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

Parvez Musharraf's legacy

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Parvez Musharraf died in Dubai yesterday after a long illness. It's ironic that he couldn't live long despite having collected billions in his lifetime.

When Parvez Musharraf overthrew Nawaz Sharif in October, 1999, people welcomed him. Nawaz Sharif was a nincompoop who had been elected with a two thirds majority, which is why he thought no one could touch him. He wanted to further Islamize Pakistan, wanting to be the Amirul Momineen (Commander of the Faithful). Nawaz's biggest mistake was not heeding his father's advice. The old man had repeatedly told him not to defy the army. Instead, he sacked Musharraf (who was in Sri Lanka) and appointed a Kashmiri general (Ziauddin Butt) in his place. Not only that, he closed all airports in the country so Musharraf would be forced to land in a neighboring country (probably India). Musharraf's cronies re-opened Karachi airport and allowed his plane to land.

Everyone expected Nawaz to be sentenced to death, instead he got 25 years in jail, but the Saudis forced Musharraf to release him. Nawaz signed an agreement not to return for 10 years, in fact he did come back to attend his father's funeral but was deported immediately. 

Musharraf attended the same school that I did (St. Patrick's). He was in the same class as two of my cousins. I don't remember meeting him, although he was only a year ahead of me. 

Musharraf made many mistakes, like suspending the Constitution, for which he received the death penalty (it was later overturned). He was allowed to leave the country and spent the last ten years out of Pakistan. In my opinion, he should not have allowed our natural gas to be used in vehicles. With the large scale theft of gas in the country, it was only a question of time before we consumed all of it. We're paying for this mistake today.

More and more corruption!

As if Musharraf's unexplained wealth was not enough, now we have the "Swiss" leaks, where many Pakistanis have parked their ill-gotten wealth. One of them (now dead) was Zia's spy chief (Gen. Akhtar Abdur Rehman) who was killed in the air crash with his boss. It seems that the funds given by the Saudis and the Americans were diverted into the Swiss accounts of this and other military figures. And we always thought all our generals, brigadiers and colonels were honest! Some of them, it is now evident, were involved in mind-boggling corruption.

I doubt if any of them will be taken to task. I've heard that some of them plea-bargained their way out of trouble but people like Musharraf will remain free, their wealth passing on to their children and grandchildren. Musharraf himself is facing charges, but has conveniently parked himself in Dubai, enjoying the good life. 

General Zia's spy chief who has been named in the latest scandal, has been dead now for 34 years, but his sons appear to be wealthy. One of them is with Imran Khan, another one is with Nawaz Sharif, I don't know about the third one, but all have so much wealth that they can retire comfortably and not worry about the future.

I was wondering how Imran Khan can talk with a straight face about corruption by his political opponents, considering that some of his own ministers and his "selectors" are corrupt to the core. I'm sure, when he's been thrown out, there will be enough evidence to convict him as well.

 

Imran Khan blames women for being raped

When Mukhtaran Mai was gang-raped by nine men, the misogynist Parvez Musharraf (who, like me, is a patrician), blamed her for the incident. He also said that Pakistani women love to get raped so they can easily get a Canadian visa and live abroad for the rest of their lives. Ironically, it's Musharraf who today lives in exile, while Mukhtaran is involved in giving education to girls in her village, some of her beneficiaries being daughters of her rapists. 

Imran Khan is just like Musharraf and the 99 out of 100 Pakistanis who believe that if a woman shows too much skin, she deserves to be raped. But then, he's not known as Taleban Khan for nothing. Until a few years back, he used to frolic on the beaches with scantily clad Western women. Now that he's nearing 70 and is married to a fundamentalist, he wants all women to don the all-enveloping burqa or stay at home all the time. He also believes divorces have increased due to men watching too many movies, particularly Hollywood and Indian films. One should ask him if his two divorces were also due to him seeing movies featuring women wearing bikinis?

