The Verdict

Published in the Friday Times on March 7, 2008

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 Sir, 

Although the people rejected Musharraf and his allies in the elections, the Americans are not happy. They think Musharraf is indispensable for Pakistan. They have been pressuring both Zardari and Nawaz to let Musharraf remain in office. So what was the point in holding elections? Why did we waste those millions on asking the people what they wanted if we can't decide fr ourselves who our leaders should be? Why doesn't the US dictate to India who should be president or prime minister? There is only one way forward now: restoration of the sacked judges and accountability of those who looted the country during the past five years. The nation would love to know what happened to all that flour which we had in such abundant quantity, that our prime minister exported it and then we had to import it at a huge loss.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Welcome to Corruptistan

I've always suspected that Pakistan was created in the name of corruption. The latest acquittal of Shahbaz Sharif and his son in corruption cases against them proves my point. Of course, everyone knows why they were acquitted. Imran Khan himself has indulged in massive corruption, yet the courts dare not convict him. Leave alone conviction, they can't even have him arrested. In the present circumstances, if anyone from the ruling party is arrested or convicted, questions about the judiciary's impartiality will be raised.

A few weeks ago, the courts acquitted those whom Imran Khan once called the biggest dacoits but who are now his allies. Similarly Asif Zardari was also let off, along with a few of his cronies. It looks like the corrupt will always get away with their crimes, laughing all the way to their banks.

So, what's the solution? It's impossible to have an impartial, independent judiciary in this country, where the judges are appointed by politicians. Perhaps a system in which the rulers have no say in how judges are appointed or promoted could work. In the U.S., even though Supreme Court judges are appointed by the President, in the lower courts you find judges acting independently. The nearest thing to such an institution in Pakistan is the Election Commission, which acted independently against Imran Khan's government, and has earned his wrath. He's insulting the Chief Election Commissioner almost every day, and he will not accept any election results that go against him. It looks like no one can save Pakistan from this monster.

Disappearance of Zardari's entire case record

One of the signs of reconciliation between the establishment and a political party is a sudden lenient attitude of the judiciary and other institutions towards its leader or leaders. For a long time now, we've had the feeling that Zardari has made amends with those who matter in the country. His party's separation from the Pakistan Democratic Movement was an early indication. This was followed by his support to the establishment's chosen chairman in a no-confidence vote. It looks like the PPP will get enough seats in the next rigged general elections to form a coalition government.

So I was not at all surprised when NAB told the Islamabad High Court that the entire record of cases against Zardari had disappeared and could not be traced. This apparently shocked the judge, but as the judiciary is nowadays in conflict with the army, he probably guessed what had happened. 

It's when such things happen that I lose faith in Pakistan. The other day a killer was acquitted because the Investigation Officer had not been able to prove that he had committed the murders. What probably happened was that the inspector was bribed and did not present the required evidence. Usually, the heirs of a murdered man or woman are forced by the relatives of the accused to accept compensation and "forgive" the killer. Then there is the well-known case of Usman Mirza, who forced a couple to strip and have sex so he could film the event and blackmail them. Initially there was a lot of brouhaha but now everyone seems to have lost interest. The murder of Noor Mukaddam is another example of one law for the rich and another one for the poor. But our leaders have not learned from history and continue to make the same mistakes that led to the country's dismemberment.

Extension of Army Chief's tenure: what made IK change his mind?

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Someone should tell Imran Khan to think carefully before saying anything. He has been forced many times to make U-turns and has had to do the very opposite of what he'd said he would do to make the country what it used to be not long ago. His most memorable quote comes to mind: "I'd rather commit suicide than go to the IMF for help". Not only did he beg for aid, he also dismissed his very able finance minister and replaced him with one recommended by the IMF, even though the said finance minister had been a part of what Imran used to call the very corrupt government of Zardari. So often has Imran made U-turns that he is frequently referred to as U-turn Khan. He's made another one now.

Imran Khan had strenuously opposed the extension of service for the then army chief General Kayani in Zardari's days. His reason for doing so was that commanders were not given extensions even in war time. But now he himself has done so, extending General Bajwa's tenure by another three years. One would like to know why this announcement has been made three months before the good general was due to retire. I suppose this is one of those mysteries which will never be solved. The reason given is that Pakistan is faced with a serious security situation in the region. Nothing new here, the country has not been at peace for many decades now. The previous government, it should be noted, did not do what Imran Khan has done, but then, that government was backed by the people, not "selected", as this one is.

