Invisible bio-force and ‘covidism’ by Senator A. Rehman Malik

 

The attack of the invisible force of ‘Covidism’ is worse than the terrorism of all manifestations. Covidism has now become a bigger symbol of terror in society than terrorism. It has crippled life with multiple fears for us and our loved ones. It will not be wrong to say that it has engulfed more lives as compared to World War I and II. This Covidism has assumed the automatic role of biowarfare without any formal command behind it and even the world powers are helplessly unable to defend themselves with all their ultra-modern and mighty antidotes. Should we consider the emergence of this monster as the ‘Will of God’ or ‘a design of an evil genius’ with ulterior motives? Let us see how this Covidism unfolds in the near future.

Presently, the world is passing through this pandemic, and dealing with this invisible enemy. It has challenged the fragile healthcare system of our country whereas Covid is multiplying its victims rapidly. The available medical facilities are unable to cope with the growing number of victims. There have been multiple doubts on the creation of Covid-19; whether it is a man-made or natural virus and a clear investigative verdict must its real origin and nature. I would like to name this more lethal virus of ‘Covidism’ being more dangerous and uncontrollable. This deadly virus is proving to be worse than terrorists.

World leaders, based on some evidence of biowarfare had pre-empted fear of biological warfare and had made deliberation for a very long time which resulted in the ‘UN Convention on Biological Weapons, 1975’ which was signed by the whole world. The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) is a legally-binding treaty that outlaws biological arms, and after being discussed and negotiated in the United Nations’ disarmament forum starting in 1969, the BWC opened for signature on April 10, 1972, and entered into force on March 26, 1975. The Convention has reached almost universal membership with 183 States as Parties and four Signatory States. The BWC effectively prohibits the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling, and use of biological and toxin weapons. It was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The BWC is a key element in the international community’s efforts to address WMD proliferation and it has established a strong norm against biological weapons. Bio virus warfare falls under the same category. The salient features of BWC define as bellow:

The BWC bans the development, stockpiling, acquisition, retention, and production of biological agents and toxins ‘of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, protective or other peaceful purposes’; weapons, equipment, and delivery vehicles ‘designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile purposes or in armed conflict;’ and the transfer of or assistance with acquiring the agents, toxins, weapons, equipment, and delivery vehicles described above.

Unfortunately, like other treaties of the UN, the BWC has also been flagrantly violated in the past by some signatory states. The Soviet Union, a state-party and one of the convention’s depositary states, maintained an enormous offensive biological weapons programme after ratifying the BWC.

The BWC itself is comparatively short, comprising only 15 articles. Over the years, it has been supplemented by a series of additional understanding reached subsequent review conferences but many States have been reported to have violated the treaty. Soon after the outbreak of Covid-19, I wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on 4th April, to constitute a high-powered commission to probe if Covid-19 is a man-made or a naturally grown virus and to locate its origin. I had suggested that the proposed commission on Covid-19 under the UN Convention on Biological Weapons, 1975 which might comprise virologists, scientists, professors, researchers, analysts, and experts in the fields of microbiology and virology. And the commission should present its report to the UN Secretary-General in three months, and its ‘terms of reference’ (ToR) should include recommendations to prevent future breakouts of such viruses, and international standards for coordination in case of a breakout.

I also wrote to Mr Bill Gates to assist the UN through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as he had given categorical statements about such incoming virus while speaking at various international forums. In my letter, I had demanded seven TORs for the UN Commission on Covid-19, which include accurate identification of the geo-location of the origin of Covid-19, identification of areas with zero patient, discovery as to why the behaviour, intensity, and fertility rate of Covid-19 varies from country to country; investigation whether Covid-19 is a man-made or naturally-grown virus and examination of the allegations of transportation of the virus from one place to other destinations in the world, as ‘biological warfare tactics. This was acknowledged by SG UN but so far no outcome has been seen which is highly alarming as to why no investigation into the nature of this virus has been ordered. Soon after my letter to the UN Secretary-General, many internationally renowned virologists and biologists contacted me and discussed the issue in detail, and they had shown their apprehensions too about the nature of COVID-19 whether it is man-made or naturally grown.

Nobel Laureate and Distinguished Professor Tasuku Honjo of the Kyoto University Institute of Advanced Study, reportedly, has stated that all indicators of the COVID-19 suggest that it is a man-made virus. He has given his opinion that, from its behaviour, it does not look to be a natural virus and without naming any country, he has shown his professional opinion on the nature of the virus. He has even claimed that in case he is proven wrong, he will surrender his Nobel Prize and if he is not proven right then the Government of Japan withdraws his award post his death. Many claims, speculations, conspiracy theories, and misinformation about Covid-19’s zero-patient and continuous mutation are also being circulated in various forms. It is a big question as to why the United Nations has not initiated inquiry through a high-powered commission to probe Covid-19 to overrule all the doubts and apprehensions which is creating uncertainty and unrest among the global masses as this virus is muting into different forms whereas so far invented vaccines are becoming ineffective.

