The writer is Executive Editor of The Express Tribune
Nobody used to take Malik seriously even when he would be casting his pearls of wisdom on the most serious matters. Nisar is seriousness personified. But his self-righteous, self-serving hyperbolic haranguing on everything under sun, whether serious or non-serious, is becoming too annoying a matter not to be taken seriously. More so because, like his predecessor, he appears to be preoccupied with things other than the job he has been entrusted with — to look after the law and order situation in the country.
Like his predecessor, he also appears to be totally immune to ridicule. He showed no embarrassment when lampooned for letting one person armed with a rifle take the capital hostage for almost five hours. In fact, he mocked Zammarud Khan for attempting to tackle the armed fanatic single-handedly. What Zammarud did was indeed foolhardy but he did what the interior minister should have ordered the police to do within the very first few minutes of the start of the infamous saga.
The Rawalpindi sectarian clash was nothing less than an interior ministry disaster of horrendous proportions. In civilised countries, ministers responsible for law and order have resigned for failing to avert lesser tragedies.
Nisar’s baffling silence on the presence of Naseeruddin Haqqani in Islamabad, his murder and the way his body was transferred from Islamabad all the way to Miramshah, in North Waziristan, without having been spied by security personnel anywhere en route to the final destination, gives rise to a number of questions which he alone can answer. And what was a Haqqani commander doing in Hangu? It is these questions that the interior minister should be focusing on rather than trying to double for the foreign and the finance ministers.
Nisar has even surpassed Malik’s total disregard for facts in his desperate attempt to play to the gallery. Aziz, in his testimony to the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs did not say the US would not use drones against the Taliban any more. What he said was that it would not attack the Taliban during peace talks and that it needs to be informed beforehand when such talks were in progress and according to him, (Aziz), no peace talks were being held between the government and the Taliban when Hakimullah was killed. And, of course, he did not say that the US would not target Haqqanis if spotted anywhere inside Pakistan.
The PM wants visa-free travel between India and Pakistan, but Nisar’s ministry appears to know nothing about the Defence of Pakistan Council, which brings out chest beating ‘crush India’ hordes on our streets whenever there is even the slightest move forward on the matter of granting India the Most Favoured Nation status. And what about the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which has its strongest presence in Punjab and whose members kill Shias with total impunity? There are said to be at least 40 well-armed and well-funded militant groups thriving in Punjab, which are said to provide the needed social and physical infrastructure to the TTP to carry out its murderous campaigns all over the country. Take care of these jihadis and the TTP would disappear on their own, without having to mount a military operation against them.
Tailpiece: Writing this column has pained me a lot as I have always held Nisar in the highest esteem. I have watched his progress from a political novice, when he first appeared on the political scene in the 1982 Majlis-e-Shura of Ziaul Haq, to a mature politician of national stature of today. And I have felt even worse comparing his performance with that of Inspector Clouseau — Malik’s nickname given him by our late friend Khalid Hasan.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2013.
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Inspector Clouseau always got the job done! Not sure if Rehman Malik and Chaudry sb can make that claim.
Am not sure which political party the current Interior Minister represents, from his insinuations and conspiracy theories against his colleagues and own Government, it seems he is a representative of the TTP. It is such an affront to a country like Pakistan fighting the scourge of terrorism that such a confused dimwit is a Minister. Pakistan it seems does not need any enemies, most are on the Government payroll.
This quote which summarizes everything...
François: Do you know what kind of a bomb it was? Clouseau: Yes, the exploding kind
Do you have an answer, Mr.Interior Minister?
@Shahbaz Asif Tahir: In my humble opinion, the sooner that chaps like YOU (in your own words) "Leave Pakistan alone, buzz off", the sooner will Pakistan be on the road to recovery!!
Excellent Op-Ed. Chaudhry Nisar has already proven to be not just worse than his predecessor but the worst Interior Minister in the country's history. He seems to be constantly competing with IK on who can adopt the more jingoistic and extreme stance, even completely disregarding the positions of his own party and PM. In short, pathetic performance so far from Nisar.
Mr. Ziauddin has hit the nail right on its head. He has not only diagnosed the true cause of terrorism correctly but prescribed the correct cure also. In his words the cause is: "There are said to be at least 40 well-armed and well-funded militant groups thriving in Punjab, which are said to provide the needed social and physical infrastructure to the TTP to carry out its murderous campaigns all over the country." The cure for the disease (again in his words) is "Take care of these jihadis and the TTP would disappear on their own, without having to mount a military operation against them." This is a long-term cure for a long term disease. I do not however, agree with his idea about automatic disappearance of disease in the short run. The terrorists have not appeared all of sudden. We have overlooked the spread of sectarianism for too long and allowed the cancer to spread its tentacles in some parts of the country too deeply to be cured just by cutting the supply of Jehadis at the source. Now surgery is required in areas which are in complete control of terrorists. Cutting the supply of Jehadis at source is however, necessary to prevent resurgence of disease and its spread in the new areas.
@Shahbaz Asif Tahir: If this newspaper is what you claim it is then why bother reading it. More than anobody else its deranged people like you who should leave Pakistan alone. Without mad and nonsensical people like you around Pakistan will definitely be a much better place.
Aren't both of them part of democratically elected governments working according to our current constitution...so why one complains than?
Liberal, secular, non sense, which is the feature of this newspaper. Shame on you Mr., and shame on secular liberals. Leave Pakistan alone, and buzz off.
You are right sir. Ch. Nisar and Rehman Malik are indistinguishable as far as their IQ is concerned. Imagine what Imran Khan would be like if he was the Interior Minister in a coalition government..