The shuttered mindset

Worst thing about the 2 alternating parties, their titular chiefs is their smugness, inability to relate to reality

For anyone suffering from mild depression — who still has an interest in where this country is going — a bout with the national media, particularly the poisonous electronic ‘tawk shows’, is bound to send him or her reeling downwards into severe depression. And there are frightening statistics floating around as to the percentage of loyal Pakistanis who are already mentally afflicted.

The Mian of Raiwind somewhat battered and bruised as is his Family Inc. totters along with not an inspiring thought in his head for the country. He and his Family Inc., together with opposition partner Zardari Inc., are intent upon maintaining the status quo of the worn out, futile ‘system’, as the established political so-called ‘rulers’ have no intention of promoting change in the non-governance in which they both excel.

So, what do we have to look forward to — another three to four years of stagnation with no relief in sight? The opposition has made noises about reducing the terms of the assemblies to four rather than five years, but we can be sure that will die a natural death.

The worst thing about the two alternating political parties and their titular chiefs is their smugness and total inability to relate to reality. There cannot be many in the country who have any doubts about the corruption of Sharif and Zardari — people believe that they may have different modes of amassing wealth at the expense of the national exchequer, the latter by turning the country into an open auction mart; the former with more stealth, more privately, having his own men at every key post, using outmoded financial laws as a cover, with, of course, the Family Inc. sharing in the spoils. Their known properties and assets, and the knowledge of how they were gained, should be a national disgrace — but no, we put up with it.

Yet, on October 11, in Jhang, Mian Sahib blithely stated that “his government considered corruption of even a penny haram” and raised his hands to heaven and gave “thanks to Allah that He had saved him and his team from indulging in this evil”. Stricken dumb, we can neither laugh nor cry.

At the PPP rally in Karachi on October 18, when heir apparent Bilawal Zardari was launched upon us, his father came out with the question as to who is financing Imran Khan and his sit-in and rallies. Well, that was cheeky considering we all know who was financing the show in Karachi — the taxpayers of the country and the Sindh exchequer. And the Sindh government had the gall to shut down the city. All very disgraceful, as is the continued illegal occupation by Fortress Zardari of public space and roads in Karachi, which is but another form of corruption.

And yet another form of the same ‘curse’ and ‘poison’ (as Mr Jinnah put it), the moral corruption which rather than abating has grown by leaps and bounds, the acceptance of violence and intolerance as a way of life. Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani seems unconcerned and certainly unrepentant that a guard on duty with his son casually murdered a youth on a motorbike, who failed to acknowledge the VIP cult.

Then, we have Malala, praised and reviled, and Aasia Bibi with her death sentence, who of late has taken precedence in the international press. Aasia is yet another victim of the much-misused blasphemy laws, which have claimed many a life.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2014.

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