Pakistan is facing the effects of Covidism more than any other country as it has almost crippled our economy, development sector, foreign investment, and foreign growth rate. Pandemic’s economic fallout has considerably derailed the country’s financial recovery process. It has done irreversible damage to the value of our currency. It would not be wrong to state that Covidism is a phenomenon that is killing the people, affecting all walks of life, and crippling natural growth extensively.

Terrorism creates terror among the masses whereas Covidism is also creating a wave of terror and it looks like a force of invisible tiny terrorists has invaded our country and the world.

Earlier, Pakistan suffered heavily in the hands of the American War on Terror which was apparently for International Peace but instead of getting any credit for its active participation and the numerous sacrifices, our country was subjected to harassment at the hands of FATF. India also took advantage and launched proxy and hybrid wars in various parts of Pakistan including Balochistan and initiated negative propaganda internationally which was well exposed by EU Disinfo Lab.

While we were suffering both from terrorism at home and international harassment. We have this alien attack by Covidism and we hardly got any support from the west despite knowing that Pakistan has suffered heavily in the war on terror imposed by the USA. The phenomenal Covidism is not only affecting states but also affecting the common man and as a nation, unfortunately, we have not taken it seriously. We failed to have taken extraordinary necessary measures to boost our National Health Services by establishing hospitals, legislation for strict implementation of SOPs, development of own vaccines, and import of sufficient vaccines in time and I had advised the above measures in mid-December 2020. We as a nation had shown total irresponsibility by not overbearing the Covid SOPs.

For Pakistan, it is important to witness the worst situation after the third wave of Covid-19 in neighbouring India and take indispensable measures on war footings to control its devastation if the same wave hits Pakistan. We need to take short term and long term measures to protect our people. I had earlier proposed a well-designed strategy as a policy response to Covid-19 on the lines of the Singapore Virology Division, to be devised to cope with the mounting threat of the third wave of Covid-19. The virology division may undertake to make underground hospitals fully equipped with all modern instruments, laboratories, and highly trained scientists, doctors, and paramedics wherein not only Covid-19 and other viral diseases could be treated but also research on Covid-19 and other viruses.

Let me warn the nation based on advanced research that Covid is not going to leave us soon, hence we need to change our way of life and adopt the way and means to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

There will be the fourth wave of this virus mutating into yet another form and hence we must prepare ourselves to face this growing danger from this muted Covidism; a more deadly enemy than any biowarfare attack. I leave the question for the government decision-makers to take the nation into confidence if we have any defence line for such a biowarfare attack by the enemy.

The article was published in The Nation on April 29, 2021, link to the original article is https://nation.com.pk/29-Apr-2021/invisible-bio-force-and-covidism

PEACE OR CIVIL WAR: US WITHDRAWAL BY SENATOR A. REHMAN MALIK

The history of Afghanistan shows that whoever attacked or tried to occupy it, had always suffered heavily starting from the UK to USSR and now the US. The USSR was an uninvited guest to grab Afghanistan but eventually, it had to vacate disgracefully with heavy losses as it paid the heavy cost of disintegration of the USSR. The US did not learn a lesson from the USSR and even though none of the Afghan nationals were involved in 9/11 yet it attacked Tora Bora and also dragged Pakistan into this war and we are still paying the price for favouring the US in this attack whereas the US still considers us as a suspect. I recall an official meeting with President Bush Jr in the White House; I had stated in the said meeting that the US would not win this war in Afghanistan as all the American allies including Pakistan do not have a common strategy to fight against the common enemy. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was also present in the meeting who endorsed my assessment and our PM Syed Yousef Raza Gilani was also present there. In fact, it was a pointless war against those who were created by the US itself including Osama Bin Laden; it was like dismantling its own creation which grew like a monster. So far, the US has spent more than $2 trillion to sustain this war apart from the fact how Pakistan’s logistics and resources have been consumed in this non- ending war.

Let me say frankly, that this war in fact became a big source of corruption and money laundering by those who handled the funds for this war. This war destroyed the cities of Afghanistan and created the Taliban who I named the ‘Zaliman’. The corruption as a by-product of this war helped many to build their villas in Dubai and filled the banks in Switzerland and France. It requires a separate book, exposing many in Pakistan and others. While the war handlers received dollars and other incentives, during the same timeframe, every house in Afghanistan received dead bodies of their loved ones who were either killed by the mighty American drones or in the hands of the Taliban. Suffering in terms of killing through drones was witnessed on both sides of the border. The entire Muslim Ummah bloc now looks like a destroyed village from Libya to Afghanistan after the Arab spring, which was another target in the name of 9/11.

Will there be any war commission that will ever investigate the Afghan war and Arab Spring operation? The statement regarding the withdrawal of forces by President Joe Biden did not come as a surprise because withdrawal of the forces has been a generic statement by almost every incoming American President, which is a matter of public record.

