Pakistan’s Criminal Empire !
Posted on 12. Jun, 2012 by Dr Haider Mehdi in Opinion
Hang the criminal rulers
NOTES FROM A SOCIAL SCIENTIST
By Dr. Haider Mehdi
If you have not watched Francis Ford Coppola’s epic film, The Godfather, you should. In fact, every Pakistani ought to watch this film. This movie is instructive in many ways in understanding the intricacies of how political influence is bought by money-loaded “Mafioso,” and how the Mafia acquires the power to control political events through corruption, bribing, violence, deceit, concealment, stealth, subterfuge, deception, secrecy, evasion and cover-ups. And on top of that, the narrative of this film is based more on reality rather than fiction – just the way today’s Pakistan’s so-called democracy has turned itself into a “Criminal Empire.” In the land of the “pure” and the “pious,” the entire state and political leadership indulges in open and blatant corruption, bribing, stealing, looting, underhanded dealings, nepotism, lies, cover-ups, defiance against the law and ethical practices, violence against its own citizens; above all, making money and using it for limitless politically-motivated objectives has become the modus-operandi of the state functionaries and national affairs managers.
The “Familygate” scandal has opened yet another floodgate of information on how the current political dispensation works and operates – how unspecified amounts of money are made and then used to influence national events, the country’s politics, media “gurus”, opinion-maker “pundits,” and the overall national political discourse. Irrespective of the facts of who said what to whom and why, who showed what evidence to whom and why, who was briefed by whom and why at a certain point in time, who was bribed by gifts of expensive automobiles and costly villas in upper-class estates, and why the recipients accepted these gifts, for what purposes and intentions, with what professional or ethical justification. Who did business with whom, who financed whom with enormous amounts of money, who paid whose holiday bills in thousands of British pounds for whom and why, and so on and so forth. But one single-most important fact that stands glaring in our faces is that this country is being deliberately pushed into becoming a “Criminal Empire.” The entire ruling elite is decisively committed to engineering and organizing a national political structure, oligarchic in nature, more oppressive and regimented than traditional feudal systems, with the objective to divide the nation between a ruling elite with enormous financial and political resources vested in them, and a largely marginalized populace majority subjected to the ruling elite’s political control for an indefinite period of time in the future. We live in very dangerous political circumstances now.
Indeed, judicial decisions and judgments will have to go through the normal legal processes and procedures in the “Familygate” case. But the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s prompt “suo motu” action against his own son has once again reinforced Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry’s personal credibility and professional integrity. In fact, it has set an unprecedented example of submitting to the rule of law no matter what might be at stake and who might be affected. Appreciable, isn’t it?
But the time has arrived for the nation to react and rebel against the ruling elite’s incessant political atrocities and national mismanagement. It is a moment to make enlightened, rational, philosophical and ethical-moral judgments in regards to national politics, and set a constructive discourse for the country’s political renaissance and reform in its political culture. It is time for a revolution to be instigated by the masses themselves. It is a moment for deliberation, reawakening of national consciousness, transformational change and political action to get rid of the entire incumbent political elite, its reactionary, regressive and backwards leadership, and the contemporary implicit planning to subjugate this nation to another era of vested-interests controlled regimes.
What Pakistan needs today is a “Tahrir Square” political movement of its own – political action on a scale that should rock the very foundations of the present-day political structure and bring it to its final demise. Enough is enough – the “Criminal Empire,” its political actors, its theatrics and its presence should no longer be tolerated. We still have time to save ourselves.
A Pakistani columnist on a recent TV talk show predicted a violent, chaotic and formless political disorder in the country within the coming months. Raja Mujtaba, founder of O. M. Center for Policy Studies, sees the coming of a French-style19th century revolution in Pakistan. During the above-mentioned show, the anchor Nasir Sherazi suggested the need to eliminate at least 30,000 heads to make the country peaceful for 300 years. Obviously, one interpretation is that it would entail an absolute and ultimate political abyss leading to bloodshed, death and destruction. One may or may not agree with their analyses or perspectives, but what cannot be denied is that the abysmal political ground realities in Pakistan threaten its present and future existence.
The question is: Must we wait for the chaos to engulf us in its flames and fires, and destroy us from within? Can we not find alternative solutions to our national predicaments? Do we not have other options to save ourselves from ourselves? Are the masses so powerless, so timid, so apathetic as to tolerate their own destruction at the hands of a few? Or are we waiting for a “messiah” to liberate us from ourselves? Let me share my own considered political judgment on the subject: celestial interventions never happen in the affairs of nations when people choose to remain indifferent to their own plights, and decide not to change and challenge their own destinies. That is the law of nature – and fundamental aspect of this view is the need to make ethical and moral judgments in one’s own personal and political conduct. Are we doing so? The void has to be filled. The question is: Who will fill this void – this gap – this empty political space – this destruction of us by our own hands?
Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at Oxford University, in January 2012, wrote a remarkably enlightened and intellectually provocative article: “[People all over the world]… are calling for more justice, transparency and true democratic procedures. They feel alienated, disrespected; their social benefits and rights are slowly being eroded and lost. They do not see a future beyond the chaos and they realize that only a few people and institutions are deciding their future far from any democratic process. What is the point to vote if neither the citizens nor the elected people have an effective say about the final decisions. Who then is guiding us?”
