Golden arm
8th February 2010, 00:20
Pakistan Ka Kia Banay Ga?
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=223154
a very good article by ansar abbasi in the news. I really salute this journalist. A brave journalist living with hounds like zardari and his chelai, yet never afraid to say truth.
ISLAMABAD: “Pakistan Ka Kia Banay Ga” (what will happen to Pakistan), is the most asked question today by the general public, who are full of scepticism and doubts about the future of their homeland.
People had been hardly as much concerned about the future of the country as they are these days. Whether you talk to ordinary folks in the streets, the top executives and high professionals in the private sector, members of the civilian or military bureaucracy, businessmen or politicians, everybody is unsure, uncertain and in a state of disbelief.
There is something seriously going wrong here. As a nation, we are on the fast track of decline. Corruption is unbridled, mismanagement is the rule of the day, law and order is deteriorating, governance has lost its meaning and the state institutions are in complete disarray.
The government, the prime minister, the cabinet and all other executive institutions are held hostage to the whims and wishes of just one man — the democratically elected President Asif Ali Zardari. The judiciary, which for the first time in the history of Pakistan has become independent, is on the target after its recent decision on the NRO. However, the judiciary is strong enough to face such attacks because of the support of the general public.
The institutions of the Pakistan Army and the ISI have been put on the defensive after being repeatedly but subtly blamed for conspiring against democracy (read president). There are not even many politicians to believe this but the kind of aspersions cast at the Khakis by no less than the president have certainly disappointed the men in uniform. Presently, both the Army chief and the DG ISI enjoy the complete trust of not only the military’s ranks and files but are also generally respected by the civvies.
The year 2010 is critical for the military. The incumbent Army chief, who did an excellent job during the last two years to re-deem the military’s respect that was at its lows when the ousted dictator handed over the command to General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, is completing his tenure in October this year.
The incumbent ISI chief, who too did remarkably well particularly to cut some influential foreigners to size, is also retiring next month. General Pasha may get extension but it is not yet clear who would be the next ISI chief. The ISI, which served as the CIA’s extension under Musharraf, would be destroyed if this state institution gets any weak or pro-American leader after its incumbent chief’s departure.
Now the main concern in the military is: who would be the next Army chief. The right selection of a professional soldier is a must to secure the interests of Pakistan and the Army too. If the 17th Amendment is not reversed by then, President Zardari would be at liberty to appoint his choice Army chief. What would be his selection is a million dollar question but given his past decisions and choices for civilian institutions, apprehensions are bound to haunt both people in uniform and others. The condemned ousted dictator may also try to get some of his blue-eyed three star pro-American generals to brighten his chances of returning to the corridors of power.
On the civilian side, the bureaucracy is politicised like never before, totally disgruntled and disappointed. The top mandarins in the civil service have yet to get out of the shock that they had recently received following highly controversial promotions made by the prime minister.
Consequently, the top policy-making body and other key civilian institutions are badly suffering. Ad hocism is the rule of the day. Vulnerable bureaucracy, politicised decision-making and growing meddling into bureaucratic affairs are the ingredients of a perfect recipe for mismanagement, corruption and bad-governance and this is precisely what is happening in Islamabad.
The Pakistan Steel Mills is swallowing billions of rupees from the public kitty every month but still not given the attention that it deserves to save it from a complete collapse. The Pakistan International Airlines has become yet another white elephant but mismanagement and controversial appointments are continuing unchecked in it.
The Pakistan Railways is too making heavy losses but here too the unattended factors of mismanagement and corruption remain unattended. Many such institutions, including the Insurance Corporation of Pakistan, which are led by handpicked favourites instead of professionals and competent managers selected on merit through transparent procedures, are also on the fast track of joining the list of white elephants dependent on hundreds of billions of annual grants from taxpayers’ money.
With corruption attaining new heights, there is absolutely no check on it by the government that instead seems to be promoting it. NAB is flooded with complaints of massive corruption but it finds its hands tied to probe these cases of loot and plunder. The FIA is highly politicised and dances to the tunes of the rulers. It is generally believed that this is perhaps the best time to make money as no one is interested to watch you or catch you.
Privates businesses and major investors are on the run because of extremely poor conditions. There are reports of some top businessmen having being approached on behalf of some influential rulers to grease the right palms. The tales of harassment of Hashwanis and Manshas are already making rounds. Instead of facilitating them, the government regulators are making the conditions tougher and tougher for the investors.
In such a bleak scenario, people today sound more concerned about Pakistan than anything else. Pakistan cannot sustain to be run in the present fashion. It requires a change — a change in presidential style to ensure good governance, merit based appointments, a crusade against corruption, rule of law and effective role of the cabinet and parliament.
The constitutional distortions need to be removed. If the president and the prime minister are not ready for this crucial change and continue with their present misrule and none-serious attitude towards issues of national importance then it is the opposition particularly the PML(N)’s responsibility to use all democratic means, including protests and long marches, to compel the government to do what is for the good of the country. Even the demand for the mid-term polls could be a possibility.
The judiciary is doing well and it ought to continue adjudging the cases placed before it in line with law and the Constitution without any fear or favour. It should not be bothered about the negative propaganda unleashed by the government against the judiciary after the latter handed down its decision on the NRO. The military, on the other side, should remain focused on its soldering matters and start learning the art of staying away from politics.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=223154
a very good article by ansar abbasi in the news. I really salute this journalist. A brave journalist living with hounds like zardari and his chelai, yet never afraid to say truth.
