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Thursday, October 10, 2024

Unmasking Deceit and Institutional Instability in Pakistan

The government has lost its credibility and has become a burden for the people to bear. Reliable data is scarce in most departments, leading to flawed policies. As a nation, we must put an end to this charade in order to move forward.

Rana Sanaullah, the prominent leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and the current Interior Minister, has accused Imran Khan (IK) of submitting fake medical reports to delay legal proceedings against him. Rana Sanaullah insists that only government hospitals can issue credible reports, but considering the current state of institutional collapse, it is a major joke of the century. Mian Nawaz Sharif (MNS) admitted himself to Services Hospital Lahore due to a serious platelet count issue. According to the submitted reports, his life was at risk, and no medical facility in Pakistan had the necessary facilities to treat him. To save his life, the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted him permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

This was perhaps the first time in the history of Common Law (since 1066) that a convict was allowed to leave the prison cell for the comfort of his upscale London apartment, where his billionaire sons reside. While there were frequent updates on his platelet count while in Lahore, there has been complete silence and secrecy in London. Dr. Lawrence from Sri Lanka has now assumed the role of the famous “Lawrence of Arabia” by issuing reports from London for his patient, the former Prime Minister (PM), who was once close to death while under house arrest. It seems that the royal Qatar jet that transported MNS to the “Hideout of the Corrupt” had a magical effect on his health.

Read more: Shaping Governance: Constitution Crafters and Disruptors

Understanding the matter better

It is worth mentioning that the original Lawrence of Arabia also operated from the famous “Nudo’s Hotel” (currently Avari Hotel) in Lahore. After his covert activities for the Crown were discovered, street protests initiated by the passionate people of Lahore forced him to abandon his wife and daughter and flee. He later sparked the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire, resulting in the breakup of the unified Islamic regime and earning him the title of “Lawrence of Arabia.” Now we are dealing with the deceit of another “Lawrence.”

My friend Dr. Akmal Hussain, the brilliant economist, recently published his book titled “Pakistan Institutional Instability & Underdevelopment.” According to him, the country has suffered due to the instability of our institutions, which I believe includes the ill-equipped and corruption-infested laboratories in government hospitals. Some time ago, I wrote an article titled “Another Aimless Bureaucratic Reshuffle.” At that time, the government of Benazir Bhutto was under the influence of two cunning senior bureaucrats, both federal secretaries. It was reported that one of them was being sent as the permanent representative to the United Nations, and the other as the Chief Secretary of Punjab.

I suggested that before such an expensive exercise is undertaken, their job performance should be evaluated. In response to my article, I received a two-page letter from one of them, highlighting his work-related performance and urging me to issue an addendum or apology. To be fair to him, I wrote back suggesting an independent professional performance audit of his tenure as a Federal Secretary in charge of several important ministries. He promptly replied, appreciating the idea of an audit but insisted that it should be conducted by a government agency. This is the same flawed accountability process that allowed such officers to climb up the ranks. Naturally, he desired a favorable assessment, similar to the platelet count of the thrice-elected Prime Minister of the country, also known as the “Land of the Pure,” where impurity now prevails.

Civilian institutions have deliberately been weakened. At the time of partition, we inherited an exploitative colonial system of governance that needed reform. The founding fathers did their best, but they faced overwhelming resistance from within. Unfortunately, the enemy resides within.

The government has lost its credibility and has become a burden for the people to bear. Reliable data is scarce in most departments, leading to flawed policies. As a nation, we must put an end to this charade in order to move forward. A massive cleanup operation is necessary to address the prevalence of fake reports based on false information within government institutions. Rana Sahib, who began his political career in the People’s Party, was expelled from the party by Benazir Bhutto due to his misconduct and baseless remarks against the Sharif family.

Read more: Is Sharif family the biggest enemy of Pakistan?

He was subsequently recruited by the Sharifs of Gawalmandi to continue their below-the-belt attacks through the misuse of state resources. The victims of the Model Town massacre continue to seek justice to this day. Despite his involvement as the Home Minister of Punjab at that time, Rana Sahib has now been rewarded with the powerful position of Interior Minister, furthering his mission of derailing politics based on decency and respect for humanity. This era of fakeness must come to an end, as it has resulted in fake leaders, fabricated data, staged encounters, counterfeit reports, forged documents, false degrees, deceptive policies, sham marriages, artificial beauty, and a lack of genuine character. Perhaps the term “Fakestan” better encapsulates the prevailing ground realities in what was once known as the “Land of the Pure.”

 

The writer is Ex-Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation. He can be reached at  fmaliks@hotmail.com. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Global Village Space.