Forget about the Godfather
series of Hollywood or the gangster movies of Bollywood. Just watch the talk
shows on these days and you will be thrilled to see how the underworld operates
in Pakistani politics with impunity.
The lid on the much-awaited Asghar Khan case has finally been lifted after much
hesitation by the Supreme Court (SC). The Pandora’s Box contains not only
politicians’ dirty linen but also the manual on how the real state operates
while we remain busy in watching the movie. It reminds me of Plato’s famous
analogy of shadows in a cave. It centered on the notion of ideal forms that
resided in the heavens, while on earth we only see their reflections.
Illustrating the point, he gives the example of a person who is chained inside a
cave and on the wall in front of him, sees shadows of objects moving behind him.
If the prisoner was born and raised like this, he would treat the shadows as
real. But if he is released and sees the real objects he would then realise that
all through his life he had only been watching shadows.
Mehrangate has provided us with a similar realisation as many inside stories are
now open to the public. When the court began hearing Khan’s petition last week,
the general expectation was that the government and the new entrant PTI would be
the main beneficiaries. But as the saying goes, “Never wrestle with a pig: you
both get all dirty, and the pig likes it.” If Imran Khan was expecting that his
party would be the major beneficiary, he must be now repenting his insistence on
putting all his eggs in one basket. The only legitimacy-providing political
figure of the party, Javed Hashmi, is allegedly one of the recipients of the
handouts, if Younis Habib is to be believed. The setback is that the party can
no longer use the case as a salvo against PML-N, the party that it has
specifically targeted in its campaign. If it declares that Hashmi has wrongly
been accused, then the much smaller amounts mentioned against PML-N leaders
could be defended too. Since the party had a single-point campaign of
corruption, the alleged involvement of one of its main leaders damages it worse
than it does any other political party.
The dust storm caused by the Khan case has not spared the ruling coalition
either. One of the basic maxims of equity-based jurisprudence is, “He who comes
into equity must come with clean hands.” If the then PPP government was
victimised by plotters in the military, it should have challenged them on
assuming power or at least shown some abhorrence. But, all the plotters were
rewarded in one way or another. The more damaging revelation is, however,
relating to the use of Habib’s Rs 50 million by the PPP with express approval of
the then Prime Minister late Benzair Bhutto for dislodging Pir Sabir Shah’s
government in NWFP. Similarly, the revelation of misuse of secret funds of the
Intelligence Bureau for destabilising rival political governments by the PPP
does further damage. The MQM, like ever, is in denial mode and celebrating the
self-proclaimed acquittal of its saint-like leader. The religious parties
wearing angelic robes have also not escaped the muddy stains right under their
‘holier than thou’ badges.
Three important points are related to the scenario. First, due process of law
should take its course and the media should not dictate the outcome of the court
proceedings. Sometime back when the SC acquitted the accused in the Mukhtaran
Mai case, expressing my concerns, I had cautioned that the court made the
correct decision in the light of available evidence. It would be a very
dangerous trend if the courts start playing to the gallery. No one is above the
law and no one is below the law. Therefore, all accused in the Khan case should
not be treated any differently and must be considered innocent till proven
guilty. Second, the role of the spy agencies, both military and civil, has
become public and cannot be ignored. The recipients’ guilt is not yet proved;
however, those who misused their official position made a mockery of their oath
about not indulging in political activities, and tried to subvert the outcome of
elections. They have already confessed their crime. More than anything else, it
is the first test of the independence of the judiciary. Not just analysts but
even a layman is on the lookout for how the SC will deal with the designers and
executioners of a stinking scam.
The third point is the most important one. History repeats itself if lessons are
not learnt and remedial measures not adopted. The underworld gangsters carried
out their dirty operations feeling they were above the law. Nobody knows what is
the legal framework under which the intelligence agencies of Pakistan work.
Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
During Musharraf’s regime Senator Farhatullah Babar moved a motion asking for
the legal framework that controlled the intelligence agencies. Such is the power
of our underworld operators that the then chairman of the Senate, killing the
motion, did not allow any discussion. Now Babar is back in the Senate controlled
by his own party. Hopefully, without delay, he would reintroduce the motion.
Just a few days ago PML-N moved a motion in the National Assembly for a
monitoring mechanism of the intelligence agencies. If both opposition and
government are on the same wavelength, what prevents them from making an
accountability mechanism of the underworld operators? Actions speak louder than
words. The actions of both PML-N and the PPP-led coalition government will be
keenly watched. If they just keep throwing mud at each other, and the animal
farm is not properly locked, the leaders of the animals will be weaving a
thicker cobweb for them