I do not mean that the statement of President Joe Biden is not serious, however, having interacted with him I can say that he will seriously work to withdraw the forces though I expect opposition from the CIA and the Pentagon. I hope and wish that President Joe Biden should mark his name in history as a peacemaker by ending this longest war of the world.

In fact, Afghanistan has become a military and intelligence drill ground for many countries at the cost of thousands of Afghans and partly Pakistan. I have always maintained that a safe Afghanistan means a safe Pakistan and we also want Afghanistan to handle their issues themselves. I had a number of meetings with Ashraf Ghani, former President Hamid Karzai, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, the current Afghan Foreign Minister and Sayed Jalal Karim (later Presidential candidate). I have always firmly stated that the solution of Afghanistan is not in the bullet but dialogue, whereas Pakistan has also been helping Afghan authorities at the cost of our own suffering because of Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan need to work out some homegrown mutually agreed plan in order to march towards peace and this model of Afghan peace (MAP) plan needs to be well deliberated and implemented. It was worrying for every Pakistani to hear an unfriendly statement from President Ashraf Ghani recently at the Presidential Palace in which he stated: “Today, it is a day of decision for Pakistan,” Ghani said. “If our country is destabilised, their country will also be unstable and if they (Pakistan) want our improvement, they will also improve, the choice of friendship and enmity is in Pakistan’s hands”.

The main spirit of this statement is a warning to Pakistan which is serious and there are clear threats to Pakistan and obviously, the government of Pakistan owes a befitting response to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, within three days of his statement, we noticed a bombing at Serena Hotel in Quetta.

Let us have a hypothetical model of Afghanistan after the American withdrawal. The most important aspect of this decision by Joe Biden is that it is not a condition-based drawdown, unlike former US presidents who have generally put forth a redeployment condition in Afghanistan based on the threat posed by local enemies and the capabilities of local allies. Even when Donald Trump had announced for withdrawal in last year’s negotiations with the Taliban, he had insisted that the Taliban denounce al-Qaeda and refrain from attacks on US troops. By this announcement, it seems that the peace process will eventually stand null and void and unlikely to progress since the Taliban have no incentive to compromise now that the troops are leaving without conditions. But there is an opportunity for the Taliban to rise unhindered as local Afghan forces will not be able to resist them marching towards the capital. Taliban leaders are even of the view that they have won the war already. As the Taliban’s deputy leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, recently said: “No Mujahid ever thought that one day we would face such an improved state, or that we will crush the arrogance of the rebellious emperors and force them to admit their defeat at our hands. Fortunately, today, we and you are experiencing better circumstances.” This statement of Siraj Haqani confirms my well-thought apprehensions. US lawmakers and other analysts are not happy with Biden’s decision as they are uncertain about what will happen in Afghanistan once US President Joe Biden withdraws the remaining 2,500 to 3,500 US troops by September 11 to end the country’s longest war.

Afghanistan will turn into a mass graveyard unless some mechanism of the US is deployed to stop the likely civil war. Afghan peace will depend on the understanding between the Taliban and the Afghan government, the second possibility is that it could lead to the creation of a new terrorist haven in Afghanistan with widespread influence and rule of Taliban. The Taliban take over cannot be ruled out post-withdrawal of American forces. We would not want the Iraq-like situation of 2011 to be repeated in Afghanistan; it may bring another wave of terror.

It will be a challenging moment for President Ashraf Ghani to deal with such a change in the region with no external forces yet the deadly one on its own soil—the Taliban. It is a great opportunity for Afghanistan as well as Pakistan to come to an agreement with the Taliban to maintain peace and authority in the region without interference from external elements unless some friendly countries like Saudi Arabia or UAE may volunteer to become mediators between the Afghan Taliban and the Afghan Government. In fact, the above analysis on withdrawal is a true picture of the post-withdrawal scenario. This withdrawal by a world power without a properly strategised plan is aimed to avert any civil war between the warlords, the Afghan Taliban, and the government. The world must not forget the negative role of India in Afghanistan as India may instigate a civil war between the pro-Indian Taliban and the Afghan government, whereas the US must also keep in mind the past ultra-destructive role of India in Afghanistan.

President Ashraf Ghani needs to unfold his plan and join the negotiation table with the Afghan Taliban to reach out to some mutually agreed solution. Pakistan is always there for its Afghan brothers. 

The Article was published in The Nation on April 23, 2021, Link to the original article is https://nation.com.pk/23-Apr-2021/peace-or-civil-war-us-withdrawal

 

Crushed Common Man and The Failed Parliamentary System by Senator A. Rehman Malik

 

It has been over 74 years since the founder of our nation Mr Jinnah gave the formative address to the newly constituted assembly of Pakistan. In this historic speech, he made clear to the members of the house that their duty first and foremost was to “maintain law and order so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the State. And that he would always be guided by the principles of “justice and complete impartiality”.

