In a recent talk show, I stated that we have to wait and see which Judge will garland an absconder, convict and accomplished liar, Nawaz Sharif. It happened in broad daylight and the honour goes to none other than Chief Justice Islamabad High Khawaja Aamir Farooq. The same “Honorable” Justice took diametrically opposed positions in two similar cases.
In a case, former Prime Imran Khan sought preventive bail from this Court in the Al Qadir Trust case. Despite being only an accused, he was ordered to surrender before the Court in person and get his biometrics done before his application could be entertained.
The second case was taken up on 18th October by a DB headed by Justice Farooq. He created judicial history in the matter of Nawaz Sharif. NS is a convicted felon who fled the country on false pretences. The relief was for four weeks. Four years later, after being declared an absconder, Nawaz sought the same relief that IK wanted. All requirements demanded from IK were waived for NS. Within minutes, Justice Farooq accepted the application dragging along an honorable, much respected Justice Aurangzeb. The latter’s reluctance is evident from his remarks.
NAB was the prosecuting agency in both cases. The law does not matter. We are witnessing the systematic dismantling of all our institutions by this ruling elite. What is their motivation? Is it personal ambition or nefarious designs to undo our nation?
We have degenerated as a nation and standards of governance have taken a nose dive.
Pakistanis looked up to their Army as the saviours of the country. Growing up in Abbottabad, watching the smartly turned-out Gentlemen Cadets with their “katora” haircuts was a treat. I went to school in Burn Hall where many of our contemporaries joined the Military Academy. We would look up to them. As we grew up, we had many friends and relatives become officers.
We have degenerated as a nation and standards of governance have taken a nose dive. This institutional malaise has infected the judiciary and bureaucracy. Nation’s priorities have taken a back seat. All this has been compounded by our political leaders.
Obsessed with rooting out Bhutto’s followers, Gen Zia had cobbled together new leadership through his party-less elections in 85. His nursery threw up the Sharifs who had only one priority – self-enrichment.
With Bhutto out of the way, his daughter Benazir succumbed to the pressures of acquiring wealth to fight the Sharifs. Having a rogue, Asif Ali Zardari, as her spouse made this journey easier. After General Zia’s exit, these two families dominated the political scene only interrupted by General Musharraf. When Musharraf sought to legitimize his rule, he also recruited from the same nursery. This cycle was broken with the rise of Imran Khan as a populist leader.
IK disrupted the blood-seeking leeches. When accountability rose to the top of the national agenda, it unnerved all these groups. He had to be gotten rid of. IK was overthrown.
Instead of withering away, IK reemerged stronger than before. Thus since early 2022, we have seen an acceleration of persecution of PTI and IK.
The confrontation is between the crooks in power and the will of the people. It is of utmost importance that the bonding between the masses and IK stays firm against this mafia out to damage our nation. Allah forbids losing hope. Pakistan was created in His name.
He shall not permit these destructive forces to steal our nation. We are running a marathon. We are 225 million strong. A few rabid mice shall not be permitted to wreak this havoc.
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