Former Judge of the Indian Supreme Court Justice Markandey Katju writes about the dismal state of political affairs in Pakistan, and how the people are easily fooled by frauds masquerading as saviours.
“Something is rotten in the State of Denmark,” said Shakespeare in Hamlet, and similarly it can be said, “Something is rotten in the State of Pakistan.”
Just consider that every one of the political players in Pakistan is a fraud. The army, which is the real power, is the biggest business group in the country. Imran Khan, the prime minister, in his quest for power, abandoned all his professed principles. Both the main opposition parties, the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, have looted the country for decades. And then there are religious bigots like Maulana Fazlur Rahman, the chairman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). This, coupled with the fact that the Pakistan economy is tanking, with public debt mounting, prices of essential commodities rising, and people's distress growing, is a recipe for the total collapse of everything and would lead to a prolonged period of chaos in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his election campaign last year, had promised accountability, transparency and the moon to the people of Pakistan, just as that other fraud, Modi, had promised 'vikas' (progress) and 'ache din' (good days) to the people of India.
The people of Pakistan, like children following the Pied Piper of Hamelin, were taken in by Imran’s promise of 'Madina ki riyasat', 'Naya Pakistan', and all that kind of jazz, just as the gullible people of India were.
But Imran Khan had no qualms about taking the help of religious extremists like the hounds and lumpens calling themselves Tehreek-e-Labaik in his election campaign, giving PTI tickets to dubious 'electables' and rascals like Amir Liaquat, whose TV show resulted in the brutal murders of several Ahmadis, and sacking the internationally renowned economist Atif Mian from the Pakistan Economic Advisory Council only because he was an Ahmadi.
Now, the fraud, Imran Khan, is being opposed by another fraud, Maulana Fazlur Rahman. A perusal of the Maulana’s past record shows that he is a thug and rank opportunist, who can sink to any level in his quest to become the prime minister of Pakistan. It is reported that in 2007, he even pleaded to the then US Ambassador to Pakistan to help him in this quest.
This fraud and gangster has announced his plan to march from Karachi on 27th October to Islamabad which he intends to reach on the 31st, where among thousands of his supporters he would demand the resignation of the prime minister. Set a thief to catch a thief.
And the interesting thing is that the two main opposition parties, the PPP and the PML-N, who looted the country for decades and who have been called 'chor' and 'daaku' in the parliament by Imran Khan's Sancho Panza, Fawad Chaudhry, have announced that they would join in on the march.
Will the real power in Pakistan, the army, remain bystanders during this farcical drama. Or are they supporting it behind the scene like a hidden puppeteer? It is widely believed that the army 'selected' Imran Khan, but are they dissatisfied with his performance for some reason? Little is known.
But what can be said for certain is that the march on Islamabad will at most result in removal of Imran Khan, but he will only be replaced by another fraud, with no change in the lives of the people, with massive poverty, unemployment, malnourishment persisting as they do.
Perhaps Maulana Fazlur Rahman will be acting like Father Gapon, who was later exposed as a police agent, in Russia on Bloody Sunday in January 1905, leading the people to slaughter.
Pakistanis, you created an Islamic state. Now, eat your faith just as your Indian counterparts are eating their Hindutva, Ram Mandir and cow protection. Neither of you will get food to eat.
And in the meantime, those who divided you 72 years ago are still laughing at you, laughing at how easily you can be befooled, and how easily you can be kept in your state of asinine fatuity and blockheadedness.
“Something is rotten in the State of Denmark,” said Shakespeare in Hamlet, and similarly it can be said, “Something is rotten in the State of Pakistan.”
Just consider that every one of the political players in Pakistan is a fraud. The army, which is the real power, is the biggest business group in the country. Imran Khan, the prime minister, in his quest for power, abandoned all his professed principles. Both the main opposition parties, the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, have looted the country for decades. And then there are religious bigots like Maulana Fazlur Rahman, the chairman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F). This, coupled with the fact that the Pakistan economy is tanking, with public debt mounting, prices of essential commodities rising, and people's distress growing, is a recipe for the total collapse of everything and would lead to a prolonged period of chaos in Pakistan.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his election campaign last year, had promised accountability, transparency and the moon to the people of Pakistan, just as that other fraud, Modi, had promised 'vikas' (progress) and 'ache din' (good days) to the people of India.
The people of Pakistan, like children following the Pied Piper of Hamelin, were taken in by Imran’s promise of 'Madina ki riyasat', 'Naya Pakistan', and all that kind of jazz, just as the gullible people of India were.
But Imran Khan had no qualms about taking the help of religious extremists like the hounds and lumpens calling themselves Tehreek-e-Labaik in his election campaign, giving PTI tickets to dubious 'electables' and rascals like Amir Liaquat, whose TV show resulted in the brutal murders of several Ahmadis, and sacking the internationally renowned economist Atif Mian from the Pakistan Economic Advisory Council only because he was an Ahmadi.
Now, the fraud, Imran Khan, is being opposed by another fraud, Maulana Fazlur Rahman. A perusal of the Maulana’s past record shows that he is a thug and rank opportunist, who can sink to any level in his quest to become the prime minister of Pakistan. It is reported that in 2007, he even pleaded to the then US Ambassador to Pakistan to help him in this quest.
This fraud and gangster has announced his plan to march from Karachi on 27th October to Islamabad which he intends to reach on the 31st, where among thousands of his supporters he would demand the resignation of the prime minister. Set a thief to catch a thief.
And the interesting thing is that the two main opposition parties, the PPP and the PML-N, who looted the country for decades and who have been called 'chor' and 'daaku' in the parliament by Imran Khan's Sancho Panza, Fawad Chaudhry, have announced that they would join in on the march.
Will the real power in Pakistan, the army, remain bystanders during this farcical drama. Or are they supporting it behind the scene like a hidden puppeteer? It is widely believed that the army 'selected' Imran Khan, but are they dissatisfied with his performance for some reason? Little is known.
But what can be said for certain is that the march on Islamabad will at most result in removal of Imran Khan, but he will only be replaced by another fraud, with no change in the lives of the people, with massive poverty, unemployment, malnourishment persisting as they do.
Perhaps Maulana Fazlur Rahman will be acting like Father Gapon, who was later exposed as a police agent, in Russia on Bloody Sunday in January 1905, leading the people to slaughter.
Pakistanis, you created an Islamic state. Now, eat your faith just as your Indian counterparts are eating their Hindutva, Ram Mandir and cow protection. Neither of you will get food to eat.
And in the meantime, those who divided you 72 years ago are still laughing at you, laughing at how easily you can be befooled, and how easily you can be kept in your state of asinine fatuity and blockheadedness.