Today’s Pakistan remains guide-less, radar-less, direction-less, point-less — driven to the making of a “Criminal Empire” by those who, in fact, are politically irrelevant to the nation’s needs, ideologically insolvent, morally and ethically bankrupt, and absolutely indifferent to the need for making a people’s welfare state.
Let it be a reminder: “The nations are born in the hearts of the poets; they prosper and die in the hands of the politicians.”
Dr. Allama Iqbal (quoted by Raja Mujtaba in his recent article)
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8 Responses to “Pakistan’s Criminal Empire !”
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Dr Haider Mehdi
Ayesha V.
12. Jun, 2012
Everyone whines about politicians. Everyone declares they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the clouds like a manna from heaven. They don't pass through a membrane and mutate from another reality. They come from Pakistani parents and Pakistani families, Pakistani homes, Pakistani schools, Pakistani businesses and Pakistani universities, and they are elected by Pakistani citizens. It's what your system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have egoistic, ignorant citizens, you are going to elect selfish, ignorant leaders. Limiting political tenure is not the answer; for you will just going to end up with a brand new bunch of self-centred, ignorant leaders.
babur
13. Jun, 2012
Ayesha these criminals come from Islam because majhab rule everything what is their, home, business, school thinking everything. All bogus. Why we couldn't live with Hindus in undivided India Qafirs because of Islam. Sooner we get rid of these Arabic lies better it would be for us and our children bent on burning their future to enter bahisht. thanks.
Abbass
13. Jun, 2012
I agree with Ayesha in principle but would make a further observation. It is no different in the West, where we have undesirable governments and a phony two party system which is just two sides of the same corrupted inner circle of power mongers. Families and cohorts of the same old group being recycled from within their own closed ranks. Controlled by the same group of people who control the majority of the media, entertainment and banking and hence with all the money and pressure points covered there is nothing left for the chosen puppet to do than try to appease people with the help of the same power base which bought them in the firest place.
This also does not happen in a vacuum. It is the flaws within Western society which have allowed the various forms of shoddy government and dysfunctional and corrupted democratic systems to arise here. Even as the laikadaisiacal approach to everything in life from the standard of maintenence a worker gives for some critical piece of equipment to the total disregard for anything like time deadlines which is inherent in Pakistani society which has given rise to the out of control corruption and incompetence of the Pakistani government crop. Pakistanis are in my experience selfish (sense of community loses), bigoted (allowing division to be sown amongst them) and lazy (allowing all the above to rise to the present level of corruption and criminality) .
In short we all seem to get the governments we deserve.
babur
13. Jun, 2012
Pakistani men look pregnant weak in sex raped by pashtuns and mullahs so westerners like Abbass take advantage of sick pakistani women suffering from inferiority complex. These criminals lick their legs and screw ass to please Allah insulting them on face calling them and their men lazy, cheap, bigoted to leave when no gas left. Pakistanis get rid of Arabic falls religion to get hold on their honour/thinking instead of blaming West and East for their misfortunes.
Abbass
13. Jun, 2012
Actually my little Talmudist cockroach Islam is the truth that is all. Zionist lies in the "War on Terror" are failing. The Zionist latest attempt to get the Goyim to kill each other for you is backfiring somewhat as many Westerners who are free of your parasitic influence enough to see beyond the media lies are learning about Islam and converting. Unlike you Babur I have experience in Pakistan and I love Pakistan and its people. Like your bunch who are natural thieves, usurers, pedophiles, pornographers and human organ peddlars Pakistani society as with all societies have their natural charactestics. Thus scumballs like you deserve also such vermin as Bibi Netwityahoo and Lieberman in your government and the Americans deserve Obama as they did his more amusing predecessor.
If we examine the history of most serious human conflict we don't have to blame East or West Babur the Jew, just the Jews.