A photo circulated on Whattsapp and having gone viral asks (in Urdu), "OK, horses can't be changed in war time, but surely this rule doesn't apply to donkeys?"  A very apt question, and I hope the donkey gets to see it!

Why have elections?

Published in Daily Times on May 16, 2018

After the recent charade of the senate elections and the election of the chairman and deputy chairman, one cannot be blamed for wondering if we really do deserve to have the kind of democracy which allows politicians to loot and plunder.

Of course, since Nawaz Sharif himself did his best to destabilise past PPP governments, he ought not to have been shocked at what has happened to him.

It has been obvious for a long time that we are not democratic by nature. The ten immediate years after partition saw politicians fighting among themselves, while prime ministers did not last long in those tumultuous days, with one, I I Chundrigar, resigning only a month into his tenure.

The people, therefore, actually welcomed General Ayub Khan with open arms, calling him the saviour of the country. Claiming that universal adult franchise (one man-one vote) is not suited to the temperament of our people, Ayub introduced the basic democracy system in which an electorate of only eighty thousand people, out of a total population of eighty million, voted to elect members of the national assembly.

These basic democrats elected Ayub Khan as president, rejecting the popular Miss Fatima Jinnah. Those elections were thought to be massively rigged, as she was the sister of the founder of the nation and was very popular among the masses. Ms. Jinnah also died under very suspicious circumstances, and it is widely believed that she was murdered during her sleep.

When Ayub Khan became unpopular, however, our people came out on the streets to throw him out. The people did not protest when he handed power over to another general, although his own constitution said that the national assembly speaker, an East Pakistani, should have taken over as president.

After the first supposedly free and fair elections in 1970, the winner Shaikh Mujeebur Rahman should have been allowed to form the government. Unfortunately, our so-called ‘democracy-loving’ politicians, led by Bhutto, and those who were in power at the time simply could not bear the thought of having an East Pakistani heading the government.

The country was dismembered, and we had to start anew, with Bhutto serving as the civilian martial law administrator and whose intransigence was the main reason for the country’s breakup.

Despite calling himself a committed democrat, Bhutto was highly autocratic, very much like Imran Khan, Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. He humiliated and tortured many of his party stalwarts like JA Rahim and Mukhtar Rana, who had the courage to oppose him.

Bhutto’s tenure ended in 1977 when the people came out to protest against the massively rigged elections, and when General Zia seized power even though he held Bhutto in high esteem mere days before launching the coup. Then again, our politicians too have the knack of changing sides at the drop of a hat, as is being witnessed nowadays.

After the restoration of democracy, both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto connived with the establishment to dislodge each other’s governments. Even during the last PPP government, both Zardari and Nawaz were at each other’s throats. Zardari imposed governor’s rule in Punjab, while Nawaz sided with the establishment in the Memogate scandal.

If our politicians favour real democracy, why do they not hold transparent elections in their own parties? Shahbaz Sharif was elected unopposed as party chairman of the PML-N. Apparently no one else had the guts to oppose him.

The PPP, moreover, is a family business, with grey-haired and experienced veterans like Aitzaz Ahsan and Raza Rabbani forced to obey the orders of the virtually inexperienced Bilawal, while the PTI chief rejected his own election commission’s report about rigged elections and corruption within his party.

It has sadly been like this since the country’s independence, with history repeating itself every few years. Our leaders have always been embroiled in trying to retain or attain power, which gives an opportunity to the establishment to step in, much to the relief of the common man. Those who lose elections try their best to dislodge the winners, who in turn try desperately to remain in power and therefore cannot concentrate on good governance, which leads to the country suffering.

It has been said that the best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. Talk to the voter in our rural areas and you find that he is not at all bothered by corruption. He respects those who are wealthy and who live in their own palatial houses.

In fact, if our politicians were to suddenly adopt simple lifestyles like giving up their motorcades and getting their children educated in government schools, they would find themselves losing the confidence and respect of their voters. The common Pakistani thinks, “If this man is not wealthy, how can he solve our problems?” The average Pakistani peasant will either vote for his feudal landlord’s party or to someone who belongs to his own caste or tribe. Which is why the PPP will continue to win elections in the rural areas of Sindh.

One may well ask then, “Why have elections at all?” Why not simply appoint members of the feudal elite throughout the country to rule and supervise development in those areas which they control?

