Pakistan has been hostage to various criminal mafias and a profit is being generated with the criminal economy
SUKKUR: Those familiar with Mario Puzo’s The Godfather must be familiar with the role of the consigliere, who advised Don on safeguards required for carrying out criminal acts in a way that prevented him being implicated in any legal prosecution. The novel was based on the Italian mafia’s involvement in criminal activities between 1945 and 1955.
Pakistan has been hostage to various criminal mafias, involved in land grabbing, black marketing, tax evasion and organised crime that includes targeted killings, extortion, kidnappings for ransom and money laundering. Profits generated by the criminal economy are so lucrative and tempting that international criminals and terrorists have also moved in. Unlike the consigliere in Godfather, who was solely involved with the criminal mafia, the Pakistani mafia dons have hired the services of leading legal eagles and lawyers of repute, some of whom have even been elected as parliamentarians and are involved in bar politics. The Pakistani versions of the consigliere have been seen to go to any extent in defending their clients. So powerful are Pakistani white crime specialist advisers to our mafia dons that till date, hardly any criminal has been punished in Pakistan.
Aneela Chandio
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2016.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