In this time, we have gone through numerous setbacks and are still seeking to develop a cohesive and effective system of governance. The tragedy of the failings of our current system of governance has meant that the nation’s progress has largely stalled and we are struggling to provide a better tomorrow for our common man. In this regard, it cannot be said we have lived up to Mr. Jinnah’s decree. After partition as a nation, we are still struggling for our independence and sovereignty; the life of the common man is plagued by fear, fear of being unable to afford basic needs, fear of a law-and-order situation that is deteriorating, and fear that their children will not have a future better than their own. Poverty is rampant in life away from the busy cities and in the outskirts of our provinces, and at a level that is scarcely imaginable. The common man’s plights are dictated by a group of elites who have little regard or interest in their betterment and they are called the electables and they rule law, rather than the law ruling them. The false promise cycle continues every year, with every administration becoming more detached from performance and delivery and instead increasingly interested in how they may keep their positions of power. It seems there is little chance to act on the voice of the poor common man. We need and honest and open discourse with respect to our systemic governmental failures.

Our system is that of parliamentary democracy, where the right to be elected, and to make decisions is no longer available to the common man but rather only those of an elite political class who have bought their way through ill-gotten money and influence and seek to perpetuate this system as it works for those few and not the many. No longer can we afford to continue ignoring our populace, no longer can we continue to prop up a system that is failing us and pushing our country to darkness, leaving little chance for our future generations.

We have not seen a single election where results have not been called into question, where they have not been heavily disputed by whatever party of movement has lost. If we are unable to discharge the most basic and centric principles of our democracy, then who in the positions of power can ever claim they have fulfilled their duties under the constitution? The parliament is because of the constitution and the parliament is the weakest institution as its decisions are not mandatory for the government to implement.

A decision maker has to give thought to whether it is really a sustainable and equitable way to govern our people when the members of these parties can only be selected according to standards set in dark rooms by a select few. The common man asks questions from the Election Commission as to how this system can continue to endure, where members are brought to assemblies by political parties who hand over their resignations in advance, having little regard for public offices, to be used as and when required by their political masters.

The eyes of the common man still look towards these ‘Shahi’ families and some mafia members who feed certain politicians for their protection, and the common man remains a slave in the hands of the powerful, which reminds one of the Stone Age and not the present century. There is a need for reform in our system ensuring that political parties adhere to the same standards that are befitting a functioning progressive democracy. A manner in which this could be accomplished is to ensure that intra-party elections are carried out in the same manner that they are in European democracies to ensure fair and proper representation. It is with these measures that we can restore confidence and credibility in our system and restore the confidence of Pakistani masses which are under stress due to multiple miseries created by the present ‘Shahi’ democratic system.

Unfortunately, our political parties get funding from various sources including millions of dollars from single and multiple sources including foreign countries; I plan to conduct proper research and will produce unchallengeable documents and to the annoyance of many. We want leaders who do not have ulterior motives and a large burden of deals and compromises. Further, our political parties’ and elections’ expenditures have never been investigated seriously. Let the decision maker know that the public is watching the incompetency and endless corruption very closely.

The words of our founder once again ring eerily prophetic in nature, in his historic opening address he had said: “Black marketing is another curse. Well, I know that black marketers are frequently caught and punished. Judicial sentences are passed or sometimes fines only are imposed. Now you have to tackle this monster, which today is a colossal crime against society, in our distressed conditions, when we constantly face a shortage of food and other essential commodities of life. A citizen who does black-marketing commits, I think, a greater crime than the biggest and most grievous of crimes. These black-marketers are really knowing, intelligent and ordinarily responsible people, and when they indulge in black-marketing, I think they ought to be very severely punished, because the entire system of control and regulation of foodstuffs and essential commodities, and cause wholesale starvation and want and even death.”

How true is this now when long queues are seen to buy a kilo of sugar and wheat for hungry families. The day is not far when the public may react to this “Shahi parliamentary democratic system”—close to the monarchy—and successive undemocratic elections for want of their rights. The miseries of the common man are adding to distress and dissatisfaction on a daily basis. The price hike is forcing an already disenfranchised populace into more dire straits, indeed there has been some credibly reporting of the poorest being forced to take their own lives as the harsh reality they face every day is so appalling. There seems to be no plausible route for the common man to enter into the ‘hallowed’ chambers of our democracy, never has it been more difficult and financially impossible for a common man to fight an election campaign, to beat the near-insurmountable odds and pressure from money men. Growth of leadership from the lower and middle class is not emerging as it has become way too expensive to be a leader of any level in our country.

