Absolute Power
Corrupts Absolutely
By Perwaiz Ahmad
Fullerton, CA
‘Power corrupts and
absolute power corrupts absolutely.’ This
is an old adage but one that is very true for
all times. It may signify the crux of the problem
with President Mussharaff, as also that of his
predecessors Ayub Khan, Bhutto and Zia, not to
mention BB and Nawaz, the so-called civilian leaders.
In the name of national security all of them did
immense damage to institutions that help build
and strengthen a nation.
I hate to say it but I see a parallel today between
what is happening in the United States and Pakistan,
like the firing of attorneys and the Chief Justice,
the stock market surge and collapse, the real
estate surge, the media arm twisting, the KESC
debacle, and turning a blind eye when some government
official is accused of corruption. Yes they threw
a few more carrots around than their predecessors
but they carry a longer stick to intimidate their
own countrymen to ensure that corruption under
their government stays undercover.
Sixty years after independence Pakistan is on
the brink of a major catastrophe because of the
decades old Baluchistan crisis, the Afghanistan
crisis, the Kashmir crisis, the border crisis
with Iran, and the fallout of failed policies.
The only people to be blamed for this disconcerting
situation are the leaders in power; the military
has been in power for more than 30 years and must
share the blame.
We have been through the shameful crisis of 1970-71
whose memory is still fresh in our mind. The tragedy
was witnessed by the whole world but we have not
taken any lesson from it and have embarked on
the same disastrous course again and again by
keeping the judiciary under the thumb because
the hunger for money and power is endless. And
yet those who perpetrate such acts call themselves
patriotic!
It was a breath of fresh air when President Musharraf
took over in very dramatic and grave circumstances
and the whole nation stood behind him. However,
some questionable activities in various areas
such as the Steel Mill transaction and the recent
the Supreme Court blunder, to name a few, had
people wondering what has been going on behind
the scene.
I think President Musharraf has overstayed his
tenure, thereby giving his not too honest ministers
a chance to exploit the situation for personal
gains. There are rumors that NAB is using its
power for political gains, the enormous rise in
the daily expenses of the President and PM houses
is another alarming development. A country like
Pakistan cannot afford such extravagance. The
attitude of the Services personnel is an eyesore
not to mention the Army's influence in the civilian,
private and educational sectors where Brigadiers
and Generals are appointed with no prior experience.
No doubt President Mussharraf has wiped out a
lot of corruption and there are numerous wholesome
developments in several areas whose credit goes
to him, but one does wonder why NAB has failed
to convict people like Zardari, plus scores of
offenders in seven years and why if the charges
could not be proved, they have not been set free.
If President Musharraf wants to build his legacy
he should step down honorably or contest in a
transparent election while the Army goes back
to the barracks. If he opts for such a course,
people will love and remember him forever.
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