Political Dynasties, PTI and Shah Mehmood Qureshi
By Syed Kamran Hashmi
Westfield, IN
Even if you disagree with Imran Khan on his position against the drone strikes, his policy to appease Taliban, or his protest to destabilize the democratic system on the dubious claims of election rigging, you still have to agree with him that without bringing fundamental reforms within the political system, Pakistan can never excel. He emphasizes on two important points: ensure free and fair intra-party elections on regular intervals and introduce a transparent system for their fundraising and campaign expenditures.
If followed, these measures will transform our family-ruled political parties where the leadership is bequeathed from one generation to another, into legitimate democratic organizations in which middle class workers would get a reliable platform to show their mantle, to rise at the national level, and to take control of our destiny. Sure, in the beginning these changes would shake up the system, but after a few cycles the process would mature to guarantee long-term political stability in the country. If ignored though, we would always jump from a sugar crisis to a petrol crisis to an electricity crisis like the unpredictable strides of a power ball that has hit the floor to bounce back and forth indefinitely.
At present, both the major political parties - the Pakistan Peoples Party(PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) - have kept power within the tight grip of two families, the Bhuttos and the Sharifs, without sharing it with members outside the clan.
Could you imagine anyone to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan other than Mian Nawaz Sharif once ‘his’ party had won the 2013 elections? Or the Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab except Shahbaz Sharif despite his poor governance model for the last eight years?
In case, if they cannot take the job themselves like it happened in 2008 after the elections when Dost Muhammad Khosa was sworn in as the temporary CM of Punjab, they (Sharif Brothers) still never relinquish control. Using the sitting executive like a puppet, Shahbaz Sharif called all the shots from his parallel headquarters for months and made the administrative decisions till he acquired the office. Asif Ali Zardari also reserved the top spot for himself as the President of Pakistan guaranteeing its constitutional protection. Meanwhile, he ran his own mini yet more powerful Prime Minister Secretariat in Islamabad even when Yousaf Raza Gillani held the official post.
The story does not end here. Passing the throne down from Zulifqar Ali Bhutto to Benzair to Asif Ali Zardari, the grandson now takes over the party today as its new chairperson and will continue to lead it forever. In the same way, sooner or later, Hamza Shahbaz or Maryam Nawaz Sharif will preside over the PML-N without having a real contest in the party from any non-Sharif opponent.
Local political forces follow the same pattern. For instance, Maulana Fazl ur Rehman leads the Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUIF) after his father, Maulana Mufit Mehmood. And after Ghaffar Khan, his son, Wali Khan, followed by his son Isfund Yar Wali , have perched on the driving seat of the Awami National Party successively.
Keeping that in mind, we must give credit to Imran and his supporters, as rude and as opprobrious they are, to bring this important yet ignored issue to the limelight. If the problem stays unsolved, he fears that Pakistan will continue to struggle as an underdeveloped and poor nation ruled by a set of military dictators, who usurp power through their position in the Army, alternating with the civilian dictators who consider people’s vote as part of their personal fortune.
Having said that, how about the religious and spiritual dynasties who also get political benefits from their position? Do they pose any less danger for the stability of Pakistan than their political counterparts? Did Imran look at the curriculum vitae of his party’s Vice Chairman, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the most influential leader of Southern Punjab and the current Sajjada Nasheen of the Mauselum of Shah Rukn e Alam and the Shrine of Hazrat Bahahuddin Zakariya, the one who gathers big political rallies through his devotees from Multan to Larkana?
We have heard the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek e Instaf (PTI) criticizing Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, slamming their corrupt practices and self-centered policies. Most of us tend to agree with the Chairman on his stance. However, I have never heard him utter a single word against those who abuse people's religious sentiments to get not only their votes but also their money and sometimes their lifetime belongings. Does Imran consider that exploitation to be a service to the nation or to Islam since he and his party benefits from that support in Punjab?
We fall in with his view that without accountability Pakistan cannot move forward, not in the 21st century as a proud nation. But why does he keep quiet on the accountability of his own Vice Chairman? Have you not seen the pictures of Shah Mehmood blessing a woman who has put her head on his feet while offering him money that he is graciously accepting? How does that blessing help the woman or her family when she is being stripped of her only possession in the name of spirituality?
I am not objecting on people’s faith, it is between them and their God. Yet it pains us when we people take advantage of the simplicity and ignorance of the common people. Can such an individual, whose family has been in power for decades and has never done anything significant to improve the condition of his constituency, lead Pakistan and bring the change that our country so badly needs? Does Imran not ask his own second in command about the dynasty that his family has created in the name of religion?