The procedures and system should give opportunities to everyone in the party to contest elections, whereas the common man still cannot contest elections in our country unless he has considerable backing, and of course should this happen, then there is no guarantee that such a person would still be able to fulfill their oath and do their duty to the people. 74 years since becoming independent but we still need to move on from the feudal mindset and get rid of the prevailing mafia system to march towards a more democratic mindset with equality. Also people in our country are overwhelmingly supporting this “modern Shahi parliamentary System” where they vote for their mighty lords while the lords do not speak for them in the parliament for their betterment to improve their lives. This is the reason why we have seen such a systemic breakdown of law and order across the country, it is why we are seeing disenfranchisement from the most vulnerable in our populace causing them to turn to more extreme viewpoints as the centre, the traditional democratic bastions of power will not heed their call. As such the question must be asked; how long can the masses endure this? Can this system of buying and selling votes, of elected officials being incredibly compromised or in some cases inherently dishonest subsist?

The ‘success’ of the present “Shahi parliamentary democracy” can be seen from the increasing number of homeless people on the roadsides, beggars around your cars, corruption in government offices, the rate of commission in the contracts, the power of land, petrol and drug mafias and daily suicides by poor people, unable to feed their children. Respect and honour are visibly on sale out of sheer poverty in front of the big malls and the back dark streets of the markets. It is time to mourn this “Shahi parliamentary democratic system” of governance which is unable to provide protection and respect to our country and its peoples. It has not provided the space for our people to even breathe with honour. I appeal to the parliamentarians and the decision-makers of my country to look objectively at the needs of the common man and fix priority to it before it is too late and the crushed masses may take their fate into their own hands. The common may take revenge from this growing heartless society crushing them and pushing them into the corner.

The Article was published in The Nation on April 20, 2021, Link to the original article is https://nation.com.pk/20-Apr-2021/crushed-common-man-and-the-failed-parliamentary-system

Pak faulty system vs bad governance by Senator A. Rehman Malik

 

Our system is being run by a faulty system which actually looks like ad-hoc arrangements to manage day-to-day affairs and there is no inbuilt system to have security for the Govt or its public. There is no check on the role of law and the most violated legislation is rule of law which is not followed by almost all segments of the society. The sense of insecurity is one of the major reasons that we are left behind in many nations. 

It is unfortunate that Pak politics could not grow better because of the lack of understanding of real way of democracy. We have been amending it and tailoring it to suit ourselves ignoring the national interest. Politics is more like a business than politics itself in our country. We play politics for the sake of our own interests and not for the sake of a common man’s interests or for the benefit of general public. The political Govts came into power but fell down because of internal political rifts within political parties and when many times the politicians have been inviting the military intervention to wind up parliamentary Govts.

The political system always has faced their removals in the dark nights. It is sad to note that in Pakistan, not a single prime minister has been able to complete his tenure since the country’s inception 70 years ago. History has been repeating itself time and again.

Here are the details of PM who were forced out of the office:

Pakistan’s first prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan was murdered in Rawalpindi on October 16, 1951 while the second PM Khawaja Nazimuddin was sent home by Governor General Ghulam Muhammad on April 17, 1953. Nazimuddin sought justice from Supreme Court when justice Munir came up with the doctrine of necessity to validate Ghulam Muhammad’s illegal act.

Muhammad Ali Bogra too was dismissed by Ghulam Muhammad in 1954 but later was again appointed as PM. Governor General Iskender Mirza dismissed his government in 1955 as he did not enjoy majority in the Constituent Assembly.

Chaudhary Muhammad Ali succeeded Muhammad Ali Bogra and the PM in 1955. Later he had conflict with Iskender Mirza, hence, Muhammad Ali resigned on September 12, 1956.

Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy from Awami League was the first person from another party than Muslim League to be appointed as a prime minister in 1956. His govt was toppled in 1957 due to differences with Iskander Mirza.

Iskander Mirza then appointed Ibrahim Ismail Chandrigar who remained the PM for almost two months only as he resigned from the post in December 1957. Feroz Khan Noon replaced him as the seventh prime minister of Pakistan. Feroz Khan’s govt was overthrown by Ayub Khan as he declared martial law in 1958.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto rose to power as president after 13 years of martial law under special arrangement till 1973 Constitution was passed. He resigned as president after the constitution was passed, to become the prime minister of Pakistan. He went in to elections in 1977and became the first democratically elected PM but he was too deposed the same year through a military coup by General Muhammad Ziaul Haq in July 1977. He was hanged to death by all powerful military-judicial nexus in 1979.

 

During the non-party elections of 1985, Muhammad Khan Junejo was elected as PM of Pakistan under Ziaul Haq’s dictatorship. As he seemed to be posing threat to the dictator for being a political breed, his government was dismissed on May 29, 1988.

Benazir Bhutto came into power as PM as a result of 1988 general elections. President Ghulam Ishaq Khan used his presidential powers under Article 58 2(b) and overthrew Bibi’s government on August 6, 1990.

