Islamabad’s Victory (Part-2)

This country has suffered a lot at the hands of imprudent leaders, incompetent bureaucrats, adventurist generals, self-centred political dynasties and privileged elites, fortune-seekers, industrialists, financial wizards, unruly and criminal landlords and tribal chiefs. This nation is tired of vapid words and fallacious slogans, and futile political and administrative experiments. The nation’s past does not offer much to be proud of, its present is politically polarised, economically hard-pressed and constitutionally bleak, and its future carries no hopeful prospects. The blame is shifted to the collapse of the system, wiping clean the dirty faces of the managers.

We have many successful nations in the world around us governed by either of the systems we have practised during the past seven decades. The fault does not reside in the system. It resides, from top to bottom, in the managers whom we have entrusted with state affairs without any merit, institutional checks and balances and accountability, the application of law, the independence of the judiciary, the efficiency of prosecution and police reform, and the supremacy of constitutional and democratic norms.

The country has been suffering from a wrong move since 2013. With the swing of the stick, the sitting Prime Minister was disqualified by the apex court; his successor was not allowed to rule, paving the way for the launch of a new political competitor in the arena in 2018. The PTI regime faced the same roadblocks to proper rule and was finally ousted by a dubious vote of no-confidence in April 2022. Imran Khan fallen proved more powerful than Imran erect. His public following skyrocketed, scaring his tormentors. The usual campaign of registering criminal cases against him and his followers followed all over the country.

Over 200 criminal cases were registered against the man from Bolan Pass to Jacobabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Lahore, Islamabad and Khyber Pass. Since August 2023, he has faced imprisonment following adverse verdicts in corruption cases by lower courts. He is denied meetings with his family, medical check-ups by his own doctor, and hospitalisation in accordance with the Supreme Court’s judgement. His party’s agitation revolves around demands including the fixation of his cases in the Islamabad High Court and Supreme Court, and his hospitalisation as per the directive of the Supreme Court.

What are the PTI demands that are prejudicial to the nation’s interests and harmful to the country? His four sisters have been detained along with their sons and nephews. There is an atmosphere of fear and asphyxiation in the country. People are watching this coercive situation pathetically and disgustingly. In such an atmosphere, no system would take the country to the politically congenial, economically prosperous and democratically flourishing valley promised by our leaders’ vapid slogans of small administrative units and better management of governing powers.

Free and fair elections, prevention of political interference in state affairs, continuous constitutional rule, land reforms and empowered local governments will provide a panacea for our ills and nothing else.

Ambassador M. Alam BrohiThe writer is a former member of the Foreign Service of Pakistan and has served as Ambassador for two terms. He is the author of five books.

The writer is a former member of the Foreign Service of Pakistan and has served as Ambassador for two terms. He is the author of five books.

NIPCO House, 4 – Shaharah e Fatima Jinnah,

Tel: +92 42 36367580    |     Fax : +92 42 36367005