Thanks to social media, Imran's remarks received widespread condemnation. But his supporters of course say that his words were taken out of context. Even if Imran burns down all the girls' schools in his home town, his supporters will applaud him and will say he did the right thing. I hope the PTI candidate is defeated by a huge margin in the Daska bye-election the day after tomorrow. At least that will make the rape-apologist Imran Khan realize that he's very unpopular with the people.

Musharraf is responsible for gas shortage

If there is one thing for which Musharraf should get the death penalty, it is allowing natural gas to be used indiscriminately by vehicles. I don't know why he had to do it, perhaps he had relatives who wanted to open gas filling stations, but it ensured that the country ran out of natural gas within a decade.

Most CNG stations upcountry still indulge in huge gas theft. I remember banners in Punjab selling gas at half the price specified by the government. They could do this only because they were pilfering gas from pipelines. And because they had already become rich overnight, they were able to go on stealing the gas without being arrested.

I live in a locality where there had been continuous 24-hour gas supply until this winter. A few days back, gas started disappearing and this has continued happening every day since then. I'm compelled to heat water using electricity, which is sure to result in a phenomenal increase in my already inflated electric bills. 

If ever I come across Musharraf I'd like to tell him to his face the enormous damage he's done to the country. But I know he'll simply shrug and grin like he usually does.

Musharraf and the death penalty

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Let me first of all make it clear that I'm opposed to the death penalty. I shall write about this later, but the main reason is that in Pakistan and the Third World, innocent men are often executed because they cannot prove they're innocent (or because powerful people want them out of the way). Once, two brothers in Pakistan were acquitted after they'd already been hanged (the court did not know this). Many such instances have occurred throughout history.

But the conviction and death penalty for General Musharraf seems to have been done because he had imposed an emergency and arrested those lawyers and judges who opposed him. No doubt it was reprehensible, but a simple conviction (with life imprisonment) would have served the purpose. By ordering that Musharraf's corpse be dragged and hanged the judge has only diverted attention from the former dictator's excesses. The government, by favoring Musharraf, and the army, by criticizing the judgement, have both proved what we've known for a long time: that Imran Khan did not really win in the elections. But that is another subject.

The armed forces should stay out of politics. If the generals get this message, the judgement will have served its purpose. No more "selection" of prime ministers, please!

Honor killings

One would've thought in the twenty first century, no one would go berserk and kill his daughter or sister for wanting to marry someone of her choice. Yet it continues happening. The other day, a nine year old girl was reportedly declared "kari" and stoned to death. The word "kari" in Sindhi or Seraiki means "black female" and is used to denote a woman who is loose and immoral.

We remember how Mukhtaran Mai was stripped naked and made to walk in public just because her brother had been suspected of having had sex with the sister or daughter of a powerful feudal lord in the area. Instead of her brother and his girl friend being punished (though that too would have been a crime), it was poor Mukhtaran (who had nothing to do with the affair) who had to pay the penalty. Even a so-called liberal like President Parvez Musharraf had condemned the victim (Mai), saying that she was one of those who wanted to get Canadian citizenship. The brave Mukhtaran Mai (who should have been awarded the Nobel Prize) is now involved in running schools for girls in her area. 

In the instant case too, the victim will be forgotten and more girls will be killed sometimes because their brothers don't want them to have their rightful share in the properties left by their parents, but usually because they want to marry men of their choice. I firmly believe that a mass cleanup is necessary to change the mindsets of those living in rural areas. Even if this requires the hanging of many (something which I have always opposed), I wouldn't object to it if it eliminates honor killing.

Back to the Stone Age!

When natural gas was discovered in the country in the 1950s, it was estimated that Pakistan had enough to last a hundred years. Since then, many more fields have been discovered, yet we are now facing a serious shortage of gas. The "credit" for this goes to the past government of Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz, who allowed CNG to be used in vehicles. 