Look at our assemblies, dominated by feudal lords and the filthy rich. The nation has to incur massive expenditure on holding elections, which in any case tend to be rigged and tend to cause so much bitterness.

Even in the US, a man like Donald Trump became president, despite the fact that Hilary Clinton got three million more votes than he did. In our own country, we had a prime minister who has been elected three times, and who is the alleged owner of property worth millions.

Perhaps a few years without elections may be the solution to our ills. Plus, of course, having incorruptible leaders like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore who will not hesitate to take strict action against those indulging in corruption.

Shakir Lakhani

The writer is an engineer, a former visiting lecturer at NED Engineering College, an industrialist, and has been associated with the petroleum, chemical industries for many years. He tweets @shakirlakhani

https://dailytimes.com.pk/240455/why-have-elections/

Imran Khan should quit politics immediately!

Now that it is well-known that Imran Khan was relying on a psychic female for guidance in all matters, we should seriously consider whether he is eligible to be the prime minister of the country. I’m not suggesting that the lady is not what is claimed for her, it’s the change in Imran Khan that should worry us. I remember the late Moin Akhter once asking him the name of the “baba” or “pir” on whom he relied for performing well in a cricket match. Like a true educated liberal, Imran Khan had said scornfully that he did not believe in such nonsense, he only prayed to God for success.

From that young confident person, he has now changed drastically. It is said that she would advise him to go and live in the mountains for some time whenever she thought it would be good for him. There are also rumours that he divorced Reham Khan when she told him to do so. We remember how Asif Ali Zardari would also come and live in Karachi on the advice of his mentor (besides slaughtering black goats) to ward off evil spirits. There used to be rumours about Nawaz Sharif also having such a wise man who would guide him whenever he didn’t know how to deal with a problem (which was probably every day). In fact Benazir Bhutto was also reported to rely on a “pir” in Rawalpindi for advice.

Then there is the question of how his so-called "secret marriage proposal" became public knowledge. Obviously, in Imran’s closest circles, there is a mole who leaks such news to journalists. One is reminded of Willy Brandt, the popular West German Chancellor, who had to resign when one of closest aides was found to be an agent of an enemy country. How can we trust such a man with the country’s destiny, a man who has around him someone who is not reliable, and whom he cannot identify?

There are those who say that this is Imran’s private matter, and no one has the right to talk about it. Wrong. Imran Khan is a public figure and potentially the next chief executive of the country, so his every action should be scrutinized to ensure that the country’s interests are not adversely affected. We know how Trump got involved with the Russians and how he is suspected to have won the elections with Russian influence. We do not want such a thing happening in Pakistan, do we?

So, the question arises, if all decisions were taken by Imran Khan in accordance with Pinky’s instructions, why not make her the chairperson of the PTI? Why should Imran continue the frustrating task of becoming the prime minister of the country if everything he does will be dictated by her? Imran Khan should seriously consider quitting politics and devote himself to social work (like building hospitals all over the country). Doing so would make him as popular as the late Abdul Sattar Edhi.

Why NAB should be disbanded and replaced by an anti-corruption bench of the SC

Published in the Express Tribune blogs on July 22, 2017

If they have been honest and if their assets have been obtained legally, they should have no difficulty in proving so in a couple of weeks.

There is much talk of disqualifying the Panama accused to prevent them from running for public office again. Disqualification alone will be against the principles of natural justice. Simply disqualifying the accused will send the wrong message to other corrupt politicians who have enriched themselves over the past few years. The court (in addition to sentencing the accused as per law), should also seize all their properties and assets, freeze their bank accounts, confiscate their vehicles and put their names on the Exit Control List (ECL).

And it should not simply end with the conviction and disqualification of those who are on trial today. There are many like them who have looted the country and enriched themselves while in positions of power. The nation knows well who they are; they are those who have built palatial mansions for themselves and who enjoy lavish lifestyles. They should simply be asked to explain how they are able to spend so much, and what the source of their income is. If they are not able to explain to the court that their properties have been earned legally, they should be convicted, and all their assets seized immediately.

Again, the process should not simply end with politicians. The bureaucrats and civil servants who helped those politicians in their illegal activities should also be investigated. If they are found living beyond their means, and if they have assets which are disproportionately large in comparison to their incomes, they too should be convicted and their properties seized.