Then Mian Nawaz Sharif became PM for the first time in 1990, soon his government too was dismissed by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan in 1993. But it was restored later upon his appeal to the Supreme Court. However, this brought in an open political confrontation between the president and the PM, however, the famous Kakar formula came into play when the then Army Chief Waheed Kakar appointed a caretaker govt by intervening out of “doctrine of necessity” for the sake of national security. He forced both, Mian Nawaz Sharif and Ghulam Ishaq Khan to resign on July 18, 1993.

After winning 1993 general elections overseen by caretaker Govt, Ms Benazir Bhutto again became PM of Pakistan in 1993 but her second government also could not survive more than last three years. Her own handpicked loyal President Farooq Leghari conspired against her and dismissed her government in November 1996.

As a result of February 1997 election, Mian Nawaz Sharif again became the PM of Pakistan but on October 12, 1999, General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup and imposed emergency in the country and toppled Nawaz Sharif’s govt.

Under the dictatorship of General Pervez Musharraf, three PMs served the office, of which Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali was sent home by Musharraf after 19 months. Chaudhary Shujaat acted as a stopgap arrangement for two months as Pervez Musharraf appointed Shaukat Aziz as PM in August 2004.

After the unfortunate death and murder of Benazir Bhutto, PPP succeeded to secure majority in the National Assembly during 2008 general elections and Yusuf Raza Gilani was elected as the PM. Everything was going well until he was convicted in a contempt of court case in Supreme Court for not writing a letter against the sitting president Asif Ali Zardari to the Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases.

Mian Nawaz Sharif became the PM for the third time in 2013 but as he entered the last year of his tenure, he got engulfed in Panama corruption scandal, hence SC dismissed his govt.

The series of fall of above leaders show how fragile democracy is in this country and it looks that there is some major default in our system which we have not been able to rectify. We left the system floating without fixing it properly which should manage the country fault-free where rule of law has respect and power to sustain the internal and external pressures.

The Article was published in 'The News' on April 16, 2021, link to the article : https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/820998-

No Accountability and Hungry Masses by Senator A. Rehman Malik

 

Traditionally we do not believe in self and national accountability. We keep playing loose balls allowing our issues to deteriorate, that’s why we now have a bad economy and a price hike at the cost of the life of a common man. The common man is getting unruly and is taking the law in his own hands, whereas the ruling elite in Pakistan is paralysed since forever.

Some heads from the government must roll; who have not been able to protect the life and property of the innocent. Our system is being run by a faulty system which actually looks like ad-hoc arrangements to manage day to day affairs and there is no inbuilt system to have security for the government or it’s public.

There is no check on the role of law and the most violated legislation is the rule of law which is not followed by almost all segments of society. The sense of insecurity is one of the major reasons that we are left behind many nations.

The political system always has faced removals in the dark night. It is sad to note that in Pakistan, not a single prime minister has been able to complete his tenure since the country’s inception 70 years ago. History has been repeating itself time and again.

Pakistan’s first Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan was murdered in Rawalpindi on October 16, 1951 while the second PM Khawaja Nazimuddin was sent home by Governor General Ghulam Muhammad on April 17, 1953. Nazimuddin sought justice from the Supreme Court when justice Munir came up with the doctrine of necessity to validate Ghulam Muhammad’s illegal act. Muhammad Ali Bogra too was dismissed by Ghulam Muhammad in 1954 but later was again appointed as PM. Governor General Iskender Mirza dismissed his government in 1955 as he did not enjoy a majority in the Constituent Assembly.

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto rose to power as President after 13 years of martial law under a special arrangement till the 1973 Constitution was passed. He resigned as president after the constitution was passed, to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He went into elections in 1977 and became the first democratically elected PM, but he was too deposed the same year through a military coup by General Muhammad Ziaul Haq in July 1977.

Benazir Bhutto came into power as PM as a result of the 1988 general elections. President Ghulam Ishaq Khan used his presidential powers under article 58 2(b) and overthrew Bibi’s government on August 6, 1990.

Then Mian Nawaz Sharif became PM for the first time in 1990—soon his government too was dismissed by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan in 1993. But it was restored later upon his appeal to the Supreme Court. However, this brought in an open political confrontation between the President and the PM; the famous Kakar formula came into play when the then Army Chief Waheed Kakar appointed a caretaker government by intervening out of “doctrine of necessity” for the sake of national security. He forced both Mian Nawaz Sharif and Ghulam Ishaq Khan to resign on July 18, 1993.

After winning 1993 general elections overseen by the caretaker Government, Ms Benazir Bhutto became PM of Pakistan again in 1993 but her second government also could not survive more than the last three years. Her own hand picked, ‘loyal’ president Farooq Laghari conspired against her and dismissed her government in November 1996.

As a result of the February 1997 election, Mian Nawaz Sharif again became the PM of Pakistan but on October 12, 1999, General Pervez Musharraf led a military coup and imposed emergency in the country and toppled Nawaz Sharif’s government.

