Crescent International
.jpg)
They are quite familiar with the routine: 31-gun salute in Islamabad and 21-gun salute in each provincial capital.
These gun salutes are supposed to project the state’s “macho” image.
If the people treat such antics with a hardly repressed yawn, they cannot be blamed.
For the vast majority, there is nothing to celebrate; only a life of unending misery and grief.
They toil all day to put a morsel in the mouths of their hungry, emaciated children.
It is, however, the speeches by civilian and military officials that scaled new heights of hypocrisy this year.
Let us consider what Shehbaz Sharif, the army-installed prime minister, said on the occasion.
“This day offers an opportunity for collective reflection and renewal of our commitment to the Quaid’s guiding principles — democracy, constitutionalism, social justice, religious harmony, and the vision of a welfare state grounded in equality and the rule of law.”
Let us repeat the words “democracy, constitutionalism, social justice, religious harmony, and the vision of a welfare state grounded in equality and the rule of law.”
True, Shehbaz Sharif did not compose this speech himself.
He is incapable of stringing together a 12-word sentence coherently.
Some bureaucrat wrote it for him and handed him the paper to read.
There is no democracy in Pakistan.
It is under de facto martial law, now lorded over by a self-appointed “field martial”.
As for “constitutionalism, social justice, religious harmony, and the vision of a welfare state”, these are mere words hollowed out of all meaning.
The constitution has been mangled beyond recognition to serve the unbridled ambitions on one petty man, Asim Munir.
He occupies the top army post illegally and has even elevated himself to a new post, created for him: chief of defence forces.
People who talk about “social justice” and “religious harmony” in Pakistan should get their heads examined.
They are clearly living on another planet.
The person who was working toward establishing a “welfare state”—Imran Khan— languishes in a stinking prison cell.
He faces hundreds of bogus charges, all intended to keep him away from the political arena.
In addition to the Sharif mafia, there is another mega-thief—Asif Ali Zardari—who occupies the presidential palace.
This is his second stint as “president”.
It is revealing that a street urchin, a thief and murderer should be occupying the highest office in the land.
The statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on the occasion is equally revealing for its hypocrisy.
It said the chief of defence forces and army staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, chief of naval staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and chief of air staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu paid “rich tributes” to Jinnah.
Really; what did they say?
The ISPR statement said that the armed forces “reaffirm their unwavering commitment to Quaid-i-Azam’s vision of a strong, sovereign, democratic and prosperous Pakistan, founded on the principles of faith, unity and discipline”.
They emphasized that Quaid-i-Azam’s “exemplary leadership, constitutionalism and steadfast resolve continue to guide the nation and its armed forces in confronting contemporary challenges,” the statement added.
Had Jinnah been alive today, he would have had these people flogged in public for violating their oath.
The men in uniform are guilty of gross interference in politics and dictating state policy when their job is to defend the country’s borders.
They have demonstrably failed in their assigned task, hence their constant interference in politics overthrowing elected representatives and installing their puppets.
The current dispensation is clear proof of this illegal set-up.
The people of Pakistan have a choice: either get rid of these illegal usurpers of power, or continue to suffer decades of oppression.
Should they fail to act, there is great risk that the country might disintegrate.
The generals and their families will flee the country at the first sign of trouble leaving the people to clean up the mess they created.
It may be too late by then.
PakistanInjustice in PakistanShehbaz SharifAsim MunirImran KhanMuhammad Ali Jinnahcorruption in Pakistan
No comments:
Post a Comment