Making a mockery of system to protect political, military elite

News Analysis

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party’s Sindh government is shamelessly making a mockery of the system in its bid to save Dr Asim Husain from serious criminal and corruption charges at the possible cost of the widely appreciated Rangers-led Karachi operation.

The situation is hurtful in particular for the Rangers and the military establishment who are putting in their best to do the much-needed cleansing of Karachi from criminal and corrupt elements.

Almost two years ago, the civilian government, following the apex court direction, had initiated a high treason case against former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for abrogating the Constitution on Nov 3, 2007. Then the military establishment had disapproved of the trial and there were obvious attempts made to save Musharraf who was facing serious charges.
That situation was really frustrating for the civilian government, parliament and even for the judiciary who all wanted to pursue Musharraf’s trial as a test case to uphold the rule of law. But unfortunately it did not happen as was expected because the military establishment took it as the trial of its chief.

Unfortunately, in both the cases the system is defeated to protect the “influential”; the law and the Constitution are ridiculed to cover up the wrongdoings of the elite while Pakistan is made to suffer to the advantage of a few powerful and mighty.

The year 2014 saw a major conspiracy against the system. Some politicians were used by some key players of the military establishment. What they did and how they tried their level best to oust an elected government is known to all and sundry in the power corridors. However, still no action was taken against those responsible.

On the civilian side, corruption references against politicians, including those cases where evidence has been strong, are made to fail by friendly investigations and a pro-accused prosecution. No corrupt person is convicted as those ruling the country go soft on the opposition with the hope or understanding that when the opposition gets into power it would reciprocate in the same manner to others.

Today if you ask any key PML-N leader about the reason for not fulfilling its election promise of going after the corrupt who plundered billions from the public exchequer, the response would be “we have to smoothly run our government”. In their explanation, they would add that with conspiracies like that of 2014 the system gets the priority for which the government can’t afford to annoy the opposition parties.

Whether civilians or military, they have their own justifications and reasoning for protecting their respective “elite”. But in reality they play with the system and weaken the institutions owing to which the rule of law becomes a joke, and national interest is massively compromised.

In order to save corruption and the corrupt, the Sindh government is risking the great successes achieved in Karachi due to the Rangers-led operation. Legally speaking, it is the Sindh government’s domain to get the Rangers’ policing powers extended or not. But denying the extension, the provincial government may save the likes of Dr Asim but it will return Karachi to possible anarchy and chaos.

Crime and criminals should not be defended in the name of politics or institutions. A person whether he abuses his powers, commits a crime, gets involved in corruption or abrogates the Constitution, does not deserve any protection from any side.

Pakistan direly needs yet another National Action Plan for the nation’s resolve to uphold the rule of law. The politicians, generals, judges, bureaucrats and media all must respect the law and strengthen the system for which the accused irrespective of his influence, connections and powers should be treated as such and not as a hero or victim.