Pakistan:  Reflections onthe Decadent Culture of Political Corruption

Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.

“In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”George Orwell, 1984.

Tyranny of theForgotten Criminals WhoRobbed the Nation

President Trump in his tweetblames Pakistan as lying and deceitful about the militants and will cut the AID. Donald Trump is obsessed with wishful tweets to divert attention from domestic political scandals. He wants Pakistanis to do more against militants that America could not do over two decades of its occupation of Afghanistan. Do the tweets represent a shifting metaphor in US foreign policy? American strategists lack proactive strategy to end the insanity of war in Afghanistan and its spill-over devastating social, political and economic impacts on Pakistan. While President Trump could generate hollow laughter on American’s presence and its military operations in the region, is it true that America provides aid to client agents in Pakistan? Tyranny stems from corruption. One would expect some clarity of purpose and realityto come from the Pakistani side too. Are the Pakistani politicians pathological liars to deny or deceive the nation and the global community if theyget any financial and materialaid from the US?  America maintains upper hand in Pakistani political affairs. All contemporary Pakistani leaders had one common characteristic; they were subservient to foreign masters.They professed and pursued insane egoistic interest without fear and accountability overriding the national interest. They will do anything and all to please the Master. The list unfolds stunning discoveries about the Pakistani hangmen:

·         President George Bush claimed to have given $12 million to General Musharraf and associates to help his agenda of war on terrorism in Afghanistan. The NY Times (07/2007) wrote that Pakistani Generals are paid to do the job. Musharaf owns a $1.4 million mansion in London.

·         Ms. Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Zardari were indicted by a Swiss Court for money laundering and having $60. Million in the account stolen from Pakistan. She was twice dismissed as PM on corruption allegations. Ms. Bhutto purchased a $2 billion palace in Dubai. Zardari owns properties in UK, France and Spain and was installed as President of Pakistan - “our man in Islamabad” as American used to call him. Both were rewarded for their crimes and never saw a day in a Pakistani court of law. Ms. Bhutto and her mother were alleged to have conspired the 1988 plane crash of General Zia ul-Haq, 12 other Pakistani Generals and 100 of foreign dignitaries. No conclusive investigation was done. Subsequently, elections were held and she was installed as PM.

·         Nawaz Sharif was recently disqualified by the Supreme Court as PM and now conveniently lives in London. He killed many civilians and managed money laundering, owns many apartments and other real estate properties in UK, mostly purchased with stolen wealth from Pakistan. Is the US AID package connected to these activities of Pakistani politicians? Could these political monsters have operated the systematic corruption without the participation of thousands and millions of Pakistanis?

Challenges of the Day and Is there a Plan for Political Change?

The few corrupt still dominate the Pakistani politics. The so called National Assembly could not dare to impeach Nawaz Sharif despite the facts of wrongdoing warranted a bold action, he was dismissed by the Supreme Court. What is the usefulness of the National Assembly?  Compare it to the South Korean and Brazilian cases, the Assemblies took courageous action to impeach the leaders charged with corruption. Across Pakistan, the nation faces insurmountable challenges of survival and future-making. Its capacity to think intelligently and diagnose the crime-riddled politics has been drained out for the last fifty years. Since its inception Pakistan has faced formidable problems of security, political governance, economic productivity, law and justice, and national integrity. They are getting used to living under the shadow of political dishonesty, killings and continuing mismanagement of its national interests. American military presence in Afghanistan often propels reactionary extremism disrupting the lifelines of the common citizens of Pakistan. The ruling elite in Pakistan share no responsibility and accountability for the on-going insecurity and destabilization of the national fabric. Pakistanis have little maneuverability to control the tribal extremists fighting against the American military presence. Over the decades, four military coup and continuing governance by the political thugs and crime-riddled Bhuttos, Zardari, Sharif and Musharaf have deprived the nation to gain a sense of rational understanding and opt out of the imposed gangsterism.  These figures enjoin one common characteristic of favorite perversion - killing the innocent people, backdoor political conspiracies to cease power and stealing time and opportunities for self- motivated gains and comforts of life. Imagine, throughout its seventy years of history, only once for the first time political power was transferred to the genuine leaders of the Freedom Movement of Pakistan on August 14, 1947. All other assumptions of governance were either outcome of the military rule or political intrigues, backdoor intrigues and individualistic horse-trading between the Generals and few feudal lord families. What a shame and disgrace to the present and future generations of thinking Pakistanis. The new generation was deprived of any role in the future-making. Who should question who? There is no law and justice and no political culture to hold the known criminals accountable for their actions. The monstrous politics is unending and Pakistanis are entrenched with its past, present and future impacts. How convenient is it for President Trump to tweet that Pakistanis are lying and deceitful. Ironically, how few have made the Pakistani nation a scapegoat and undermined its present and future for change and moving forward to a better future. Could the new, young and educated generation of Pakistanis breath-in a fresh air of hope and optimism for change and future-making, free of the criminal politicians?

Recall Pursuit of Change  and Future-Making

This author made the following critical observations in“Pakistan in Search of Political Change”,(November 2015), published worldwide:

 “Traitors are within not Elsewhere”……. “The Nation Looks for Political Change”: Pakistan’s problem rests with power politics. Those who grab the power through intrigues, political conspiracies, military coups, sectarian killings and large social-economic disruptions do not foresee any exit to their hegemonic control. These are household names of hatred and disgrace to thinking Pakistanis. The Nation that allows criminally indicted and most corrupt people to hold offices of national governance and responsibility cannot be viewed as a nation of moral values and honor. This is how East Pakistan was lost. The political curse and disintegration of the economic, social, moral and intellectual culture goes on without an end insight.  …….Pakistan desperately needs people of new educated generation enriched with proactive vision, new ideas and political imagination to safeguard the freedom of the nation from ultimate chaos and ruins. Those who are part of the problems cannot be part of the solutions.

The political elite and the masses live in a conflicting time zone being unable to understand the meaning and essence of the Pakistan Freedom Movement.Rationality and truth has its own language. Everywhere blame game is used by the corrupt politicians to cover up their insane egoism, incompetence, criminality and failure. Across the nation, agonizing situations warrant urgent attention to deal with insecurity, restoration of trade and commerce, conflict prevention and conflict management, Pakistani Taliban’s terrorism, problems in responsible governance, and to revitalize sustainable national unity. The current government does not have the mandate from the people; it is an extension of failed Nawaz Sharif regime. The National Assembly is a forum for horse-trading and a joke. The need is urgent to have a Government of National Unity under a non-partisan able leadership to work on a New Constitution, encourage participation of new educated generation into political institutions and make rational policies to safeguard the freedom and integrity of Pakistan. The political criminals must be held accountable in court of law. Never mind about Trump‘s tweets and the US foreign aid if you have moral and intellectual capacity to serve the people of Pakistan. If conscientious Pakistanis living abroad are concerned about the decadent political culture and rebuilding of the moral, intellectual and economic-political infrastructures, the ruling elite will ensure to deprive them the opportunity to be heard at a national level. When people are forced to live in political darkness, they lose sense of rational direction.

(Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in global security, peace and conflict resolution-international affairs with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution: Approaches to Understand the Current Issues and Future-Making. Germany, October 2017).