The writer is Editor of The Express Tribune
Bilawal represents a party that is sagging under its weight of many allegations. But there are many who pin their hopes on this young man at a time when Pakistan is being overrun by extremists. These extremists have attacked democracy and have vowed to fight it. More recently, Taliban leaders came on TV to reiterate that they would enter negotiations but would remain opposed to democracy.
If the Muslim Brotherhood, Hizbullah and Hamas are all working within a democratic framework, why then is the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shy of it? The extremists know what they are talking about.
Our system of democracy suffers from two inherent weaknesses. One is that of political dynasties where offspring take over from where parent leaves. This is across the board in almost all our mainstream political parties. And the other is that of the almost complete domination of parliament by landowning families. They continue to suck the blood of the people as well as the state and give back nothing in return. The middle class is kept at bay.
Our landlords run this country as their personal fiefdom. They are a law unto themselves. What can be more of a contradiction than the fact that many of those who sit in parliament also lord over tribal jirgas? Here, they dispense their form of justice through a completely different system.
The murder of a young 20-year-old, Shahzeb Khan in Karachi last week by the scion of a landowning family is a case in point of how landlords teach lessons to people who question them. In this case, the murderer felt slighted because this young man had slapped his servant.
The servant was teasing Shahzeb’s sister. The police say that the murderer waited for the 20-year-old to come out of his apartment building and with the help of guards and a fellow feudal, shot him in cold blood. This was done because the landlord wanted to redeem his honour. It’s been a week and the police have yet to arrest this high-profile killer — most probably, they never will.
One is getting tired of these notions of honour and the excesses committed by these feudals in its name. Shahzeb’s case was highlighted because he lived in Karachi. Every year, hundreds of men and women are murdered, kidnapped, burnt, disfigured, dishonoured, beaten up and even buried alive by our landlords, who are bent on protecting their system of exploitation. Of course, there are some good people amongst the landlords. But It is not the people who are to blame rather than the system they have perpetuated.
One is also tired of these feudals whose entourages push your car off the roads. The police seem oblivious to their total disregard of the law. Their gun-toting guards bully law-abiding citizens. Their offspring pick on innocent children and get their guards to shoot them.
It is the same degenerates that end up in parliament and more often than not, become ministers and even more. And then, we wonder why our country is going to the wolves. Do not be fooled by their Western educated ivy-league returned children. They are also benefiting from the same exploitative system.
So it is not a surprise that one of the first people the Taliban attacked when they entered Swat were the landlords. And in this, they rose to new heights of popularity. The Taliban know what they have to do to win the hearts and minds of the people. And our government and ruling elite do not have the common sense to try and lessen the vice-like grip of the landlords on power. Pakistan continues to be sucked dry by them, who are aided and abetted by the military and civilian bureaucracies.
In all this, one can only welcome someone as unknown as Tahirul Qadri coming to the forefront and asking for a change of the system. And when he is joined by two parties that have a solid middle class appeal, then it seems that the cocktail has a lot to offer. It is an interesting twist in our politics. Tahirul Qadri is being seen as anti-Taliban because of his opinions on suicide bombing. But there are many unanswered questions about this new player in politics. The timing is too right. One can only wonder what next.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 31st, 2012.
COMMENTS (17)
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Tax evasion is not limited to feudal class or agri income only. Businessmen of all sphere (traders, industrialists, etc.) do not pay income taxes. Income tax is paid only by salaried class (deduction at source), listed and foreign companies only. Look at the data of FBR and you will understand we are a "tax chore" nation.
@sabi: Impose tax on agriculture income....this is a provincial subject & can be imposed like all other taxes by the Parliament in consultation with all stakeholders, but unfortunately all stakeholders are landlords...that is why this tax is being resisted for so long, because most of these landlords now have become big industrialist...shows loss & diverts all profit to agriculture...read this in context to Naseer Ahmed comment also.
@ Sabi Now a vast majority of feudals own large scale industries in Punjab and Sind to conceal bulk of their taxeable income from inroursdustries in the garb of income from agriculture.That is why the business community strongly resisted the imosition of Reformed General Sale Tax.Also see the plight of labourers in the industries owned by the feudal class
@ishrat salim: domination of the Parliament is by these landlords who do not encourage to introduce tax on agriculture income, though agriculture contributes 28 % of GDP….is this not a crime too ? How would you imposed agriculture tax.? would you please elaborate it.
