ABDULLAH MUSTAFVI
Majestic grandeur of huge palace and unexpectedly expensive findings from secret vaults of Mr Qaim Khani comprising cash, diamonds gold ornaments , costly vehicles and variety of automatic weapons surprised most of the people as the owner apparently happens to be a common state employee with average earning of Rs 1.5 million salary per annum. It is a simple case of living beyond the means and making costly assets much above the declared income or earning. Reportedly the accused, Mr Qaim Khani, was enrolled in government departments as a “ Gardener” and managed to rise to the post of DG Parks where , most obviously, he applied his talent to the fullest to mint the money.
Two aspects need special attention at the moment. First, if a common employee can milk the state offices to such an extent then what the hell is being done by the big shots sitting at the top. Second, this small episode of huge plunder is enough an evidence of state’s inability to detect or trace the flow of money in the country. This is what precisely being exploited by enemies against Pakistan at FATF forum. .
Involvement of top ruling tiers in money laundering remains the most serious part of the issue! How can we remain off-sight from the tough sessions with FATF once it was all about unaccounted flow of money from the country. Cases against ex PM , ex President and their close aides cast a larger shadow over credibility of the state as the allegations are not only against particular political families rather entire ruling elite along with top state offices stand exposed for either being involved or being ignorant .
Mostly, FATF episode has been viewed and projected in the context of cross border terrorism amid Pakistan’s fluctuating regional tug of war with Indo-USA nexus . Leaving fabricated terrorism allegations aside, unaccounted flow of money haunts the economic future of country . Foreign sponsored terrorism all across Pakistan came in full circles during past years and who can doubt that hard core terrorist net works operated with unaccounted money dropped in their pockets from across the border . Unfortunately, the matter is being distorted by political circles at internal front by projecting the accountability as political victimization or witch hunting.
It is really disappointing to see a Pakistani politician referring constitution in the context of ongoing accountability! Disappointing part mostly belongs to the irrelevancy of the reference from the entire context of the matter under consideration.
So in other words, mostly our politicians create fun by making irrelevant references of constitution; which by all means remains the most sacred and the non- controversial document for the state. Immediately after ouster from the PM office , ex PM along with his foul mouth aides was seen extremely busy in creating fun with hilarious claims for being an ideologue democratic politician . Few of his determined admirers declared him Jinnah –II(Quaide e Azam Sani) and kept blowing the balloon beyond stretching capacity till it busted on the face.
Now, while being in the prison , ex PM have enough time to establish the real causes of present political debacle. Is he really paying the price of being an ideologue leader ? Or the current hardships are outcome of some serious wrong doings in the near and far past? In both ways, there is an obvious bad news for all well wishers of Pakistan! A common citizen with an average IQ can assess that something terribly wrong had been taking place in the power corridors of state. Either the three time PM’s team was corrupt or the three ousters of an ideologue leader were unfair.
So in both ways the worry is all for the poor Pakistanis who are pushed to think that bug in the system is too complicated to repair! Latest fun about constitution is being created by none other than the Co- Chairperson of PPP who once happened to be the President of Pakistan ! Tune is being followed by the son Bilawal Bhutto , the Chairman of PPP. Constitutional references made by PPP circles and their irrelevancy to the context is so powerful that it can either compel you to burst in tears or leave you half dead in fits ! PPP is frequently making references of 18th constitutional amendment while being inquired upon money laundering , secret foreign accounts and undeclared off – Shore properties .
Most hilarious part of the reference, made by the PPP, is that recent corruption inquiries against their leadership are actually the punishment of making 18th constitutional amendment. One really needs a super brain to comprehend this super logic that ex president is now a days facing trials in NAB courts for 18th constitutional amendment which was passed by the parliament when he happened to be in the presidential chair! However, few of the cases being investigated pertains to the era much earlier than the 18th amendment episode. An interesting comment made by PPP heavy weight Mr Raza Rabani in the SC do need a careful analysis that 18th amendment was passed without any discussion at the floor of parliament.
This legislative comedy seems more tragic once few constitutional experts grade 18th amendment in contradiction to the overall spirit of the constitution . Without making any brain storming over pros and cons of 18th amendment as well as its approval without debate , let’s reset the focus over the hot issue of corruption and money laundering . Populist slogans by the spokespersons’ bunch of convict ex PM and ex President seems nothing more than usual cheap tactics to divert the attention of masses from their secret vaults full of looted public money . Current economic crisis and multiple diplomatic challenges including FATF bindings demand a full scale introspection of state mechanism which offers big exploitable loop holes to looters and money launderers . Unaccounted flow in and out of country must be denied at any cost . Problem needs a serious head on shoulders of decision makers who are at present wasting most of energy and time in verbal cannonade with every tom , dick and harry. Undeniably, corruption and unaccounted free flow of money is one of the most difficult hurdles being negotiated by Pakistan at the path of stability .
