All the king’s men

Mother Goose’s poem Humpty Dumpty is still relevant in today’s politics of Pakistan. The “All the king’s horses and all the king’s men” verse holds true for what we witness during the recently-concluded Senate elections. Ever since the elections, there have been serious complaints with regard to the buying and selling of lawmakers. From Changa Manga to Murree, our history is replete with sad incidents of horse-trading. There is no denying that those who sell their loyalty are not trustworthy.

They must be taken to task since the Pakistani people expect the highest level of honesty from these people. Our politicians talk about uprooting corruption from grass-root levels, but they act otherwise. That our lawmakers preach what they themselves don’t practise is the message which is being sent to the people. It is hoped that the apex court as well as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will take notice of this matter and take remedial measures to shut the doors of horse-trading. It’s never too late to fix the wrong.

Iftikhar Mirza

Islamabad