After the unfortunate death and murder of Benazir Bhutto, PPP succeeded to secure a majority in the National Assembly during the 2008 general elections and Yusuf Raza Gilani was elected the PM. Everything was going well until he was convicted in a contempt of court case in the Supreme Court for not writing a letter against the sitting president Asif Ali Zardari to the Swiss authorities to reopen corruption cases.

Mian Nawaz Sharif became the PM for the third time in 2013 but as he entered the last year of his tenure, he got engulfed in the Panama corruption scandal, hence SC dismissed his government.

This saga of the above leaders’ fall from grace shows how fragile democracy is in this country and it looks like there is some major default in our system which we have not been able to rectify. We left the system floating without fixing it properly which should manage the country fault-free, where rule of law has respect and power to sustain the internal and external pressures.

We need to look into the present system critically with the view to give to the country by giving it a system which can make Pakistan a prosperous and a modern country, better than even Turkey and China. Successive interruptions and individual-based constitutional amendments have made our system fragile and weak therefore, we need to make it stronger to cater our growing constitutional, administrative and economic needs.

The nation needs to get out of adhoc-ism, ethnicity and religious extremism, otherwise we will become hostages in the hands of a few extremists. The federal government needs to wake up and use the power of state laws.

The article was published in 'The Nation' on April 14, 2021, link to the original article: https://nation.com.pk/14-Apr-2021/no-accountability-and-hungry-masses

PDM—A Divided Movement by Senator A. Rehman Malik

 

There is hardly any good news for the people of Pakistan. The people have the right to assume that Pakistani politics is basically played for power and there is nothing for the common man. The division of PDM was not good news for Pakistani politics. Difference of opinion exists everywhere and in politics, difference of opinion is not only the beauty of democracy but an integral part of any political movement and dialogue. The initiative to create PDM was good but unfortunately, soon it fell prey to certain major mistakes. Some of those mistakes have been expressed below as a lesson for a future political roadmap.

I would like to put a question to the public; what action was taken against Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan leader Owais Noorani when on October 25, 2020, while addressing a public meeting organised by PDM in Quetta Balochistan, he stated, “We want Balochistan as an independent state.” Did PDM take any action against him and his party or issue any explanation?

Similarly what action was taken when PkMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai spoke against Punjab while addressing a PDM rally in Lahore in December last year. Did PDM issue any show-cause notice to Mr Achakzai and take any action? These voices of provincialism and separation of Balochistan coming from the platform of PDM caused fear among the people and they have the right to ask what service PDM is doing for the integrity and unity of Pakistan if such highly controversial statements come from its rallies.

PPP had the right to express its opinion and genuinely advised PDM not to resign from the assemblies. What was the harm in the statement of President Asif Ali Zardari if he informed PDM about his party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) decision on resignation from assemblies rather than accepting on the spot. He democratically informed the PDM that PPP would go back to CEC to get a fresh mandate over the issue.

PDM should have served a show-cause notice to itself as the gentleman Maulana Ghafoor Haidari could not bag the seven votes of PDM while contesting elections for deputy chair of the Senate. PDM should have announced an investigation to know those seven senators from PDM who did not vote for Ghafoor Haidari for deputy chairman Senate. Who were those seven senators and which party backstabbed PDM? I think PDM had stood dissolved on the same day when many from PDM voted against PDM during the election of Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Senate.

I agree with the demand that PDM needs to investigate as to how seven votes of Yousuf Raza Gilani were managed to be declared invalid. Has PDM investigated who openly got these votes invalid by asking the members to stamp on Gilani’s name instead of the box? People have the right to have clarification as to how Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani was defeated at the cost of a favour to someone. Did PDM issue any show cause to itself or to its President as to why it happened under his nose? Yousuf Raza Gilani has the right to know why he was sacrificed for some unknown cause. The leadership of PDM must know and the truth will prevail if PDM does not bring these miserable failures itself to the public.

Regarding some doubts on the selection of the opposition leader, I wish the opposition leader should have been elected through consensus. PPP leaders, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Senator Raza Rabbani, and Br Aitzaz Ahsan have publicly criticised their party for accepting the votes of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) members to get Yousuf Raza Gilani elected as the opposition leader in Senate, which displays acceptance of the freedom of speech and difference of opinion. No rebuttal was issued and no action was initiated against these senior leaders of the party for criticism as PPP upholds democratic norms within the party as well as believes in freedom of speech within the party and at the national level. I still pray that PDM brings PPP back to the fold by properly apologising after the withdrawal of the show-cause notice. Whatever is happening on the platform of PDM is highly undesirable and looks like the “Premature Democratic Movement” which ultimately benefited the government and next it looks like PDM will stand for “Pakistan Divided Movements’’. The public is crushed between the government and the opposition whereas PDM looks like a live show for the TV channels to create some spicy material for evening shows. Previously it was PDM versus the government but now it is a triangle. Actually, I get disappointed when such movements are initiated without proper homework. Let me tell you, a businessman has already initiated a strong movement to bring PTI close to two political parties of PDM and it will be a shocking surprise for many. Can the opposition/PDM give the countdown of what pressure it has built for Kashmir and against the government’s move of independence of SBP? What programme/agenda has PDM given for a common man and have they protested against price hikes? Let me conclude with an independent mind, that serving a show-cause notice to PPP means disservice to PDM and looks like deliberate action to bury PDM, but I hope PDM takes action against those members who made both PDM candidates lose in the Senate. Many parties in the PDM are looking forward to having some share in power and rewards from some special angels like the past. These special angles distribute blessings of power to many and it is expected that they will receive those blessings after Eid, for which some will travel out of the capitol and some will travel in. Let us see who the lucky ones are.

