An ‘Oh My God (OMG)’ Moment!
By Perwaiz Ahmad
Fullerton, CA
A cliff-hanger moment finally ended with a sigh of relief for millions of Pakistanis on Friday, July 28, 2017 when the Supreme Court announced its unanimous decision (5-0) to unseat Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The verdict hit the streets hours before Juma prayers, rendering Nawaz Sharif disqualified to hold any office portfolio in his party as well as the most powerful seat of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Late Dr Israr, a religious scholar, once said categorically that Pakistan had been reduced to a failed State because our Justice system was in the back pockets of the corrupt mafia, the feudal lords, the rich and the powerful. While corruption had gone through the roof there was no sign of relief for the poor and the downtrodden; the rich were getting filthy rich by hook or by crook, living like kings in one of the poorest countries of the world with assets touching astronomical proportions in the so-called “friendly” countries. The irony was that everybody talked about rampant corruption in the government in every nook and corner but found themselves helpless because of fear of getting targeted or towing the line of the religious Right by blaming the Jews, the West, or India for that matter, for all the ills. It seems like blaming everything that has gone wrong in Pakistan on the Jews has become second nature to practically all Muslims. For God's sake get out of this mindset and demand progress from the sleazy politicians who come through the back door and make millions through kickbacks. Didn’t Mustafa Kamal earn world recognition for his tireless efforts to improve the infra-structure of Karachi. Didn’t General Azam Khan win the hearts of millions of Bengalis in East Pakistan (Bangladesh) during the Ayub Khan era by treating them like equals which is a basic requirement of a Muslim, everything else is secondary in Islam.
Years before Imran Khan entered the cricket scene, his own cousin Jawed Burki (son of General W. A. Burki) was selected as captain by superseding stalwarts like Imtiaz Ahmed, Hanif Mohammed, and Fazal Mehmood to tour England. The result was obvious: a dismal performance from the get-go, the worst tour of Pakistan cricket history ever.
After playing cricket in England during his Oxford years, Imran Khan saw an opportune time to do something for the Pakistan cricket team because Pakistan Cricket Control Board (PCCB) was mired in nepotism, kickbacks and other ignoble practices. Through his hard work he got recognized by some in the PCCB to lead the national cricket team. He committed his heart and soul to the task by eliminating nepotism and selecting his team on merit, followed by disciplining the players in and out of the field during a tour. He demanded 100 % from his team and watched them like a Platoon Officer on a Base.
During his tenure, he not only succeeded by winning games on every host ground across the globe but finally clinching the 1992 World Cup against great odds. Subsequently, he committed himself to building a world-class cancer hospital, called Shaukat Khanum, followed by a university called Nammal University on the pattern of Oxford and Cambridge.
He did not rest on these laurels but vowed 21 years ago to change the status quo of Pakistani politics by bringing an end to family politics (mauroosee syasat) and rampant corruption. He was alone at first but as his message started resonating with the young and the old, men and women, vendors and thaylewalaas, laborers and academics he was able to garner enough support to force the Supreme Court to listen to him. Despite many setbacks he kept on fighting, finally unmasking billions/trillions of rupees that were moving at supersonic speed to offshore companies while the nation was getting deeper and deeper in debt. The Panama papers gave a boost to his convictions and resolve to keep on fighting until a judgment was made by the Supreme Court.
A new era has dawned in Pakistani politics after last Friday's verdict. The entire corrupt mafia (A-Z) is shivering in their pants, wondering who is going to be the next one to fall from grace.
Persistence, perseverance, consistence and selfless politics by Imran Khan has finally culminated in this historic decision by the Supreme Court. Hats off to the five Judges who set a precedence that was non- existent in the Judicial System of Pakistan for 70 years; perhaps, they were always over-ruled by the so-called invisible forces.
Although not an Aquarius, Imran Khan certainly possesses the sterling qualities of one!
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