As for the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), it should be disbanded immediately and replaced by a permanent anti-corruption bench of the Supreme Court (SC). Mushtaq Raisani, an officer of the Balochistan government, was set free by NAB after surrendering only two billion rupees worth of cash, jewellery and property, even though he was widely suspected of owning hidden assets amounting to Rs40 billion. He would definitely have surrendered all his assets in exchange for freedom if he had known that he would be sentenced to imprisonment for many years.

Of course, the first case to be taken up (after the decision on Nawaz Sharif and his family) should be that of the former president, Asif Ali Zardari. Even though this man had been convicted of money laundering by a Swiss court, no action could be taken against him due to claims of immunity. Now he is living in luxury, more than a Mughul king could have dreamed of. He should be asked about how he is able to live in a palace in Dubai, besides having mansions in France and the UK, how he is able to pay for the maintenance of these houses, and the money trail leading to their purchase. A swift enquiry followed by the seizure of his huge assets in Pakistan (which include many sugar mills, agricultural land and 40 bungalows adjacent to the Bilawal House) will put the fear of God in those who are planning to loot the country.

Then there was the case of the former naval chief Mansurul Haq who was released after a plea bargain. We must not forget the scandal-ridden government of Zardari, when there were allegations of corruption against Fauzia Gilani, the wife of former Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Then, there was Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (popularly known as Raja Rental) who was involved in the scam of renting floating power plants at exorbitant rates. Moreover, the Hajj scandal is still fresh in our minds, with the principal accused being acquitted for a lack of evidence. But who can be asked to provide the source of funding for his investments, properties and other assets?

In fact, even though NAB was aware of the corruption of the ruling family and other politicians, it closed 129 cases against politicians in the past three years (undoubtedly under political pressure). We need a radical change in dealing with corruption, which causes the country a daily loss of $133 million! Just by reducing corruption to half its present rate, we can wipe out our foreign debt of 75 billion dollars in only four years.

There is no need to form judicial investigation teams for this process. If they have been honest and if their assets have been obtained legally, they should have no difficulty in proving so. But knowing how arrogant our feudal lords are, as they have always assumed that they can go on looting and plundering the nation with impunity, they are likely to have no evidence that their properties have been purchased with legal income (just as Nawaz was unable to do so). It’s time to make them accountable. They should understand that the laws of the country also apply to them, not merely to common Pakistanis, whose taxes they have pilfered and deposited in their foreign bank accounts.

The nation will forever be grateful to the SC if this process is taken to its logical end and those who are corrupt are punished severely.

Shakir Lakhani

Engineer, former visiting lecturer at NED Engineering College, industrialist, associated with petroleum/chemical industries for many years. Loves writing, and (in the opinion of most of those who know him), mentally unbalanced. He tweets @shakirlakhani (twitter.com/shakirlakhani)

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/53840/why-nab-should-be-disbanded-and-replaced-by-an-anti-corruption-bench-of-the-sc/

Asif Zardari should also be investigated for corruption!

JIT report 

Published in Dawn on July 15th, 2017

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ONE of the charges against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is that he and his family were spending much more than what they were supposed to be earning. Most of our public representatives, of course, are just like the Sharifs, and they too should be investigated to disqualify them from holding public office. However, since investigating all of them will take a very long time, I suggest we start with the big fish.

Asif Ali Zardari was convicted of money laundering by a Swiss court. When he became president of the country, the proceedings in the case were suspended as he claimed immunity.

However, as with the passage of years the case became time-barred, the Supreme Court directed the then prime minister, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, to write a letter to the Swiss court to reopen the case. When Mr. Gilani refused to do so, he was sentenced for contempt of court and had to resign.

Uzair Baloch, a Lyari gangster, also levelled charges against Zardari, who is known to be the beneficial owner of big houses in England and France. He should only be asked how he is able to live so lavishly in foreign countries on his pension. If he is unable to give a satisfactory answer, the court should take action against him.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

https://www.dawn.com/news/1345351/jit-report

Dear Imran Khan, you’re no better than Nawaz Sharif or Asif Ali Zardari

Published in The Express Tribune Blogs on December 24, 2016

The latest scandal involving the PTI seems to prove that Imran Khan is not different at all from other corrupt Pakistani politicians.

Those who consider Imran Khan to be a paragon of virtue say that he has never been known to misuse public funds. If you mention the discrepancy in his statements that the Bani Gala house was gifted by his first wife, then his about-turn on the issue, they say,

“Oh, that was his own money, not filched from his hospital or from the government, like other well-known politicians are supposed to have done”.