LIZ
14. Jun, 2012
Which state in Middle East is not criminal? Name one. How many rulers got hanged and who hanged them those who blow Shia kids and Sunni mosques with bombs? Name one Muslim existed in 1400 who is not hypocrate….'Religion is an Opium' Mao said
Saeed Malik
13. Jun, 2012
TODAY'S PAKISTAN IS INDEED A CRIMINAL EMPIRE. BUT WHAT BETTER COULD BE EXPECTED WHEN MUSHARRAF SWUNG ROUND FROM THE PURSUIT OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE ESPOUSAL OF POLITICAL POWER ON THE BACKS OF THE MOST CORRUPT OF THE LAND! HE LEGITIMIZED CORRUPTION, AND LEFT THE STATE TO ITS CHIEF THUG, WHO CO-OPTED THE NATION'S TOP LAND GRABBER AS HIS BUSINESS PARTNER AND CHIEF ADVISER. AND THE LATTER THEN SUBVERTED ENOUGH OF THE TOP BRASS OF THE ARMY TO BRING THE KHAKIS ON BOARD AS WELL. WITH THE OPPOSITION PLAYING FRIENDLY, AND OBNOXIOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY BEING PLOUGHED INTO THE MEDIA, SO THAT IT BECAME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO TELL APART THE BOUGHT ANCHOR, FROM THE HONEST ONE, NO CHECK WAS LEFT TO STAND IN THE WAY OF PLUNDER EXCEPT THE SUPREME COURT. IN THIS SITUATION THE APEX COURT WAS LEFT VIRTUALLY POWERLESS BECAUSE IT HAD NO TOOLS LEFT TO ENFORCE ITS DECISIONS, AND THIS TOOTHLESSNESS STARTED TO DESTROY ITS CREDIBILITY. THE LAST NAIL IN THIS COFFIN WAS SOUGHT TO BE DRIVEN BY MALIK RIAZ HUSSAIN'S EFFORT TO TORPEDO THE C.J'S INNER SANCTUM BY CORRUPTING HIS SON. IF THIS SITUATION IS NOT HALTED AND THEN REVERSED PAKISTAN WILL IMPLODE. IT NEEDS NO GREAT IMAGINATION TO REACH THIS CONCLUSION. BUT IT DOES NEED IMAGINATION TO COME TO THE FRIGHTENING CONCLUSION THAT THE END IS MUCH NEARER THAN MOST PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO THINK, FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT THIS IS A VERY INCONVENIENT THOUGHT.
THE 'INTELLECTUALS' HAVE PLAYED THEIR PART AS WELL. EITHER THROUGH LIMITED CAPACITY, OR DELIBERATELY, THEY HAVE SOUGHT TO MUDDY THE WATERS IN THE FOLLOWING TWO WAYS:
1. IN TRYING TO IDENTIFY THE MALAISE WE SUFFER FROM, THEY HAVE SOUGHT TO VEER THE DEBATE TOWARDS AN ARMY Vs POLITICIANS ISSUE, WHEREAS THE REAL ISSUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE ELITE Vs THE REST. THE RULING/PLUNDERING INTERESTS ARE ALL ALIGNED ON THE SAME SIDE, AND HAVE BEEN SO ALIGNED THROUGH HISTORY. THE DIVIDE BETWEEN THE ARMY AND THE POLITICIAN IS MERELY A FAMILY QUARREL. IT IS THE ELITES THAT HAVE BROUGHT PAKISTAN TO ITS PRESENT PASS.
2.BY INSISTING TIME AND AGAIN THAT THE PRESENT DISPENSATION IN PAKISTAN IS A DEMOCRACY, THE "INTELLECTUALS" HAVE SOUGHT TO INVEST WITH SANCTITY THAT WHICH IS A SORDID PROSTITUTION OF THE SYSTEM. FUNDAMENTALLY, IT IS THE TASK OF DEMOCRACIES NOT TO ALLOW FORMATION OF OLIGARCHY OR PLUTOCRACY IN THE STATE. THIS CANNOT BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THE LAST VESTIGES OF ACCOUNTABILITY HAVE LONG BEEN SHRED FROM THE GOVERNANCE INFLICTED ON PAKISTAN.
THE STAGE IS NOW SET FOR THE FINAL SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SUPREME COURT. HOW THIS WILL BE SETTLED WILL DEPEND UPON THE STAND THAT THE ARMY TAKES. WILL IT STAND WITH THE COURT, OR WITH THOSE THAT HAVE SOLD OUT THE STATE. FOR FOUR YEARS THE ARMY HAS STOOD ON SILENT WATCH, AS SHARON STOOD OUTSIDE SABRA AND SHATILA AS THE MASSACRE WENT ON UNIMPEDED. AND FINALLY
NOW , COURTESY THE EXPOSE OF BAHRIA TOWN SHENANIGANS,WE ARE IN A POSITION TO KNOW WHY THAT WAS THE CASE. PERHAPS NOW THERE WILL FINALLY BE A CHANGE IN THE POSITION OF THE ARMY. IF THE GENERALS ARE EVEN REMOTELY AWARE OF THE SENTIMENTS OF THOSE WHO ARE DAILY SACRIFICING THEIR LIVES AND LIMBS ON THEIR ORDERS, THE ARMY WILL STAND NOT WITH THE GOVERNMENT, BUT WITH THE COUNTRY.
NobleSpirit
15. Jun, 2012
When you get a land with terror and coverd acts destruction of that land will be inevitable. Mahatma Gandi killed by pakistanis even thou he opened is arms and embrace them with no prejuidice.
Pakistan always choose most evil direction. Whoever want to use pakistan as slut pakistan accepts US used pakistan to train Taliban to destroy Afganistan. Now balances has changed pakistan became slut fo China, Literally whatever china wants pakistan do it like a dog. Pakistan's new friend also affected its system. So with the China sponsored weapons of mass destruction china is ready to be top terrorist nation. They terrorize the world with support of China. They claimed many innocents lives in india.
Also internally they are getting even worse. 15 years old girl gang raped by several men, So family petition for justice. The fucked up terrorist shariah court ordered girl to be killed in public by stoning to death. Family members being killed as well