In an interview conducted by a British television network, our longest serving prime minister (PM) responded with remarkable control. He was asked a very irrelevant and almost silly question “Why do 30 percent of Pakistanis want to leave the country?” Is it not a silly question? How does he not know? However, he kept his bearing with his face tilted up and said, “Why don’t they go then?” Of course!
In fact, he is a farsighted man, who is looking at a benefit to the nation if these people were to go. Indeed, he keeps the ‘national interest’ supreme in his mind. The overseas Pakistanis have remitted $ 20 billion to Pakistan as revealed in the budget estimates for the next financial year. Now if another 30 percent Pakistanis — which is 54 million people — also go away, then it is simple that they will have to make money and send remittances to their families. These remittances will be at least $ 10 billion and perhaps much more. All problems will be solved (for the elite). The additional remittances may still not be adequate for power generation or the loan paybacks, things that help the poor masses, naturally, because some quantity has to stick with the fingers. Trickling down is more and more difficult, and it is a trickle anyway. However, there will be at least 20 percent less mouths to feed. What a great advantage! (Only for a few years; later on we will fill the gap.) There may be some split family issues, like children getting out of control and becoming terrorists, or some morality issues if wives are left behind, but so what?
The current prime minister is the longest surviving chief executive of Pakistan. There has to be something extraordinary about him. I mean other than physical attributes. Look at the talented family — his two sons are already ‘famous’! He has provided us with another ruling dynasty option. He has survived tenaciously in the face of opposition and the court actions, contempt, etc. It is because his legislators back him up. He believes in the Constitution of Pakistan, even more than the Supreme Court. So long live the PM, long live ‘dummicracy’. (What? There is no such word? Please understand, there is no system like this either!) So far so good.
Now more has happened. The ‘memogate’ thing is back. It created a huge ruckus in January this year. The media as usual went wild with speculations; more sensations, more ratings, and higher the ratings, more advertisements, and more money to the owners of the channels. It was good for all who could make money out of it. However, people in general, those who watch current affairs programmes and not the ‘soaps’, were tense. They think there is a dangerous scandal about the army, the president’s house, a diplomat, and a rich scandalous American of Pakistan origin. As usual, the matter landed at the door of the Supreme Court to take care of the baby. The Commission appointed by the Supreme Court has now clearly reported that the ‘memo’ was real, and a deal to compromise the sovereignty of Pakistan was attempted. The apprehensions of the army were well founded.
Nothing could be more shocking. Not even the price of petrol or load shedding was so shocking. However, we have a very powerful government. It will survive and complete its tenure. To complete the tenure has been the prime objective. What was achieved in that tenure is a secondary matter. If the tenure is completed, it matters. If there have been scandals, so what?
Even more is happening. A big real estate giant has realised that he has had enough. He is a businessman. For businessmen, some deals are highly profitable, some are less profitable and some end up in loss. Businessmen also make investments. Some are short term and some are long term. Some are for ‘lobbying’. Lobbying is a nice word used by the US and other westerners. It covers what we erroneously call ‘corruption’ or ‘influencing by sifarish (influence), etc. For businessmen, everything is money-based, naturally. Therefore, lobbying has also to be money-based and all work that requires to be done through official channels needs ‘speed money’. Is it not true? Has everyone not realised that vehicles move faster if pahias (wheels) are provided. Riaz Malik has also been doing it; so what?
However, things went wrong for Riaz Malik when the wheels became too expensive and still did not move. Expensive like Rs 340 million. Then he lost patience. When the wheels were not working, he decided to push the cart. He did not care whoever was trampled in the process. It was a very ‘big’ loss so his cart may hurt big, and even if it hurts the PM or the Chief Justice or the Ns or Qs or any other alphabet, so what? But if it hurts too hard then the final pillar of democracy will be hurt.
Our worthy chief minister (CM) of Punjab has already said that dictatorship is preferable to the current democracy. Incidentally, CM Shahbaz Sharif is being termed as ‘Showbiz’ Sharif. This label is very wrong even if said as a pun, because the only show business Sharif is Babra Sharif. Period.
Therefore, all pillars of democracy are being hurt. Even if it is the worst democracy, we are told it is better than dictatorship. We cannot get away by saying ‘so what’ to everything. We need to protect the democratic tradition and it is time we did that. It is time that we go back to the people. The present democracy has almost completed its term; now it needs to consult those who elected them — the people of this country. It is time that preparations are made, as fast as possible, for a countrywide election and to give a chance to the people of this country and to hear their voices. It is time that the hope is kept alive. Hopefully, people will make the right choices. Let us hope for the best.
The writer is a culture and media management specialist, a researcher, director and author