Even when you tell them that he ignored the findings of his own commission on the 2013 internal party elections, they say, no, no, nothing’s wrong, such things happen in other parties as well.

But the latest scandal involving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) seems to prove that Imran Khan is not different at all from other corrupt Pakistani politicians. The PTI-led government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has given an advertising contract worth billions to a company in which its own additional secretary information (Javed Faisal Khan) was once an employee.

“So what’s wrong with that, where’s the corruption?”Imran’s drooling admirers will ask.

First, the K-P government chose four advertising companies out of ten that had been initially selected. The reason these four were chosen was that they were capable of executing the contract (which, by the way, was about telling the gullible public in K-P what a wonderful job the provincial government has done in the past three years, like altering text books to prevent children from seeing pictures of women and animals).

Later, it was decided by the steering committee comprising of, among two members, (one of them being none other than the same Javed Faisal Khan), that the four companies earlier deemed to be qualified for the job, were in fact not capable and lacked the capacity to run the advertisement campaign. So, the rules were relaxed, and the multi-billion rupee contract was given to the company in which the PTI additional secretary information was an employee until recently.

What do we make of this whole affair? Is there no difference between Imran Khan, Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif? All his brouhaha about accountability was just a sham? Imran Khan, we are waiting, if you really are incorruptible, you will investigate this affair in detail and issue instructions to the K-P government to award the contract on the basis of merit. If you fail to do so, you will only prove that you are another corrupt Pakistani politician.

Shakir Lakhani

Engineer, former visiting lecturer at NED Engineering College, industrialist, associated with petroleum/chemical industries for many years. Loves writing, and (in the opinion of most of those who know him), mentally unbalanced. He tweets @shakirlakhani (twitter.com/shakirlakhani)

https://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/44345/dear-imran-khan-youre-no-better-than-nawaz-sharif-or-asif-ali-zardari/

Why is Aitzaz Ahsan silent over his party's corruption?

Silence over Corruption

Published in Daily Times on June 29, 2016

Sir: While it is good to see Aitzaz Ahsan protesting against Nawaz Sharif's corruption, why did he remain silent when the late Benazir Bhutto and her spouse were convicted by a Swiss court for money laundering? Why does not he talk about the lavish lifestyle of his party boss Asif Ali Zardari, who lives in palatial houses in Dubai, France and elsewhere? And I wonder why he is completely silent over children's deaths in Thar and his party's dismal performance in Sindh. 

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi 

Accountability demand

Published in The News on December 02, 2015

This refers to the letters, ‘Exonerating Zardari’ (November 28) by Javaid Bashir and Ali Malik Tariq. How can it be a case of victimisation when a Swiss judge convicted both husband and wife for the crime? We know that the PPP government delayed writing a letter to the Swiss authorities to proceed further with the case, and when the time came, our high commissioner to the UK (Wajid Shamsul Hasan) silently took away all the documents of the case.

If the former president is indeed innocent of any wrongdoings, how is he living so lavishly? Why do the FBR and NAB not investigate how he accumulated all this wealth? These assets have not been declared and no tax returns have been filed, which is a legal requirement of the country. The people should demand accountability from all politicians, whether they belong to the PPP, the PML-N or any other political party.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

The wall

Published in The News on April 03, 2015

A very powerful political personality had built a wall in the city that divided into two parts a major road going to the beach because his palace was situated on that road.

The left side of the road was thus blocked and us lower mortals could use only half the road for going to the sea shore which would cause a lot of stress. A court ordered the removal of the wall and reopening of the road but to no avail. Finally, the Rangers stepped in and did it in three days. As the great Mao said, “Power flows from the barrel of a gun.”

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

A hanging threat

Published in The News on August 17, 2013

With reference to your editorial ‘A hanging threat’ (August 14), I appeal to the government to continue the moratorium on executions, because – like drone attacks – executing militants will only create more terrorists. Perhaps the one good thing Zardari did during his five years was that he did not allow any executions.

Capital punishment has been abolished in most countries of the world because it is counter-productive. It should be remembered that Hazrat Umar did not allow the cutting of hands as punishment during one part of his reign because there was famine in the land. In a sense, our successive governments have themselves been responsible for the creation of militancy as no effort was made to spend on education, health and basic necessities. No more hangings, please!

SHAKIR LAKHANI

Karachi

Mr. Prime Minister, improve security first!

