Mice in the chambers

Behind the scenes religious parties matter, always have, ever since the first premier gave in to their demands in '49

In their varied ways they are all as bad as each other, so we can not view the leaderships of the political scenario with any joy — in fact, we should do so with trepidation — and from what lingers on the ground, and with an empty horizon, we should be bereft of hope. So it is hardly surprising that generally our aware citizens have given up on the main political parties and their leaderships. Supporters and lauders are simply and only hard-core supporters who for selected reasons cannot be weaned away.

In the case of the present dispensation and its forerunner, the PPP, leader-fatigue should have much to do with this, both Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari having been with us since the second last decade of the last century.

Surely to heaven by now, since 2008, the thinking human being will have acknowledged that the great Islamic Republic is just not a democracy. The one sure sign pointing to this is that leaders in democracies always have shelf-lives — all we have to do to recognise this is cast an eye around the world. In the case of Pakistan, they just don’t. They go on, and on, and on. So, with the immoveable objects that clot the political channel, to use the words of Horace Rumpole, our future now shows every sign of being exactly like the past. Though ‘exactly’ may be an exaggeration as all signs point firmly to degeneration.

Horrible things are happening, the grotesque Mumtaz Qadri case which acutely mirrors the national mindset, Shikarpur, Peshawar, Karachi, it goes on and on like our politicos — everywhere, north to south, east to west. And the state is helpless, it controls nothing. Terrorism has become a way of life and as Rumpole would have it all the government can do is to form committees to deal with the mice in chambers. Numbers are meaningless, the ISPR figures released daily on the number of militants killed, the figure of 4,557 unclaimed or unidentified bodies found littered over the four provinces in a matter of four years as revealed to the Supreme Court, the hundreds, if not thousands of Shias killed in the name of religion — who cares but a pathetic few?



As long as this government is with us, killings and murders will continue because in their core Nawaz Sharif and his close buddies are unmoved by the build-up of bodies, their interests and aims lie in the lucrative. They are impervious to sectarian killings or the horrors of the blasphemy laws, where their sympathies lie is a moot point.

The PPP was no better, they simply did not care nor did they wish to rock any boats. Pakistan prides itself that religious parties are not voted in, that their powers are controlled. They are not — behind the scene they matter and always have done since the first prime minister of Pakistan succumbed to their demands way back in 1949. Since then, civilian and military politicians and leaders have always given in if and when in any way they were threatened by the desires of the religious right.

Then we have the on-going farcical Senate elections which involve nothing but bargaining, trading and the extractions of large amounts of money. If Imran Khan ever gets his act together and forces electoral reforms, one important change should be in these demeaning indirect Senate appointments.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2015.

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