IMF: A NEW BOSS IN THE MAKING BY SENATOR A. REHMAN MALIK

An independent SBP does not suit Pakistan as it is a horrible trap for us and now SBP will be reporting directly to the IMF and FATF as an independent super boss. Unfortunately, we are running Pakistan on a day-to-day basis and we are left at the mercy of IMF and FATF whereas Pakistan is going through multiple external and external crises. 

The economic crises, starting from debt servicing and internal debts are growing day by day and the government is changing the drivers but not the economic vehicle which needs to be totally reconditioned as it is unable to stop the collapse of the economy. Circular debt is at its peak and China is annoyed for non-payment to their power dues as per the agreement. Line losses and electricity theft should not be the excuse to not make payments to power plants. It looks like Chinese companies and others will go to international courts sooner or later which could yet be a big diplomatic issue. An independent SBP will further bring objections and the government will be unable to pay in local currency as there is already a budget deficit.

Electricity theft and line losses are administrative matters and they should be handled by the government. We are in trouble today because of the lack of vision in our policies and the government does not thrash out the multiple aspects of fiscal policy. It carries out all the policies based on the directions given by IMF without protecting the national interest and the well-being of the common man.

The IMF wants to push us towards bankruptcy by devaluing our currency and allowing the inflation rate to ensure the price-hike, forcing the public to be on the streets. We should not forget that the west is very upset about our nuclear assets and it will keep hitting us, pushing us towards bankruptcy. It is strange to see that SBP Amendment Bill 2021, which has raised a lot of hue and cry among businessmen at all levels, will have severe negative effects on our economy to give autonomy to the central bank of the country, which means handing the control of the treasury to the chief of State Bank of Pakistan. I think that the blunder of allowing East India Company should not be allowed to be replicated by displaying a rosy picture to the Pakistan business community.

As per the proposed amendment, immunity from any lawsuit or inquiry and investigation by NAB or FIA has been granted to the SBP management including present or former Board of Directors, Governor, Deputy Governors, member of any Board committee and monetary policy committee or the staff of the bank for any illegal act or performance of any functions or any legislation administered by the bank.

Our country cannot afford this level of autonomy and immunity for such a critical institution as it will be detrimental to our economy as well as the sovereignty of our country. Not only this, but the tenure of the governor, deputy governors, external members of the Monetary Policy Committee, and non-executive board members have also been increased from 3 to 5 years with two terms allowed and also one year’s extension.

While the government has justified this autonomy as a way to maintain price, there is no mention of the inflation targets or price stability. In what capacity can the state bank control inflation? Moreover, now the government can pay salaries (though it is bad) by printing currency, whereas, restricting printing currency or loans to our foreign debt-ridden country will come under heavy pressure and we will have to beg for more loans. The government will not be able to borrow from SBP under any circumstances which will badly affect the financial needs of the government and national exchequer and this will create hardships for the government, pushing us to bankruptcy. The entire business community is showing serious objections and reservations on these amendments as the SBP will not finance any rural credit, industrial credit, export credit, loans guarantees, and housing credit which means these sectors will get into great trouble, and mafia with cash will flourish at the cost of the common man and the small business community.

An independent SBP will be dictating all our institutional and state secrets, and operations in the national interest will be directly subject to security. State Bank will be under legal ambit to supply the information as already committed to the international community via FATF. The bill excludes any government representation in the State Bank Board of Directors as no member of parliament or any state institution will be allowed to become a part of SBP or even allied to question its irregularities in the Parliament or any court.

According to the new bill, monetary policy is the exclusive domain of the State Bank while fiscal policies will be under the Federal Government which will severely compromise and damage the macroeconomic management of the country as there will be no coordination or coherence between both domains as these amendments are contradictory and are being brought in with ulterior motives to push the country to bankruptcy.

The President, PM, and the treasury benches must not allow the implementation of these imported ideas duly directed by the IMF as it will make our nation BOUND permanently. Hence, we must say no to an independent SBP.

The Article was published in The Nation on  April 1, 2021, Link to the article is https://nation.com.pk/01-Apr-2021/imf-a-new-boss-in-the-making