Where I live, the gas supply was always constant, but in other parts of the city the gas pressure would go very low and people would complain about it. But we always assumed that in those areas, there was rampant theft of gas and misuse of it in electric generators. Now we have been two days without any gas, and for the first time in sixty years I had to bathe with cold water today. 

The present "selected" government is also to blame, as it did not allow an LNG carrying vessel to berth due to what it thought were very high prices negotiated by the previous government. 

Consequently the majority province would have been without gas this winter, so they transferred gas from Sindh to Punjab to pacify their voters in that region.

I wonder if we'll be able to survive much longer if the situation continues as it has since this government came into power. The country is headed for a breakdown because Imran Khan and his ministers don't know anything about governance. Let's hope we don't have another breakup of the country, as happened in 1971.

Musharraf's trial: catch the other big thieves as well!

Published in Daily Times on January 11, 2014

Photo credit: Daily Times

Sir: The hapless people of Pakistan have seen their country looted and plundered without anyone being punished. Smugglers and those indulging in tax evasion display a strong contempt for the rule of law. We all know that many of our politicians have property in foreign countries, we know that quite a few of our parliamentarians are electricity and gas thieves, yet we do not have the will to take them to task. I hope that, along with Musharraf's trial, the government will take action against other major law-breakers, even if they are members the ruling party.

SHAKIR LAKHANI
Karachi

How did Musharraf control the dollar?

We deserve no pity

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10, 2013

KARACHI: This is with reference to your editorial “We deserve no pity” (December 9). I was reminded of Ishaq Dar’s claim that the dollar would soon be brought down to Rs98. Mr Dar should try to find out how General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s government contained the dollars’ rise to less than three per cent per year during his nine years in power (compared with a rate of 10 per cent in the six months of the present government’s rule).

I am sure there must still be some bureaucrats around who remember how this ‘miracle’ was brought about, despite the country being under strict sanctions during the first two years of Musharraf’s reign.

Shakir Lakhani

https://tribune.com.pk/story/643291/we-deserve-no-pity-2/

Why Musharraf must be tried

Published in the The News on July 3, 2013

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This refers to the letters on the subject of Pervez Musharraf’s trial that appeared in News Post. For too long now people have taken the law into their own hands and have never been punished for it. Not proceeding with the trial on the grounds that others have not been tried for the same offence will encourage more people to break the law. We have to begin somewhere, so why not now?

It should also be noted that Musharraf may have returned to the country thinking that he would never be tried or punished because our rulers have almost always treated the law with contempt. Perhaps he had thought that with the head of one major party accused of corruption and the other having allegedly arranged the storming of the apex court, no one would put him on trial.

Or he may really be under the illusion that people would come out on the streets in his defence, forcing the government to free him. He may even have received guarantees from both within and outside the country that he would not be tried.

Whatever the reason for his return, his trial will reveal why he had sacked the superior judiciary and treated the country as his personal fiefdom. Let us proceed with the trial, even if it opens a Pandora’s box, as his lawyers have threatened.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Post-NRO commotion

Published in The News on January 11, 2010

I have been doing a lot of thinking regarding the commotion caused by the anti-NRO Supreme Court judgment. After all, almost all politicians (including those in the government) said that the law violated the constitution and was against the tenets of Islam. The reaction from the president is also not understandable. An honest man like him shouldn’t be disturbed at all (unlike many others) if there is a popular demand to reopen all cases which were closed after Musharraf’s NRO came into force. I suppose one reason for his reaction is that he can’t let his cronies suffer just because the judges want to end corruption in the country.

Shakir Lakhani

Karachi

Only Allah can save Pakistan

I don’t know whether I should laugh or weep. An advertisement printed in Dawn on 9th December asks the people of Pakistan to help in the fight against corruption. Nothing wrong there, except that the ad contains photographs of those PPP personnel who are known to have looted the country. The president and his spouse of course are known beneficiaries of Musharraf’s notorious National Reconciliation Ordinance, which enabled the couple to return to Pakistan and paved the way for Zardari to become president. The prime minister’s photo is also there.