@Mirza: If they could not do anything to change feudal system, how could anyone with very little power base would” The only way to change feudal system is to bring communist system.There is no other moral way to snatch land from land owners.Land reforms has remained a big politicle stunt to catch voters and divert attentions on real issues.Feudal system.if any,will die out with rapid industrialisation.That is the way west has adopted.We should forget any land reform as there is no life left in this politicle stunt.More industry, more riddence from vaderas means more politicle freedom of a common man.Less work force for agriculture will speed up the process of mechanised agriculture thus more production at much affordable prices.Agriculture need protection not threats.
@sabi:
the landlords / fuedal lords...all are hand in gloves with the people you have mentioned...for their own survival....
domination of the Parliament is by these landlords who do not encourage to introduce tax on agriculture income, though agriculture contributes 28 % of GDP....is this not a crime too ?@ Mirza Ayub Khan did carry out some meaningful land reforms. Fixing the landholding ceiling on family basis in contrast to the land reforms of 1972 fixing the ceiling on individual basis and not allowing the transfer of landholdings above to the relatives by the feudals 95 lac acres of land was resumed and distributed among the landless tenants.Fearing more drastic land reforms feudal ministers of his cabinet pushed him to the trap of 1965 war despite stiff resistance from a few technocratic colleagues of his cabinet.The drama of Tashkant Declaration was cleverly performed to oust Ayub Khan from power.
@ sabi, there may be little exaggeration but no one can deny visible realities. As veterinary medicine dealer I visited many far-flung rural areas. I was warned and advised to reached at G.T. Road before sunset to avoid mishaps. My personal observation was if our landlords just stop patronizing local roughnecks and pay attention at the well being of their serf instead of harassing them, there can be visible change in economic and social life of rural areas. There is least hope our landed aristocracy will ever change and miseries of underdogs hounded by their entourages would ever come to end.
But these landlords are protected by the de facto powers, which mostly belong to middle class.
"So it is not a surprise that one of the first people the Taliban attacked when they entered Swat were the landlords. And in this, they rose to new heights of popularity. The Taliban know what they have to do to win the hearts and minds of the people." Whether the murderer Taliban rose to any height of popularity or not there supporters have been exposed. The victims of Taliban must see the faces and names of their true enemies.
@Ch. Allah Daad: You wrote "Ayub, Zia and Musharaf were our most powerful leaders and they were not feudals. If they could not do anything to change feudal system, how could anyone with very little power base would" I agree with you 100%. In fact these dictators were more interested in breaking and surrendering the country than feudalism. They used not people but feudal as their power-base. One example is Pir Pagara openly says I am GHQ man and some others have always been a part of army govt. We never hear these demands during the army dictatorship. They only start when we kill 80 years old Akbar Bugti or to topple elected govts. All this new vitriol is due to the realization that despite killing BB, they still cannot defeat her and her party. Regards, M
The author failed to mention that the military also operates like a feudal class.
Ayub, Zia and Musharaf were our most powerful leaders and they were not feudals. If they could not do anything to change feudal system, how could anyone with very little power base would do anything about feudal structure?
LTTE of Sri Lanka went into extinction because it did not believe in democracy. The same fate will await soon for TTP also. The non-English speaking and non-Urdu speaking people should also be allowed to contest the elections so that middle class and downtrodden people will also enter legislatures.
The more people standing up against status quo, the merrier.
Author. I'm really dissappointed by this article.You have unknowingly incited a sort of rebelion or hatred against a vast majority of rural population which is feeding the whole nation against many odds.A vast majority of landlords,biger or smaller,is as much law abiding and patriot as any other sections of urban Pakistan.Take a look at the crimes commited by other sections below Generals; every now and then over-run constitution and derail democracy Talibans are slaugtering civilions and armed personals and destroying schools. Mullahs across Pakistan preaching hatred on loudspeakers inciting public to kill people of opposit faiths Karachi dozens of people killed by bhata,land.drug ,weapon,mafias Yellow journalism;.misleading and inciting hatred against politicians ,police,govt machinary.industrialists minorities. I haven't seen any of the above crimes commited by landlords. Murders,beating up of servant,ghairat killings,show of weapons,are crimes commited equaly by urban or non rural population. Which legislation has land lords hindered in parliamentand and why is not explained by any, except some vague allegations without merit.
You just watch how the people's wrath unfolds, not only in Pakistan, but also across the border in "shining India" over the next year or so. Every one with an ounce of common sense and need for simple things like lights in the house at night, gas to cook over, etc. will unleash their frustrations on these sclerotic post colonial brown babus! And after much upheaval, much good will come out of it -- never underestimate the Pakistani nation! Vote for change. vote PTI.
May we live in interesting times.