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Friday March 29, 2024

They will take everything

Our ruling class or the so-called elite, if they can be so called or even deserve to be addressed as such, crossed all acceptable limits during the recent petrol crisis when they and their families were all observed riding in official cavalcades along with their many security personnel. This at

By Ayaz Wazir
January 28, 2015
Our ruling class or the so-called elite, if they can be so called or even deserve to be addressed as such, crossed all acceptable limits during the recent petrol crisis when they and their families were all observed riding in official cavalcades along with their many security personnel. This at a time when the poor souls over whom they lord it over were stuck in lengthy queues in front of petrol stations.
The petrol shortage in Punjab, which spread somewhat to Karachi, also amply demonstrated the ineptitude of our rulers and their inability to manage anything apart from their private businesses in Pakistan, Dubai, Saudi Arabia or the UK.
It is indeed ironic that at this point in time when there is a global glut in the oil market and prices worldwide have halved the government could not manage smooth import supply to meet normal market demand or even keep an eye on our oil reserves, which are kept for such shortages or for war exigencies. That proves the fact that our rulers strive for power simply to look after their own business/commercial interests and not those of the nation.
Judging by the excuses that were voiced by those responsible for the fiasco it appears they really think that the common man is completely gullible and an utter fool. In a television talk show Shahid Khaqan Abbassi, the minister responsible, insensitively stated that the petrol shortage occurred only because everybody used more petrol after the government reduced petrol prices. I cannot imagine anybody having a more callous or cynical attitude than that. I wonder if the airline owned by him was affected by the shortage.
Did any ministerial heads roll as a consequence? None at all. In any other country the minister concerned would have gracefully resigned or would have been sacked if he did not leave voluntarily. To befool the common man the axe fell on some civil servants who were suspended, merely because being bound by civil service rules they cannot state their innocence publicly.
One only wishes these people (the ruling class) had no access to government-owned petrol stations and had to go through the agony of sleepless nights in search of a few litres of petrol. Only then could they have realised the suffering of the common man. They themselves have never faced such problems, whether in government or not. They have always enjoyed a constant supply of these commodities. And if per chance electricity does disappear for a while generators are there, at public expense, to light up their houses. As for gas even if there is shortage for the public it does not affect them as they have exclusive pipelines for uninterrupted supply to keep their homes warm.
Shortage of gas and electricity is not something new for us. It has been there for some time now. The ruling class made all sorts of promises during the election campaign. Tall claims were made that if elected electricity loadshedding, at least, would be eliminated within months or at the most within one year. But once elected they have conveniently forgotten to honour those promises. During the recent crisis one saw the blame being passed from one minister to another – one side claiming it did not have the money to clear the circular debt to enable import of oil while the other side stating a certain amount had been released for the purpose. In between, in order to create further confusion, efforts were made to apportion blame to organisations like Ogra, PSO etc.
When will we have cabinet ministers who are not only competent but also have the moral courage to accept responsibility for the mistakes they make? It will be a good day for the nation when we see ministers appointed because of their capabilities and not for party sensibilities. The day we see that happening we will have real reason to celebrate.
And for that to happen we have to be vigilant and make sure the system of governance delivers. We must hold the corrupt and self-serving ‘elite’ accountable for the mess they have created over the years. Unfortunately so far over the years no one has ever been held responsible. What happened to the country and is still happening points only to one direction: that is we are incompetent not versed in the art of governance and at the same time thoroughly corrupt and interested only in pillaging the country as is evidenced by all the money stashed in foreign banks or the real estate of all our leaders in London, France, Switzerland, USA etc.
It appears we are on the verge of complete collapse. Nobody seems responsible to anyone, nobody seems accountable for anything. It is a free for all where corruption rules supreme, where rules are made for the poor to observe and the powerful to break with impunity, where personal interest takes precedence over national interest, where even the sacrosanct constitution is abrogated or amended at will to suit personal interests.
Democracy being the ideal way of governance is preferred over military rule but what we have experienced over the years or at least during the last seven years of the two democratically elected governments does not augur well for the country’s future. It has sent shock waves to the nation. All promises of providing relief to the poor that were made during election campaigns have proved to be a farce. The common man still struggles for two square meals a day. Meanwhile the rulers languish in luxury in their vast estates in the country and abroad.
The way things are deteriorating rapidly in the country with no checks and balances and no control on prices of daily consumables the day is not far away when instead of fighting against militancy we will be fighting each other over a piece of bread to satisfy the pangs of hunger. The rulers should wake up and face these challenges otherwise the people will themselves rise to change the course of things and to save the country. It is imperative that in the future only those people are elected whose hands are clean, who have not looted national assets, who have bank accounts and assets within the country (not abroad), and whose standard of living is commensurate with the tax paid and assets declared by them.
If we keep watching them like silent spectators and do nothing, as in the past, very soon we will be left with nothing. They will take everything from us. And when it becomes difficult for them to rule the way they want to they will abscond to safe havens abroad to enjoy their wealth and watch us killing each other. Let us not wait for that day to come.
The writer is a former ambassador. Email: waziruk@hotmail.com