Royal Palm Golf Course – the Farce & Media Campaign

November 8, 2012

Islamabad. According to a news report, The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has summoned three retired generals of the Pakistan army in a case related to the land owned by Pakistan Railways. The former generals who have been summoned include Lieut. General (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, Lieut. General (retd) Saeed-us-Zafar and Major General (retd) Hamid Butt.
NAB has re-launched an investigation on the orders of the Supreme Court into alleged corruption by three Generals who managed the Pakistan Railways during Musharraf rule. On the day the NAB investigation re-opened the media was not just present it was very aggressive towards the retired Generals. Almost all TV channels showed one General pestered by a reporter to say, “Shut up, you idiot”. The other harassed General, when asked if he had any message, said, “I urge the nation to vote for Almas Bobby in the next elections”. Almas Bobby is a leading light in the transvestite community. Instead of explaining the political implication of the sarcastic remarks, the ‘idiots’ of the media interpreted that as ‘insult to holders of national mandate’ who happens to be President Asif Zardari. There was no information to report; the news was that those ‘Generals hold the politicians in utter contempt’, which is perhaps true. However, the political implication of the remark, which was not reported, is serious. Holders of high office of state – including politicians, military officers and bureaucrats – deal with matters of life and death, war and peace, are not in the business of revealing secrets but keeping them. If the media report their own views and the people enjoy sarcasm and slanted ‘disclosures’, they would be better served with transvestites in position of leadership. The remark is very timely and appropriate because Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – Chairman of the PPP – has all the gifts of Almas Bobby and more.

The retired Generals have explained the case being investigated by NAB. The bitterly complain that they are the targets of a media campaign. There is concern in the armed forces that a concerted media campaign funded by foreign enemies of Pakistan and encouraged by the present government has been launched against them. The press statement issued by the three Generals is as follows:

“There is a media campaign to defame three of us ie retired Generals, who ran PAK Railways during Musharraf era and turned it round into a profitable and well run service. We are being targeted as retired Generals by those who have an issue with Musharraf but can not get him. The case of royal palm briefly is as under:

“The site was a run down full of bushes railway Golf Course on lease to Mr Ishaq Khakwani and his associates at Rs 12 per year. We cancelled this lease and advertised it internationally for converting it into an international standard Course with contractor’s investment. The highest bidder was a consortium of Malaysian and Pakistani firms. The new lease terms gets Railway Rs 5 crore per year increasing by 15 % every year. The lease is for 49 years and the whole property belongs to the railways. The contractor had to spend approx Rs one billion to convert it to what it is today. 11 years ago the lease terms were considered to be a very good deal for the railways.

“Mr Khakwani went to the high court in 2001 against this deal but the case was thrown out. He did not give up and through his friends in the media, mainly Rauf Klasra, continued to malign us.

He and his friends kept taking this to 5 different committees of the parliament without any thing adverse coming out. Now on a petition by him the Chief Justice decided to take suo moto notice . The trial was held in 2010 and the judgement was reserved. After two years instead of giving the judgement he initially ordered a retrial but later asked NAB to investigate . It may be pointed out that NAB has already investigated the matter on an earlier complaint and cleared us in 2003. Once again, this time on the orders by CJ, they have restarted the inquiry .The irony is that the petitioner Mr Khakwani demands that this now developed facility should be reverted to him and his associates. This has neither been questioned by either NAB or the CJ. Mr Khakwani was paying a fabulous sum of Rs 12 per year for the lease. It has been alleged that new lease was granted on a very low rate. Nothing could be more ridiculous. At the time the lease was granted against a fee of Rs 5. crore per year, is equivalent to Rs 15 crore at present value . One had to take into account the investment of almost a billion rupees to develop this asset for PAK railways as a permanent source of income. In those days of sanctions getting this foreign investment was seen as a great achievement. Today after 12 years instead of appreciating that this Railway, which has sunk again into heavy losses, was not only profitable but was improving in efficiency after decades to neglect and running down. We are being hounded as if we have committed a crime. If this is a reward for working hard and honestly for your country, then who would stick his neck out. Meanwhile everyone is sitting on the sideline and watching retired Generals being targeted through suo motos.

“We have not done anything wrong and no evidence of any corruption was produced in the court nor was it alleged by any one. However the witch hunt continues.

The media did not report the above explanation thus reinforcing doubts that the media campaign against the armed forces is officially sponsored as it continues relentlessly.