Daily Times

I was watching a panel discussion on a private television channel yesterday when a well-known politician and sitting MNA, Jamshed Khan Dasti, declared we have immoral politicians. If a politician is immoral and a liar in his personal life, how can he be trusted to make the most moral and beneficial decisions with his votes for his constituency and society in general? This latest accusation levels drug and alcohol addiction charges on parliamentarians living in the Parliament Lodges. Mr Dasti claims he will provide proof of his statement in the form of secretly taped videos of dance parties at the Parliament Lodges. If found true, how can parliamentarians be trusted at any level? We as a nation of people must speak up against this immorality.

Naturally, many people are frustrated with the corruption and ineptitude of politicians yet few ever challenge the immoral means of politicians. Of course, limited liability is especially appealing in today’s corrupt justice system and politicians believe that to submit to the state through the judicial structure is to slap Lady Liberty in the face. Even though various regulatory policy and procedures can be set up by the state, these still leave politicians immune from, for example, the consequences of bad debt or defaults, or irresponsible and immoral behaviour.

Now, can you think of a good reason (other than conscientiousness, of course — and there is the political rub) for Mr Dasti to formulate such cumbersome things as articles of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour? Anyone with common sense understands that, with these devices, Mr Dasti might stand disqualified from parliament. Meanwhile, his fellow MNAs, television anchors and analysts may feel a sense of conspiracy, encouraging them to think that the government designed his outburst to divert attention when the National Security Policy is tabled in parliament. However, rumours and gossip are not proof. In a just legal system, this alleged unprincipled, immoral behaviour by parliamentarians would fade away, and reputation and responsibility would be revitalised.

Certainly, intelligence agencies represent the giant elephants in the room in today’s security and risk management situations. Until these beasts are slain, along with the other beasts in the room, we can only speculate how inquiries directed by the honourable speaker of the National Assembly will shape up. Currently, there is a cesspool of corruption and a labyrinth of legal complexities, devised by politicians, regulatory officials, securities lawyers and their accomplices in government. The general legal framework ought to make one follow the escape trail in these matters. Additionally, the verdict from various corruption cases against politicians candidly reflects what happens to cases brought to accountability courts. Although, at this point, you might want to put on some rubber gloves and firmly affix a gas mask, it is pointless to explore the nature of the allegations any further.

The media attempts to replace the judgment of the complainant and, at the same time, flags the protest with the judgment of involved parties. Not only is this like pouring sand and molasses into the gears of a finely tuned machine, it also leads to the creation of processes that are less efficient, less functional, non-functional, or that produce the opposite of what one wants. As mentioned earlier, one could argue that laws and regulations in a country are basically reflections of the ethics of the general populace. If the general populace believes that being dishonest or unreasonable is helpful in order to run a business, for example, then that belief will be reflected in how regulatory agencies operate (guilty until you prove your innocence). Even the apathy that people show towards governmental corruption reflects their view of the virtue of integrity, at least on the political level, the level where most people remain resigned to the belief that nothing can be done.

Ethics in law is the mainstay of regulatory bodies. Of course, once you inspect the laws in any particular area of your life, you quickly realise that you are only looking at the foot of the legal monster that looms above you. So, here is the bottom line: if you are thinking of doing something maybe it is best not to see how many laws you are going to break, lest your plans are foiled. The key question then is this: by what right, by what code, by what standard do these parliamentarians believe that what they were doing was just and proper? One of their answers might be, “By the consent of the involved parties”. Fortunately for the parliamentarians, the state is too busy working and preparing the first-ever counter-terrorism policy to really care about the immense moral debate about the character of parliamentarians.

I am not going to bore the reader by citing more of the sordid and voluminous details of the Parliament Lodges racket. Many astute television anchors and even conservative thinkers have covered that ground like a herd of angry buffalo. From what I can see, not even the most virulent weed could survive such a thorough trampling.

Does anyone seriously believe that unjust power does not tend to corrupt even the most well-intentioned and honest individuals? If the money you are spending does not come from your own bank account, what incentive will you have to monitor the balance? Furthermore, if you can escape justice and regulations, and adjust laws to suit you, why would you care about moral responsibility? Whether or not the parliamentarians are innocent or guilty, the control and the power of politicians through force and corruption hurts. It also hurts because it is supported by a corrupt bureaucracy that encourages self-disempowerment and dependency.

Incidentally, this is the main reason why Pakistan remains dangerous throughout the world. Outright political and business corruption, constant bribery, strong-arm police tactics and kangaroo courts reign. Instead of going from rags to riches, nearly everyone’s rags get dirtier and more torn. Rather than being able to produce, save, invest, and consume, most are relegated to barely surviving, left bowing in homage to their present day feudal lords. So, all of us are unfortunate consumers of politics and the vast majority of us on the planet get the really raw end of the deal.

Politicians today are getting away with shameful and disgraceful behaviour. The state is complicit in this moral decay by brushing it under the carpet and avoiding any ‘judging’ of the actions of those involved. The problem with allowing our politicians to slide into moral relativity, though, is that it leads to a slippery slope. This collusion by politicians and the law is pointing the country in a dangerous direction and, unless stopped, will make it easier for corrupt politicians to humiliate the country. However, the goal must not be power — it must be character. Instead of looking to the Bill Clinton’s of the world as the model for success, we should look to Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The writer is a member of the Diplomate American Board of Medical Psychotherapists, member International Association of Forensic Criminologists, associate professor Psychiatry and consultant Forensic Psychiatrist at the Huntercombe Group United Kingdom. He can be reached at fawad_shifa@yahoo.com