The interests of Pakistan are more important than the interest, or misplaced ego, of its political elite.
LAHORE: Going by Zulfiqar Mirza’s very serious allegations, one would assume that if true, our elected executive, or paid civil and uniformed servants of the state, were aware that citizens were being murdered, slaughtered and kidnapped, and yet they failed to carry out their primary constitutional obligation of protecting the lives and property of citizens.
A government exists to serve the people of the state. What is more important? Party discipline, or the national interest? It does not matter what motivated Mr Mirza to say what he said, but the nature and substance of what he has said is too grave and significant to be simply pushed under the carpet. He has said that he can substantiate all of what he has said with documentary evidence. This offer of his should be taken up, because doing so would be in the national interest.
The people need to know whether the government and the establishment were aware of the identity of those involved in Karachi’s target killings because if that is the case then both of these institutions can be asked and held accountable for their failure to act. Right now is not the time to think of political considerations and compulsions but rather to think of what is right for the people of Pakistan. After all, the people are the primary asset of a state and the reason for establishing a government and not vice versa.
The interests of Pakistan are more important than the interest, or misplaced ego, of its political elite or the establishment, or the interests of other countries.
Malik Tariq Ali
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2011.
