Unfavourable view of Pakistan
By Dr Farooq Hassan | Published: January 7, 2009- Digg
- StumbleUpon
- Text Size
Every morning at my Harvard's library desk I go through press reports on Pakistan. I regret to say that no country in the World has as bad things written about it as Pakistan does. While some of these critiques, ridicules or even sarcasm could be arguably attributed to antagonism that may conceivably exist against an Islamic country which has the nuclear capacity, I am afraid still a lot of what is said about Pakistan is usually true.
I cannot find any parallel in the contemporary history where a country has so little to speak up about itself as Pakistan. Dignity or honour has ceased to have any meaning in Pakistan's public life. Theoretically none of these notions arguably even exist since in Pakistan almost everything that is publicly noticeable exhibits an alarming lack of even common decency or public morality.
Be it the utterly fake and discernible commitment to rule of law and constitutional supremacy or any other matter, the government is least bothered to take any noticeable action which could be morally correct. I am personally sick of hearing this comment that is often given by the President or the Prime Minister that "this or that matter will be decided by the parliament" when the said institution is seemingly as powerless, moribund and inactive as it was during the heyday of military adventures in this country.
Corruption in Pakistan's is now cited a cause célèbre. The National Reconciliation Ordinance that Musharraf enacted to buy the loyalties and support of the PPP leadership after the 2008 elections, authorised the withdrawal of most heinous causes of corruption. For whose benefit was this enacted? Who actually derived benefit? Everyone of any note in the Zardari-Gilani administration! This is literally true as the benefits went from the very highest to the ordinary advisers and even ambassadors now posted in crucial places for the country. I have the names and indeed the figures of the beneficiaries of this corruption which quite regrettably even the independent papers are shy to publish!
No wonder therefore that when I saw a US newspaper report carried also on the net by reputable media giants as the BBC that for $100 billion America should buy the Pakistan nuclear arsenal I was not surprised. Most people who matter in the US think that in Pakistan's case, all is on 'sale'. I cannot tell if this was an overture to the concerned people to sell Pakistan's sole deterrent or utter contempt of our corruption-ridden society which prompted such derogatory comments.
No one could dare propose such an idea, say about Iran? Or even India! Irrespective of reality it is this sorry perception of Pakistan army's leadership in the relevant quarters in the US that is most disturbing. It is well established that at least the nuclear command is solely with the country's army. So is the purported "sale" overture of Pakistan's nuclear capacity directed to that institution's high command? I do not think so. But the basis of this highly mischievous thought is predicated on the roughy10 billion US dollars that Musharraf received from Washington under the CSF (Coalition Support Funds) for stationing our three divisions of army in the Frontier Province.







Your Opinion