Cabinet making industry in Pakistan

For weeks for sure if not months, we Pakistanis either living overseas like me or within the beloved country like you have been hearing, reading and expecting that our Federal Cabinet of Ministers will be cut to size and the news was welcomed by millions of us except only those whose employment was at risk.

Cabinet of ministers is found in each and every country irrespective of the administrative set up followed by the country which could be democratic, autocratic or even kingship and from that angle my beloved Pakistan cannot be an exception to the internationally recognized principle. However, it is not that easy to form a cabinet in my country as it is found in rest of the countries irrespective of the topographical situation of the countries. Territorial limits and or population of the country do not matter so far forming a cabinet of ministers is concerned. Age, education, religion, caste, creed and experience does not come in between while selection a cabinet minister rather, on the contra, suitability is the only yard stick to pick up a minister. Next comes the size of the cabinet meaning by how many ministers be needed to run the country and quite naturally the numbers will vary from a country to country depending upon the peculiar circumstances of the country concerned. May be in some country just a dozen ministers would be enough to reign whereas in another country the numbers can be doubled or even three times, if needed. No limit can be imposed as far as number of ministers is concerned. None can deter any country even to touch half a century mark, for that matter, though in practice not many countries can boast of carrying a battalion of 50 odd ministers.

Now coming back to my own country, I very sincerely opine it is a hell of job for my top brass to form a cabinet of ministers. The president in particular and prime minister in general do not get sound sleep for weeks both before the formation of a cabinet or after announcement of the cabinet for very cogent reasons and not otherwise. Some names and faces haunt them not only during the whole day long but they chase them in the night at their beds too. Their mobile telephones keep on ringing nonstop even at the odd hour when the date is changed or, for that matter, as early as dawn itself. How many letters and emails are sent by individuals and organizations alike through fax and email simply cannot be counted what to talk of reading them. Not only friends, class fellows, neighbors but also relatives join the race to reach the president and prime minister for recommending a person to be elevated as a minister. Many queue up at their offices and residences to meet them even for a minute to just remind them not to forget so and so while announcing the cabinet. It is a daunting task which needs special guts, extra ordinary courage, beautiful treachery and above all favoritism tinged with vested interests to announce a cabinet of ministers where some are those who are not suitable even for non gazette posts but yet they are inducted as the best possible ministers my nation can ever boast of. To me, naming a cabinet of ministers in Pakistan is not less important than running an industry which is very much demanding task and not everyone can run the same unless and until the industry is eventually declared as pauper and bankrupt.

Our known political analysts, commentators, politicians, journalists, bureaucrats, academicians and tv anchors, to name just a few, found at least part time job if not full time to ponder if not wonder as to what should be the size of the forthcoming new cabinet. Who should be retained in the next cabinet or who should be left out was not an easy task for those who are at the helm of affairs? Which new faces are included and from where was a baffling question for out top brass in any case? Should other political parties be also given a cabinet birth was too difficult a question to be answered? What should be the criteria to select or reject a candidate was also an important question to be weighed quite critically? Could those be ignored who had stood thick and thin in rainy days be forgotten now when their services can be properly reckoned and rewarded? How many women are taken in was a big puzzle for our top brass for very cogent reasons lest one wants to annoy the sweetest and dearest ones? Can heavy weights be taken on board again was very much stumbling for those who banked on those? What repercussions and consequences can be faced by the president and the prime minister not to induct some heavy-weights within PPP or otherwise?

However, due credit must be given to our worthy President Asif Ali Zardari who on Friday 11^th February 2011 has come out with a short sized cabinet of just 22 ministers who have taken oath from him at President House.  Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani who is already very much burdened to head the government has been given additional charge of eight ministries namely Water & Power; Human Resources; Info Technology and Telecommunication; Defense Production; Petroleum and Natural Resources; Overseas Pakistanis; Ports and Shipping; Housing & Works which at some point of time will definitely are to be taken away from him and given to those who are to be obliged for various reasons which can be understood but not to be discussed in public.  However, it certainly proves beyond any shadow of doubt that at least 8 more ministers are to be inducted to raise the level of the ministers to thirty which is not big a size as compared to the earlier cabinet which had sixty ministers. It is not a secret that the President had to annoy some people by not including them again in the cabinet whereas all those who had hoped to be ministers are also not happy with him simply because at least of them if not all of them were directly or indirectly promised to be entitled to flay national flag at their cars and residences but ironically they are still outside the cabinet.

