Judges and grudges…Imran Jan
The new item on the wishlist of Maryam Nawaz is that before holding the elections in Pakistan, the country must reverse her fathers disqualification that had stemmed from the Panama Papers revelations. It was a foreign firm Mossack Fonseca and journalists from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that had leaked secret information about the financial dealings of many powerful individuals around the world. That firm and those investigative journalists were not concerned with or stood to gain anything from the politics of Pakistan. Today, the PML-N one more time wants to get away with the consequences of their immoral and illegal actions. Today, they also want to ensure that Pakistan would continue to be a country where truth would have no value. Pakistan is like a blackhole of truth, where the truth enters never to be seen again.
Legal judgements are written by justices, which future lawyers will read and learn from. Theyre supposed to be written in light of the supreme law of the land: the constitution. In Pakistan, however, what is learnt is that justice is not about the law and the constitution of the land but rather about the politics of the land. Sadly, judges have to be parties favourites, parties have to be establishments favourites, and establishment must be American favourite. It doesnt get any stranger than that.
The judgments given must be reversed so as to allow the return of Nawaz Sharif from his luxurious self-imposed exile which, lets not forget, he had requested for health reasons four years ago. Leaders usually put up a fight against the odds. Nawaz wants to remove the odds and ensure a situation where he wouldnt have to fight. The daughter wants to create a situation where her father comes back without any fight. Yet, hed claim to be fighting for the people of Pakistan. Its the real land of opportunities where anything is possible. No wonder these elites want to come to Pakistan.
Pakistani citizens want to escape to some other land in order to avoid the economic hardships. Their passports dont have the credibility to allow for such an escape. Nawaz wants a passport to the Prime Minister House without the political and legal hardships.
The current regime has no other ambition other than to sanitise their crimes and keep their stolen wealth without much spillover from legal and political poking. They want to turn the judiciary into a system where legal decisions would be applicable in the present only. Tomorrow is another day with another legal reality.
Someone wisely said that when a clown moves into a palace, he doesnt become a king. The palace becomes a circus. We should expect nothing less from the crooks who are in charge of Pakistans politics right now.
Notice that none of this is about the governed. Its all about those who govern. The media, the judiciary, the police, and the rest of the governmental and social machinery are there to serve the people; on paper. The story of Pakistan could be summed up in very few words: those who matter dont mind and those who mind dont matter.
The people have never mattered here. And sadly, theyre the ones paying the highest price for the ego and greed driven aggressive fight that have defined Pakistans politics for a generation. They know they dont matter. And they dont even mind it anymore.
Sure, judgements would be reversed and replaced by designer judgements. Journalists and social media activists would be hired to create fake noise and manufacture fake opinions. All in the service of one man and his cunning daughter. And all of this is possible because Pakistan is the true land of possibilities. Just not for those that Orwell called the Unpeople but rather the elite criminals of this country.
Courtesy The Express Tribune