KARACHI: Learned professor and columnist in your newspaper Dr Rasul Bukhsh Rais has chosen to ignore the most recent facts in his article “Sindh’s changing political matrix” (December 18).
The facts about the most recent by-elections in PS-21 (Naushero Feroze) nullify the conclusions of his thesis. The facts are that: 1) Two of the most powerful landlords of the area, i.e, the Jatois and the PPP MNA Mr Zafar Ali Shah had joined hands to defeat a PPP candidate belonging to the middle class. 2) A sitting PPP MNA, whom the party had raised to the level of a federal minister and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, chose to betray the party just because his young nephew, a new entrant to politics, had been denied a ticket on a seat falling vacant due to the disqualification of his younger brother. 3) Nationalist parties of Sindh concentrated on the constituency in full force. 4) The Jatois had the full support of Pir Sahib Pagara. 5) The election had been termed a test for the rejection of the Sindh Peoples Local Government Act by the PPP’s opponents. 6) The Election Commission acted most strictly and stopped all ministers from even visiting the constituency. The PPP fully abided by the instructions of the Election Commission. 7) The election was closely monitored by the Honourable Chief Election Commissioner personally. There were serious violations of law by the opposition but not a single violation by the PPP. 8) The PPP candidate won by a comfortable margin of more than 7,000 votes.
It is time that we started respecting the political consciousness of the common man. This consciousness is irreversible. It is futile to hope for the return of the days when local influentials could be collected together for the purpose of forming a political party. Even those who had been set up by the establishment to block democratic movements, those who were proclaiming that there was no place for democracy in Islam, have to pay lip-service to the principles enunciated by the PPP on its Founding Day. They have to recite Habib Jalib on Mall Road per force. That is the kind of awakening that has been brought about by the long and hard struggle of the democratic forces under the leadership of Shaheed Bibi Sahiba.
Respected Pir Sahib Pagara declared at his public meeting on December 14 that he had not read the Sindh Peoples Local Government Act. Learned Professor Rasul Bukhsh Rais (who I am afraid has not read it either) feels that Pir Sahib can mobilise the conscience of the people of Sindh against this Act without even caring to read it. Some logic, isn’t it?
Taj Haider
General Secretary, PPP Sindh
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2012.
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Mr. Taj Haider, Please help me understand if elections in our country indeed represent people's choice and whether people truly have the freedom to vote the candidate they like. In my opinion, if people had the freedom of choice, not a single political leader would hold the public office because none has delivered anything or honored the pledges and promises they made during the campaign. In the last two decades, the only brief development period of progress worth mentioning was during Nawaz Shareef period of upgrading Lahore to some extent and Mustafa Kamal's undisputable brilliant efforts to solve traffic challenges in Karachi; other than that there isn't any significant effort that any of the political party could claim to glorify itself during upcoming campaign and honestly be worthy of contending elections. A logical question is, seeking public votes on what grounds? Name one effort or venture that political leaders have taken to alleviate electricity, gas, water, safety and law and order problems in the country. Has any leader done anything to address them? Pakistani nation should ask if PPP would care to explain as to what the power rental scam from China was all about. Since unraveling political and governmental misappropriations has never been practiced in our country, it wouldn’t be out of place to assume that Pakistani nation would remain unaware of the truth behind power rental deals and facts would go unreported as usual as to how their political leaders deceived and deprived them of their hard earned money. However, for those of us living abroad, particularly USA, nothing is hidden. The entire of set of documents seeking Asian development Bank's help from Suleman Shah's time to Mr. Prime minster rental is available, it isn't difficult to get them; west doesn't believe in hiding them but it’s up to the voters to seek the truth about their idolized leaders. As unfortunate as it is, Pakistani voters bring economic woes to themselves by offering blind commitment to their political parties without challenging their promises and actions and political leaders take advantage of this unquestionable and dumb loyalty. There is an analysis about Pakistani leadership by CIA which is available over the internet which talks about blind loyalty of Pakistani nation to its political parties and how badly this blindness has pushed the country to bankruptcy. It is worth reading, just google it. Knowing the mindset of vaderas, chaudhari’s and spiritual leaders, do you really think it is possible for a common person to stand up to them and vote against their wishes? Knowing they would be crucified along with their family members if they went against their wishes, they succumb to the threats and follow them sheepishly. This is how voting takes place in the rural areas which constitutes more than two third of the silent majority. Let’s see what Allama Iqbal had to say about nations and their mindset: “Qaumun key hayat unkey taqauul pay hay mauquf, Yeh zauq sikhata hai adab murghey chaman ko ….” I hope someday the meaning would dawn on us. Hasan Jawaid, NJ, USA.
I absolutely refuse to believe that any sane person who doesn;t have vested interests in the current set-up, would ever in his/her right mind vote to bring the PPP back in power. And if this does happen, then Pakistan deserves everything it is going through and Pakistan will fully deserve the extreme hardships of the next 5 years.
Amazing article! Respect Sir..much respect! Definitely an eye-opener for all the haters