As regards performance of the earlier cabinet is concerned, I need not comment for the very obvious reasons that even a child knows what to talk of an adult, as to what they had done for the country and the nation. Did president try to prove that productive ministers are being re-inducted whereas non productive have been shown the exit door? I dare not challenge the inborn prerogative conferred upon our mighty president but nevertheless irrespective of the circumstances and the ground realities I have my very serious reservations, if not the objections, about those ministers who have not been included again in cabinet which has been administered oath on Friday. Isn’t it very much paradoxical and ironical that Prime Minister, at the farewell dinner hosted just a day before on Thursday for the outgoing cabinet, thanked these ministers for their best performance but then excluded them from the next line up? Which of the two actions of the prime minister is to be applauded-thanking ministers for their performance or exclusion of the same ministers from the new cabinet? What deterred him to chuck them out months back if their performance was not up to the mark or just on this Friday only he came to know of their bad performance? Why did they continue working as ministers and drawing hefty salary and enjoying mouth watering perks and facilities when they were found to be nincompoop? Couldn’t these ministers be given some warnings to improve upon or they face an axe? However, if no warning had been issued to the ministers concerned, I very strongly plead that shouldn’t prime minister be asked to pay back from his personal pocket all what had been spent on such ministers? Under what law, the prime minister in particular and president in general, could allow our national exchequer to pay to such inefficient, non productive ministers? Perhaps it is the most suited case for the Chief Justice of Pakistan to invoke his inborn prerogative to look into this also and punish those who failed to take cognizance of worthless ministers for months, not just weeks or days.

Let me register my complaint with president Asif Ali Zardari and prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani for and on behalf of the outgoing ministers for the simple reason that they should have been told months in advance that they will not be retained when the cabinet is reshuffled rather than just keeping them in dark till the very last moment. No denying the fact, any minister informed months back would have left the seat on the last day all along with his rest cabinet colleagues so from that point of view prior notice was meaningless but I am viewing it a bit differently. Had the minister been informed of his departure a few months back, the minister had very bright chances to receive hefty gifts both in cash and kind from some of them if not all of them whom he had favored out of turn while sitting as a minister.  The minister had travelled on official trips to many cities, towns and villages for attending the functions hosted in his honor. There must had been too many farewell parties right from east to west and north to south where the minister concerned had been garlanded and given precious gifts. Even television and print media had covered such like events. Why had he been deprived of all such like pomp and show, gifted money and expensive presents which had neither cost to our president or prime minister nor to our national exchequer? The two should not forget that one day they too will have to quit either and if certainly they would not like to leave in seclusion and unannounced. Isn’t it very much immoral on the part of our president and prime minister to send these ministers without any befitting farewell ceremonies? Shouldn’t our left out ministers curse our VVIPs to deprive him the very last golden chance of their lives?

Last, but not the least, any idea what were the assets of the ministers at the time of their induction and what are their present assets? Is there any logical parity between the two values so far as assets of our ministers’ are concerned? It reminds me of Iran where in addition to governmental agencies, even the President Mahmood Ahmedinejad himself keeps a close watch on monitoring each and every minister’s assets and none of them can amass wealth beyond the reasonable official limits. In our case such like monitoring is not even thinkable what to talk of implementing the same. It is really not only very much regretful but very much ironical too that if at all anyone in my country wants to live only on the monthly salary and shuns any extra money offered as bribe or kickbacks etc, then that person is not appreciated for being a true gentle person rather he or she is nick named as coward and arrogant etc. It has become a qualification to mint money and earn through back door though in fact such like fraudulent practices should be snubbed and the person indulging such like efforts be not only condemned but prosecuted too. Alas! Our moral standards are changed and we are too proud to be going down the drain.

My nation is watching just as a silent deaf and dumb spectator to see as to what the present cabinet which is exactly 60 hours old by now when I am completing my article will be delivering to the nation. Do they remember the text of the oath they have been administered by the president, at the time of their induction ceremony? Incidentally, what actions, if any of the ministers have taken during the past 60 hours in the greater interest of the ministry in particular and the nation in general or they are still busy in attending hearty welcome parties arranged in their honor only? What is the time limit, if any, as to for what period of time ministers can attend welcome parties and in which cities? Please correct me if I am wrong in assuming that welcome parties can be arranged at any time in any part of the country? Is there any probation period for our ministers to prove their worth to continue working as ministers or such like clause is not applicable to our cabinet of ministers?  I very honestly wish and sincerely pray that all the ministers both individually and collectively do not drift away for any reason and rhyme from the path and the goal set by our founder of the country and they deliver what has been assigned to them devoid of any favor, nepotism, pressure and self interest.

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With my honest and solemn prayers

Sincere Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait