Adil Najam
The Supreme Court has spoken. And spoken loudly. The NRO, they say, is null and void. What they do not say – and should not, since it is not in their mandate – is what should happen now to all that was unfolded as a result of the NRO. That is for politics to decide.
So, we thought in this latest ATP Poll we would ask you, our readers, what yo think should happen.
It was a little difficult to come up with what the options are so we based these on the comments on our recent NRO post. Do please tell us which of these options you would want and why. Do also feel welcome to add other options in the comments section; but don’t let that keep you from voting on these ones.
I was so happy when I learnt that Roman Malick will be gone, but darn…he’s still around
I welcome the Supreme Court decision, but I feel court has gone over-board by directing the re-instatement of DIG and action against Malik Qayyum. Supreme Court is meant to do justice in cases brought to them, and I am surprised on the comment of justice iftikhar chaudhary that court has other means of acquiring information, is it an investigative agency? If court has such a jurisdiction, then why can’t they instruct government to change the heads of PIA and steel mills responsible for huge losses on national exchequer? It is very obvious; court is inclined towards PML-N and paving the way for their return. Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary and Nawaz Sharif have only one agenda, to see Musharraf behind bars and they can go to any extent in fulfilling their obsession even at the expense of damaging Pakistan.
By the way this is only my personal opinion, how I perceive the proceedings. I sincerely wish to be wrong in my assessment.
NRO was wrong; there are no two opinions about it in the minds of ordinary Pakistanis. However:
All the generals, and politicians, who abetted by their involvement in the maiming of the constitutiona and illegal acts of the govt. over the years/decades should be removed from office and tried. This includes th present COAS and a host of other generals going back to Kargil and the days of Gen. Zia (Hamid Gul, Aslam Beg, the Corps Commanders and others).
All the judges who abetted by validating the illegal actions of the past should be removed from the bench and tried. This includes the present CJP Iftikhar Chaudhary and many of the present SC judges.
Just like the NRO, the deals that have benefitted the Sharif
brothers should be made public and nullified, and the Sharifs and all their cohorts should be made to face the music.
All politicians who have had loans to them and/or their businesses written off, should be hauled up, made to repay the forgiven debts, and punished along with AAZ. This includes the PM, the Chaudharies of Gujrat, brothers Sharifov and endless list of other Punjabi politicians. Corruption soes not flourish in Sindh alone, nor among the civilians only. The military is every bit as corrupt.
Either there should be accountablity for all, or the selective witchunt, which is what this development is fast becoming, will do a lot more more harm than good.
As concerned as I am about the upheaval this decision from the court is going to cause and distract from our fight against the insurgency, I think it is a step in the right direction.
However, the courts must continue to take steps that demonstrate that they are not simply pursuing a political agenda against the PPP and Musharraf’s entourage; the Sharif brothers have also implicated in numerous corruption scandals, and these should be brought to light as well. The only thing worse than no prosecution of corruption and other crimes is selective prosecution.
I do find it rather appropriate to rewrite some words from one of Shakespeare`s plays ;
It took place at Kronborg (The Castle in Helsingoor) with a splendid view overto Sweden .
Prince of Denmark ; “There is something rotten in The State of Denmark”.
-this can be applied onto the status quo in Pakistan,
and it has been so for some time (just to be diplomatic…..)