Nazia Nazar
According to lexicon, establishment means a settled arrangement, especially a code of laws or a permanent civil and military organization including bureaucracy. However, in Pakistan some habitual critics of establishment mean only military, and hold it responsible for all the problems faced by the country. After completion of third phase of local bodies’ elections, an anchorpersons of a private channel said that despite interference by military and propaganda campaign launched by it against political leaders, MQM, Peoples Party and PML-N have swept the polls. Such critics do not realize that there was no interference by military, and operation in Karachi had been started after all the political parties had reached consensus that action should be taken against terrorists and their backers, extremists, bhatta mafia and criminals. COAS General Raheel Sharif has recently reiterated that operation is not against political parties but terrorists and criminals.
It would be pertinent to mention that the Supreme Court of Pakistan in its verdict on Karachi in 2011 had stated that MQM, PPP and ANP have had their militant wings in Karachi, which must be disbanded and criminal elements should be brought to book. The court said: “Banned outfits including Sunni Tehreek are involved in extortion, while there are allegations of the same offence against parties such as Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP) and MQM”. Even a man on the street knows that political and confessional entities were wholly embroiled in a no-holds-barred war to capture the beleaguered city and make of it as an exclusive preserve. The government and the law enforcing agencies are resolved to show zero-tolerance to criminals and their criminality. And if in the process they have to tread some political, ethnic or confessional toes, they will do it.
If one dispassionately examines the Local Bodies’ election results, one would see almost the same pattern of results seen in 2013 general elections so far as PPP, PML-N, MQM and PTI are concerned. The reason is that PPP is well entrenched in Sindh province for the last 45 years, though earlier it had also a support base in Punjab, which has been lost due to inept and incompetent leadership. For the last three decades, PML-N and MQM are in politics and by virtue of being in power four times and having bestowed favours on their activists and build up a strong base. Secondly, they belong to the ruling elite that control all the resources of the country. An ordinary person with middle-class background cannot afford to field himself as a candidate for a provincial or national assembly seat. Hence, they do not have any choice but to vote for the above parties.
In fact, when transition started with 2008 elections, military had vowed to remain neutral. Despite the fact, former president Pervez Musharraf was at the helm, and then COAS General Ashafaq Pervez Kayani had taken practical steps to ensure that there would be no interference in elections. It is an irrefutable fact that military has not interfered in politics at least since power was transferred after 2008 elections. Before elections, COAS Ashfaq Pervez Kayani in a letter written to officers and commanding officers had issued instructions that officers should not call any politician in headquarters or their offices. In a letter written to officers, he had pointed out that the role of the Armed Forces has already been defined in country’s laws and Constitution. He further advised the officers that they should not indulge in any profit-making venture other than their salary and perks as per their ranks.
Almost all army officers on deputation in civil departments were recalled to their units. Even today, establishment does not interfere in politics; but would not allow the enemy agents disguised as members of political parties to have their way. It should be remembered that after 2008, elections the PPP-led government was the only government that completed its term. It has to be mentioned that the entire term of the government was marred by mega financial scandals and also Memo-gate Scandal to which military had taken exception because efforts were made to denigrate and demonize armed forces. After 2013 elections, governments were formed in the centre and provinces that are functioning to-date. The problem is that the governments have failed to deliver, and people show anxiety that their elected representatives do not address the problems faced by them. On the other hand, people revere COAS Raheel Sharif.
It should be borne in mind that when army chief or chief justice or a sane voice suggests to the government to ensure good governance to change its image, it does not mean that they want to denigrate or destabilize the government. It is not criticism but a suggestion or advice to ensure good governance to win hearts and minds of the people. All politicians on both sides of the political divide should realize that their image is tarnished in the street. The government should therefore take measure to improve the living conditions of the impoverished people and ensure them a better life, without which democracy is not even conceivable. Nor any democracy worth the name is to be visualized without the uplift of the disempowered and the disenfranchised.
In fact it is not real democracy, but a plutocracy – the government of the rich, by the rich and for the rich. This is the reason that the people are losing faith in the system, which does not address their problems. They seem to be fed up with the present electoral process that sends opulent classes to the assemblies. MQM claims to be a party of the middle class; but its members did amass wealth when it was a coalition partner with PML-N, PPP and even PML-Q during the last four decades to become part of the elite group. It is in this backdrop that during recent LG elections throughout Pakistan and especially in Karachi the turnout dwindled down significantly. It is hoped that the government would take measures to address the problems of vast majority of disgruntled and disappointed citizens.