It will be remembered that he offered to resign if it could be proved that his wife’s bank loans had been written off. Although Dawn published the news of NAB having written off loans in his wife’s name, he still continues in office. When such shameless crooks are in charge of the country, only Allah can save it.

Pay heed to people’s will

Published in Daily Times on February 24, 2008

There is little contention over the fact that these recently-held elections also serve as the country’s verdict on President Musharraf. However, America is continuing to sideline this nation-wide sentiment. What is the point of holding elections and promoting a transition to democracy if the people’s will, will be paid no heed to?

SHAKIR LAKHANI

Karachi

Why is the U.S. obsessed with Musharraf?

Posted on Chowrangi.com on February 23, 2008 

I suppose it was only to be expected. 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 pressurizing both Zardari and Nawaz to let Musharraf remain the president. So what was the point in holding elections? Why did we waste those millions on asking the people what they wanted if we couldn’t decide for ourselves who our leaders should be? Why doesn’t the U.S. dictate to India on who should be its 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 dearly 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

The more things change, the more they remain the same

Posted on Chowrangi.com on February 23, 2008 

Those who thought that a new era will begin after the elections will have to think again. Already there is talk of defections and horse trading is sure to follow. If Musharraf doesn’t resign and Nawaz insists that he should go or the judges should be restored, the people may protest in the streets (like they did to remove Ayub Khan and Bhutto).

Whatever happens, one thing is certain: there will be a great deal of uncertainty, inflation will continue, petrol will get more and more expensive and it will be very difficult for the common man to balance the budget. Loadshedding will increase and the people will have to suffer. And no one will demand that those who are responsible for our misery should be brought to justice. The U.S. will bomb the tribal areas to target militants without our permission (they have done it more than once already). People like Sheikh Rashid will now appear on TV to give their views on what the government should do or should have done (or not done). Someone once said, “The more things change, the more they remain the same.” How right he was.

Shakir Lakhani

Asif Zardari holds the cards

Posted on Chowrangi.com on February 19, 2008

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The most powerful man in the country today appears to be Asif Ali Zardari. To all intents and purposes, his actions during the coming days will determine the future course of Pakistan. If he bends to Bush’s pressure and fails to remove Musharraf, the country is headed for troubled times (by the way, George Bush may now be the only friend of Musharraf in the West). But if he restores the judiciary, and Musharraf leaves, people will heave a sigh of relief. Today’s bullish performance of the Karachi Stock Exchange gives an indication of things to come.

If there’s one segment of the population which wants Musharraf and the old order to stay, it’s the businessmen and industrialists. They feel that the PPP, the MQM and the Q-League will form a coalition government, and things will continue as they were before (more privatization and corruption, more stock exchange and property scams, etc.). But if Zardari follows the path of least resistance (perhaps to save himself from the corruption charges still pending against him), he will lose the support of his party, which will be in danger of splitting.

Let’s hope he acts in a statesman-like manner and takes the best course for the country’s future.

 

Shakir Lakhani

The General's rise & fall

General’s good and bad days

Published in Khaleej Times on December 3, 2007

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I Saw Pervez Musharraf wiping back tears when he shed his uniform. And I too felt like crying. I wanted to cry because I remembered how popular he was until he sacked the chief justice. I felt sad that this brilliant man had to make such mistakes. I thought about the men who disappeared during his reign, and the loot and plunder that became common when he was the most powerful man in the country. I felt sad to see many people enriching themselves by hoarding sugar and creating shortages. I almost wept when I thought about how the judges were treated on the day the emergency was declared. I thought about the family members of those who were picked up by the agencies and the torture their wives and mothers have to endure until they hear from the victims again. And I thought of how it could have been different. If only he had spent an hour every day reading one or two national newspapers, he would not have done what he did. He would have known that the people would never forgive him for withdrawing corruption cases against Benazir Bhutto. And he would never have humiliated the judges of the apex court.

Shakir Lakhani