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Waiting for Angels in Pakistani Politics

“That’s right,” Mr Right said. “I don’t know why people say the media is playing a bull in a china shop. They are doing the right thing to expose baddies and take them to task.

How satisfying it is to realise that amongst us we have some angels too who do not appear on the list of NRO beneficiaries or the forgiven loan defaulters.” “But where are they?” I asked. “Those noble creatures.”

“They must be lying in jail because they don’t believe in NROs and other compromise instruments,” Mr Right said. “And because of those who believe in these ‘politician-friendly’ gestures, society today is full of crooks and cheats,” I said. “But they cannot escape the long arm of the law as the media in the post-Musharraf period is acting as a policeman of society to register a FIR against all lawbreakers. But I am not sure if we can afford such all-out action against them at present.”

“Don’t worry my friend,” Mr Right said, “this is necessary to remove the mountains of injustices lying hidden in the mist of the past. We are suffering from a plethora of problems which have been created by our rulers, both civilians and army men, during the past six decades.”

“I agree, but the media seems to be overzealous to discover ailments of society without helping to find out their cures,” I explained. “It is painting a very dismal picture of society which is groaning under the weight of corruption, bad governance and 
high prices.

Even the fledgling democracy has failed to come up to the media’s expectation as it finds politicians dishonest, bureaucrats inefficient and systems falling apart.” Mr Right said, “It means you support those politicians who say that the media is baying for their blood holding them responsible for every crisis in the country from power shut-downs to traffic jams.”

“No I don’t, but I am also not prepared to accept that everything is going to collapse soon and everybody from top to bottom in the government is about to hang his gloves,” I stressed.

“But, there is no dearth of people who are preparing for mid-term polls although these are unlikely. Among them are the optimists who think some of the NRO-bitten ministers will quit,” Mr Right said.

“Although some well-wishers, including Aitizaz Ahsan the righteous, want party men to resign their posts to clear their names in courts, I doubt if anybody is ready to take this risk, “ he continued. “They think there are other ways to tackle these problems.”

“One way is to create doubt about the lists,” I pointed out. “A number of instances have been quoted where names have been included in the culprits’ list by ‘mistake or because of a misunderstanding’. To err is human, you know!” “And the party is fully capable of defending its stand that it never committed any sin and was blamed for the sins committed by others,” Mr Right remarked. “It knows how to 
defend itself.”

“Every crisis has only helped the party to strengthen its ranks and show to the world that PPP actually means Politicians’ Protection Party. And I am sure the party will protect its ministers even if they are guilty of something,” I said.

“And what about the President?” Mr Right asked. “Is he going to clip his wings as promised?” “Might be,” I said. “But he is now more dependent on Allah than America and the Army. Because only Allah can provide his 
alternative now.”

“But many believe if mid-term elections are held Allah will send angels to take over Pakistan’s administration,” Mr Right said. “Because if angels don’t come, any future government will also prove to be an exercise in 
‘garbage recycling’.

“May God bless the angels if they are sent here to set things right,” I said. “It is easy to be an angel when you are in heaven, according to a wise man that did not belong to the media. In the land of the pure, it will be a formidable challenge for an angel to remain honest if it is made a minister.”

Najmul Hasan Rizvi is a former Assistant Editor of Khaleej Times. For comments, write to opinion@khaleejtimes.com