asghar Khan Case? In journalism source protection is paramount. It is expected from professional journalists to protect their source or sources even if they have to go to prison. There are senior journalists in Pakistan who were brave enough to practice this code. It is a matter of trust on journalists and it is expected that they will not reveal anything to the public and put lives of their sources at risk. For the very reason people all over the world trust journalists and not spies. By submitting an affidavit statement in the Supreme Court of Pakistan about this ‘covert operation’ former ISI chief General Asad Durrani broke this unwritten code of conduct? This kind of actions surely harms the reputation of the institution? Who cares in Pakistan? One of many tried and tested tactics of demolishing nation states is discrediting its national political leadership and promoting worthless petty regional leaders and then fanning regionalism. These regionalist and ethnic puppets are groomed long time before the actual time last hit. Surely constitutional loopholes already in place will help to legitimise the disintegration of a nation state. This whole drama of ‘provincial autonomy’ and weaken of federation is directly linked with disintegration plan. If you take all the financial controls from federation the nation states will automatically disintegrate as federation will not have anything to give to its provincial units? This model has been used in the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. Interestingly no such model of states/ provincial autonomy like people advocating in Pakistan is available in the US constitution.

Systematic destruction of state institutions and discrediting of its leaders or installing puppets who facilitate this destruction goes simultaneously with what mentioned above. All in all the current head on confrontations of state institutions is happening by design and not a mere coincident? All the ‘assets’ in Pakistan are whole heartedly at work and supporting the ‘Queen bee’ installed in Pakistan. I don’t know why is it so hard for Pakistani analysts and journalists to understand that how and why these politicians with big egos and guns behaving like wax dummies? These are the very powerful people who would murder any one raise voice against them in Pakistan. Why are they taking decisions and making alliances with sworn enemies and with those who has blood of each others on their hands? They have killed each other’s fathers and brothers in the name of politics. ‘For them US is us’. That ‘US bond’ is the strongest bond in Pakistan. Pakistan is still a third world country with its first world educated elite and leaders. This elite use examples of western democracies when it comes to their rule and power but use third world brutal tactics when it comes to giving rights to the people. They are not confused but corrupt to the bones. When one look at the characters like Riaz Lal Jee, Younas Habib, Yousaf Memon, Malik Riaz, Hussain Lawai, Kanani and Kalia, and others, one wonders why all these people are coming from the same community. They all have one thing in common that they were poor to the bones and become rich by corruption and corrupt mentality? It is interesting to see them all giving donations to the mosques and charities, running illegal bookies, supplying all kind of fleshy and liquid entertainments to the powerful when needed. They conspire against people by staying behind the scenes and provoking others to fight their dirty wars. For them words, like honour, respect, courage, nationalism are meaningless. They are the main financiers of gang wars and terrorism in Karachi on behalf of the highest bidders even if they are enemies of the state. Do these qualities sound familiar? These are the facilitators of anti state elements in Pakistan and abroad.

One of many tried and tested tactics of demolishing nation states is discrediting its national political leadership and promoting worthless petty regional leaders and then fanning regionalism. These regionalist and ethnic puppets are groomed long time before the actual time last hit. Surely constitutional loopholes already in place will help to legitimise the disintegration of a nation state. This whole drama of ‘provincial autonomy’ and weaken of federation is directly linked with disintegration plan. If you take all the financial controls from federation the (provinces) nation states will automatically disintegrate as federation will not have anything to give to its provincial units? This model has been used in the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. Interestingly no such model of states/ provincial autonomy like people advocating in Pakistan is available in the US constitution.

I wrote an article on 31st July 2011, ‘Pakistan’s blackmailed elite and hijacked Foreign Policy: “People in Pakistan and rest of the world must be wondering why world’s only Muslim nuclear power behaves in so indifferent and reckless manner when it comes to protect its national interests and foreign policy which does not seems to exist. Well the answer is simple its leaders put their personal interests first than national interests.

Asif Zardari and his corrupt regime are undermining Pakistan’s national interests in a very sophisticated way. Appointment of corrupt, incompetent and compromised people on the top position is on top of his agenda. He has learnt to bypass the state system of governance that is how Hussain Haqani was able to issue visas to black water mercenaries from Washington and his close relative from UAE and Rehman Malik is reportedly running his dodgy businesses abroad and allegedly passing on classified information as well as signing secret agreements to harm Pakistani national interests. Someone said now, ‘Rehman Malik will either be promoted or diluted by President Zardari as he has started his own lobbying to become ‘Mr big’ in post Zardari era. Every one is blackmailing every one in Pakistan?

A senior journalist narrated an incident that during the USSR era a KGB agent defected to the USA. To the surprise of the KGB, they could not find anything against him. Few years later probably after the cold war one of his former colleagues met him in the USA and asked him, what were you doing, we could not find anything against you? The defected agent who was head of foreign posting department said, ‘I was just appointing corrupt and compromised agents nothing else’. Surely rest was easy.

The whole leadership and ruling elite in Pakistan is corrupt to the bones. Let us suppose they all are blackmailed by foreign powers for whom they have or are working now and in the past. Surely this is a difficult situation for a politician, a general, a senior civil servant and a businessman. I would also agree with the statement that, ‘no one can ride on your back unless it is bent’. Following incident might help bent leadership of Pakistan.

“It was the former USSR’s security agency KGB who established one of the most sophisticated special services in the world, which trained female spies to seduce men and women. A girl named Vera narrated the story about KGB and how they recruited pretty girls, promising them that they would have all kinds of welfare imaginable, if they would agree to fulfil their civil duty and become sex agents.
The objects of sexual attack were examined thoroughly beforehand; it was requisite to learn their sexual preferences, in order not to miss anyone. The first contact with an object was supposed to be totally incidental, but it was all over with blackmail: they explained to a guy that he had no other way out, but to cooperate with the Soviet intelligence.

However, surprises happened sometimes too, like it was with the notorious case for seducing Indonesian President Ahmed Sukarno. He was known for his sexual passion. That is why KGB sent a group of young girls to him during his visit to Moscow. Those girls got acquainted with Ahmed Sukarno in a plane, under the disguise of air hostesses, he (President Sukarno) invited them to his hotel room in Moscow and arranged a grand orgy. The orgy was filmed by two candid cameras that were fixed behind mirrors. It seemed that the operation was just perfect. Before starting the blackmail, KGB invited Sukarno in a small private movie theatre and showed him the pornographic video, in which he was playing the main part. KGB agents were expecting him to get really frightened, that he would agree to cooperate with them at once, but everything happened otherwise: (President) Sukarno fondly decided that it was a gift from the Soviet government, so he asked for more copies to take them back to Indonesia and show them in movie theatres. Sukarno said to flabbergasted agents that the people of Indonesia would be very proud of him (Sukarno), if they could see him doing the nasty with Russian girls”.

We are all human beings and do make mistakes in our lives but without being judgemental not everyone is brave enough like former Indonesian President Sukarno not even Imran Khan a cricketer turned politician of Pakistan. A senior journalist told Imran Khan, ‘don’t get blackmailed by the dirty tricks of your opponents about your past personal life as you have never claimed to be a saint’?
Those who are being blackmailed by some one should be brave and follow the example of former Indonesian President Ahmed Sukarno. The way out for them is bring back the looted wealth of Pakistan and share with the people otherwise your next generations will need armoured personal carriers for home visits in Pakistan.

‘No one can ride on your back unless it is bent'.

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