Daily Times

The top story these days in American media is the indictment of President Trump on federal criminal charges. It is unprecedented in US history. Their public discourse is full of the latest reports, analyses and predictions. Trump’s equivalent in Pakistan is Nawaz Sharif. Both believe they are above the law. There is one huge difference. In the US, the institutions are stronger than an individual. They are resilient and have struck back at gross violations by President Trump.

In Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif, as an individual, has proved to be stronger than all the institutions. Despite being a convict and an absconder, he continues to rule the roost and run the State by remote control. The script crafted by NS called “The London Plan,” continues to unfold.

There are so many scars, broken bones and twisted souls hounding us; one wonders where to start. The robbery of the Karachi Mayor’s position through coercion, and brutal force combined with bribery is a trailer of what is to follow, if and when national elections take place. A combo of sweet and sour soup is being dished out by a partisan election commission and subservient law enforcement agencies. Intimidation and incarcerations of those who resist are in full swing. This is the sour part.

A combo of sweet and sour soup is being dished out by a partisan election commission and subservient law enforcement agencies.

This is a snapshot of the overall malaise infecting the country. Human rights, freedom of speech, and the right to protest have been steamrolled by huge road rollers. It all started in April 2022. Having overthrown PTI’s Government, this imported regime’s top priority was to kill accountability. This was achieved at breakneck speed through mysterious heart attacks killing prosecutors and witnesses; amending laws and taking firm control of investigating agencies. This political mafia then turned the spotlight onto crushing Imran Khan by demonizing him in every which way. The people of Pakistan displayed political maturity never seen before. They did not waver. IK put up a brave resistance and the masses responded. His popularity continues to soar with every repressive step taken by this unholy alliance.

The inability to break the bond between the masses and IK has forced the rulers to go back to the drawing board. They conjured up devious plans to take away IK’s narrative trusted by 2/3rd of the nation. It unfolded on May 9th in the roughshod arrest of IK. The subsequent brutality unleashed on citizens will be recorded as the worst cruelty in Pakistan since the reign of terror in East Pakistan in 1970.

The opposition and dissenting voices in the media are facing the full brunt of this venomous anger. Over 10,000 political activists are being held in sub-human conditions in jails. Women had participated for the first time in the political process. They were stripped of their dignity and taught a lesson. Media is subjugated. PTI leadership is being coerced at gunpoint to leave the Party. Weaker ones have succumbed. Those standing tall continue to suffer inhuman suppression. It is exemplified by the way Chaudhry Pervez Ellahi is being treated in jail. Confined in C class, he is being denied medicines and suffering indignity. He has refused to buckle over. Imran Riaz Khan was kidnapped over a month ago facilitated by the police. His fate is unknown and a huge concern for millions of followers around the world.

They have isolated Imran Khan after entangling him in a web of false cases, yet he is undeterred in exposing these rulers on world media. Now, they have turned their guns to Overseas Pakistanis. Frivolous cases have been registered against Shaheen Sehbai, Moeed Pirzada, Sabir Shakir, Haider Mehdi, Ahmad Noorani, Adil Raja, and Wajahat Saeed Khan for speaking the truth. They are true freedom fighters. Loudmouth Khawaja Asif has lashed out at Overseas Pakistanis living in free societies. Their depravity is complete.

What are the rulers fighting over? A bankrupt economy is fully exposed by this budget. After disbursement to the provinces, the federal government doesn’t have sufficient funds to make interest payments. Wake up. You cannot draw water from an empty well.

Allow people’s will to prevail and restrict yourself to defending the nation that you are capable of. Beware, the PDM allies will fall apart like a sand castle because you have cornered their common enemy. This new ally, IPP, may have a muscular upper body, but they have no legs to stand on. End this vicious cycle. Priority must be the national interest. It supersedes personal grievances or greed.

The writer is the director of CERF, a non-profit, charitable organisation in Canada.The weiter can be followed on twitter at following id: @HafeezKhanPU