Improve security

Published in Daily Times on June 27, 2013

Sir: Of all people, President Asif Ali Zardari has ordered that a report on the killing of foreigner tourists be submitted to him immediately. He should know that his party is responsible for not improving the security situation in the country during its last five year tenure, and this is what the new government should do. 

We can live with poor roads and load shedding but we cannot live with poor security. 

For God’s sake, if you are reading this, Mr Prime Minister, please stop doing everything else and please do everything you can to improve the law and order situation. You can deal with load shedding next year, you can build new roads the year after that and in your third year you can give us the bullet train (whatever it is) even though we do not need it. 

However, please do not waste your time on foreign tours and umrah trips; please spend the time and money on improving security. You can do it, if you have the will. If, on the other hand, you decide to waste our tax money on frivolous projects, the fate of your government will not be different from that of the last one.

SHAKIR LAKHANI

Karachi

Zardari's "pir" couldn't help him!

A pir and his statements

Published in Daily Times on June 8, 2013

A pir (spiritual leader) has surfaced, claiming that he is the one who ensured that Mr Zardari would complete five years as president and that the PPP would form the government in Sindh. If what he says is true, it would appear that Mr Zardari asked him only to ensure that he would complete his five years as president and for the PPP to form the next government in Sindh. I may be wrong but this does not sound like Mr Zardari. I believe that Mr Zardari not only wanted to have five more years as president but also for his party to sweep both national and provincial elections. The pir (Muhammad Ejaz) must think we are all morons (like his followers) when he says, “He would now do something so that the president could stay in office for two more years.” Why two years? Why not another five years? Finally, by saying that “Nawaz Sharif will face no danger if he keeps doing the right things”, does he mean that he should be Nawaz’s pir as well? Seeing that the PML-N did so well in the recent elections, I would say that Nawaz Sharif’s pir (if he has one) did much better than Muhammad Ejaz.

SHAKIR LAKHANI

Karachi

Conspiracies behind PPP’s defeat

Published in Daily Times, May 23, 2013

Sir:

According to President Asif Ali Zardari, national and international conspiracies have been behind PPP’s defeat in the recent polls. We agree to what you say sir, but could you also tell us, were these the same forces that led to PPP’s victory in 2008 elections?

SHAKIR LAKHANI

Karachi

Swiss conundrum: why not punish Malik Qayyum?

Published in The News on September 29, 2012

Swiss conundrum

This is with reference to your editorial ‘Swiss conundrum’ (September 27). Why hasn’t the Supreme Court taken any action against former attorney general Malik Qayyum for writing the letter which has resulted in a huge financial loss to the country?

The ex-attorney general was the same person who, as a judge, had earlier convicted both Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari in a corruption case. So he, of all the people, should have known that what he was doing was illegal.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Get the Chief Justice!

The get CJ plan

Published in The News on June 17, 2012

In his article ‘The get-CJ-by-July strategy’, Mohammad Malick says, “It’s a fact that he (Malik Riaz) had been assured the governorship of Punjab, both by Zardari and Nawaz, in recognition of his mediatory services during their 2008 parlays”. I don’t see anything wrong in this.

In a country ruled by people with tainted reputations, another one of the same kind wouldn’t have made any difference. In fact, even if Malik Riaz was convicted, he could have still become, and remained, the chief executive of the country. We have seen this happen in the country only recently.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Why was convict Zardari elected president?

Why was he elected?

Published in The News on February 14, 2012

In the write-up ‘The Swiss letter has to be, has to be, has to be written’ (Feb 11) Ahmad Noorani writes, “The fact Aitzaz knows is that the Swiss investigation magistrate had convicted President Zardari on October 29, 2007, and President Zardari’s appeal against his conviction was also rejected by the Swiss Court of Appeals on the basis of strong evidence on March 19, 2008”.

 

If Zardari had been convicted, why was he allowed to run for president in the first place? Why didn’t anyone raise this issue at that time? I’m sure on this basis alone he can be removed from his present post.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Why not just write the letter?

Published in The Express Tribune on February 8, 2012

KARACHI: This is with reference to Fauzia Wahab’s article of February 7, titled “The trial of her grave”. If there is no case against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari why is there so much resistance to writing the letter to the Swiss court that the Supreme Court of Pakistan wants written? Far from being a trial of her grave, this would prove that she was honest and incorruptible because the result, going by a reading of Ms Wahab’s article, would clear up all allegations of corruption against the late prime minister.

Shakir Lakhani