From plots to porridge

AMINA JILANI
Eight days ago President General Pervez Musharraf was in lovely Lahore performing his umpteenth inauguration "“ inaugurating this, that and the other being one of the favourite pastimes in which our varied and dynamic leaders indulge themselves.
As is the trend in this bustling republic, swiftly going places, the inauguration was of "a multi-billion-rupee" project (in this case Rs 22 billion and 392 acres of land), which naturally has no connection at all to the beloved awam the condition of whom is so dear to the hearts of our dear leadership. 
This particular splendid inauguration was of the Raya Golf Resort in Phase VI of Lahore's Defence Housing Authority. During his address to his captive VVVVVIP (the breed is undeserving of capitalised letters) audience he reportedly stated that the men of his army, contrary to popular belief and knowledge, are in no way involved in property deals or in the booming lucrative real estate business. This is somewhat confusing, as on the reverse of the page upon which the news item appeared was a full-page advertisement for the Defence Raya Golf Resort, "An integrated resort by Defence Housing Authority Lahore and Banda Raya Development Berhad Malaysia." The public was exhorted to "Live Life Luxuriously" and to "Visit our sales venue at DHA Lahore Phase VI."
Now, is the DHA which has all to do with the military and whose Lahore chairman in the Commander 4 Corps in the real estate business or not?
Most memorable and an incident which glows evergreen in some minds was the appearance on one of our captivating television channels some years ago (but in the Musharraf era) of the Commander 5 Corps "˜selling' to viewers the monstrous Creek City (heaven knows how many bulti-billions have gone into that) situated in one of Karachi's prime DHA areas "“ the best developed and most sought after residential areas in the cities of this country, according to Musharraf. He probably does not know much about Karachi's DHA with its shoddy infrastructure, leaky sewerage system, potholed and humped roads, waterless mains, and other such necessities that make for up-market living (Generals' Colonies exempted).
In his luxury golf resort inaugural address the General also told us that Pakistan's military is the biggest tax payer institution of the land. Well, so it jolly well should be since it is the biggest and most booming industrial and commercial empire of the land "“ not forgetting its real estate ownership and activities.
The defence forces are an economic local superpower with a more than healthy percentage (approximately five) of Pakistan's GDP and a share in private sector assets of around ten percent worth well over Rs 200 billion, to which, if the predatory real estate is added brings it to a Rs 1 trillion-plus economy. Not bad going. 
These figures were given by Dr Ayesha Siddiqa-Agha, somewhat of an expert in Pakistan's matters military, in an August 2005 interview in which she also revealed the much quoted un-astounding fact that each of our four star generals are worth some Rs 500 million and that in Punjab alone the forces own around 10 million acres. This puts them fairly and squarely in the feudal camp. 
Lahore's cantonment comprises approximately 10,000 acres worth over Rs 700 billion. If this is not real estate, what is it? And it puts the military fairly and squarely into the shark and robber baron camp (for evidence just take a long hard look at the membership of the present government).
All knowable details of the military economic miracle will be revealed in Dr Ayesha Siddiqa's book "˜Military Inc: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy,' to be published by Pluto Press (UK) and released in May 2007.
The President General maintains that Pakistan is now a safe haven for investors. It has always been a very safe haven provided it was the armed forces, which were investing.
Serving and retired military officers run a web of ordinance factories churning out weapons of destruction, banks, transport, road building, and communication and construction businesses worth billions of dollars. The military own and operate a private airline, countrywide transport corporations, hundreds of educational institutions, power plants, steel, fertilizer and cement factories and produce sugar, electronic items, porridge and cornflake "“ there you have it, all the way down from bombs to breakfast cereals.
For full details of the sheer range of products, contactable is former major of the Pakistan army, Kamran Shafi, who is an expert on the many and varied bakeries, bun-kebab, chicken tikka and paan outlets run by the men of the fighting machine of the Islamic Republic. For those interested he will reveal all.
As long as the military remains the country's largest and most profitable business conglomerate it will maintain its stranglehold over the country's politics and its vested interests. As long as a third of the annual budget is dedicated to Defence (though it is now not quite clear who or what desires to attack) the military will continue on and on to define our destiny and direction and democracy "“ all in the larger national interest of course. No matter what "˜democratic' government it installs, it is the military, which will control all policies and the constitution. Change for the better can only come from within itself.
Email: arfc@cyber.com.pk