ISLAMABAD: “Pakistan Ka Kia Banay Ga” (what will happen to Pakistan), is the most asked question today by the general public, who are full of scepticism and doubts about the future of their homeland.
People had been hardly as much concerned about the future of the country as they are these days. Whether you talk to ordinary folks in the streets, the top executives and high professionals in the private sector, members of the civilian or military bureaucracy, businessmen or politicians, everybody is unsure, uncertain and in a state of disbelief.
There is something seriously going wrong here. As a nation, we are on the fast track of decline. Corruption is unbridled, mismanagement is the rule of the day, law and order is deteriorating, governance has lost its meaning and the state institutions are in complete disarray.
The government, the prime minister, the cabinet and all other executive institutions are held hostage to the whims and wishes of just one man — the democratically elected President Asif Ali Zardari. The judiciary, which for the first time in the history of Pakistan has become independent, is on the target after its recent decision on the NRO. However, the judiciary is strong enough to face such attacks because of the support of the general public.
The institutions of the Pakistan Army and the ISI have been put on the defensive after being repeatedly but subtly blamed for conspiring against democracy (read president). There are not even many politicians to believe this but the kind of aspersions cast at the Khakis by no less than the president have certainly disappointed the men in uniform. Presently, both the Army chief and the DG ISI enjoy the complete trust of not only the military’s ranks and files but are also generally respected by the civvies.
The year 2010 is critical for the military. The incumbent Army chief, who did an excellent job during the last two years to re-deem the military’s respect that was at its lows when the ousted dictator handed over the command to General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, is completing his tenure in October this year.
The incumbent ISI chief, who too did remarkably well particularly to cut some influential foreigners to size, is also retiring next month. General Pasha may get extension but it is not yet clear who would be the next ISI chief. The ISI, which served as the CIA’s extension under Musharraf, would be destroyed if this state institution gets any weak or pro-American leader after its incumbent chief’s departure.
Now the main concern in the military is: who would be the next Army chief. The right selection of a professional soldier is a must to secure the interests of Pakistan and the Army too. If the 17th Amendment is not reversed by then, President Zardari would be at liberty to appoint his choice Army chief. What would be his selection is a million dollar question but given his past decisions and choices for civilian institutions, apprehensions are bound to haunt both people in uniform and others. The condemned ousted dictator may also try to get some of his blue-eyed three star pro-American generals to brighten his chances of returning to the corridors of power.
On the civilian side, the bureaucracy is politicised like never before, totally disgruntled and disappointed. The top mandarins in the civil service have yet to get out of the shock that they had recently received following highly controversial promotions made by the prime minister.
Consequently, the top policy-making body and other key civilian institutions are badly suffering. Ad hocism is the rule of the day. Vulnerable bureaucracy, politicised decision-making and growing meddling into bureaucratic affairs are the ingredients of a perfect recipe for mismanagement, corruption and bad-governance and this is precisely what is happening in Islamabad.
The Pakistan Steel Mills is swallowing billions of rupees from the public kitty every month but still not given the attention that it deserves to save it from a complete collapse. The Pakistan International Airlines has become yet another white elephant but mismanagement and controversial appointments are continuing unchecked in it.
The Pakistan Railways is too making heavy losses but here too the unattended factors of mismanagement and corruption remain unattended. Many such institutions, including the Insurance Corporation of Pakistan, which are led by handpicked favourites instead of professionals and competent managers selected on merit through transparent procedures, are also on the fast track of joining the list of white elephants dependent on hundreds of billions of annual grants from taxpayers’ money.
With corruption attaining new heights, there is absolutely no check on it by the government that instead seems to be promoting it. NAB is flooded with complaints of massive corruption but it finds its hands tied to probe these cases of loot and plunder. The FIA is highly politicised and dances to the tunes of the rulers. It is generally believed that this is perhaps the best time to make money as no one is interested to watch you or catch you.
Privates businesses and major investors are on the run because of extremely poor conditions. There are reports of some top businessmen having being approached on behalf of some influential rulers to grease the right palms. The tales of harassment of Hashwanis and Manshas are already making rounds. Instead of facilitating them, the government regulators are making the conditions tougher and tougher for the investors.
In such a bleak scenario, people today sound more concerned about Pakistan than anything else. Pakistan cannot sustain to be run in the present fashion. It requires a change — a change in presidential style to ensure good governance, merit based appointments, a crusade against corruption, rule of law and effective role of the cabinet and parliament.
The constitutional distortions need to be removed. If the president and the prime minister are not ready for this crucial change and continue with their present misrule and none-serious attitude towards issues of national importance then it is the opposition particularly the PML(N)’s responsibility to use all democratic means, including protests and long marches, to compel the government to do what is for the good of the country. Even the demand for the mid-term polls could be a possibility.
The judiciary is doing well and it ought to continue adjudging the cases placed before it in line with law and the Constitution without any fear or favour. It should not be bothered about the negative propaganda unleashed by the government against the judiciary after the latter handed down its decision on the NRO. The military, on the other side, should remain focused on its soldering matters and start learning the art of staying away from politics.