‘The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.’ Plato
I have not contributed any article, writing or my musings for a while now. I have not done so because having witnessed the incredulous judicial judgments, the manipulation of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the influence on whatever local police there is, the neutering of the Election Commission of Pakistan, the gagging of the media, and the total castration of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Pakistani citizens as a whole and any views or opinions they may have, are irrelevant, inconsequential and immaterial.
So how can I be taken seriously in such an environment where no one cares and nothing matters. After all, who am I to challenge this contradiction of destiny and travesty of fate? The most popular political party sits on the sidewalk and one of the most disliked coalitions of discarded, rejected, and dubious minor groups sit in the parliament, lording over the people of this country because of a lacuna that was first created, and then exploited by them.
Having confused an auction with an election, we have in the government a cabinet of which 70 per cent stand accused of multiple criminal issues related to financial and property crimes and the misuse of authority. They have manipulated a pliable judicial system to reverse all past judgements that were against them, passed legislation in a one-sided parliament, allowing them legal space and flexibility to survive.
Now there is no moral, ethical, ideological, legal, administrative recourse in this skewed system. Now we have those people in power, who preach to the rest of us lowly mortals with rhetoric of the righteous, yet they display a black heart and hypocrisy at its best. It would even be funny and quite hilarious, had the consequence of their incompetence, indifference and lack of capacity not be as damning for the people as it is. A coterie of criminals who have captured a country, now speak of morality as if they are an authority on the subject, while our Constitution says that the Universe belongs to Allah and the people elected represent him on earth! Are these the people who represent Allah? Did we choose them then?
Last night, I saw a press conference of these people parading before the people and giving their contradictory and hypocritical analysis on the so-called Cypher. I was amazed with the temerity of the speakers and could not believe the line they were taking. Their opinion was based upon the ‘leaks’ that revealed a conversation of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) about the Cypher. But first, it was leaked by this government and not the PTI. Publicly displaying an audio leak of the Prime Minister Secretariat is actually a violation of the Official Secrets Act. Second, there was nothing in the leaks which incriminated the PTI, and instead, proves what they have been saying all along.
To me it appears that the press conference was about covering up the audio leaks about what the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had revealed and that had been made public by a hacker or whoever. The contents of this leak are far more revealing, and much more incriminating but then who cares and why should anyone of them worry? It ought to be remembered in the words of George Orwell, ‘despotic governments can stand moral force till the cows come home, what they fear is physical force.’
Nevertheless, the reason why I have spoken out now is because at one stage I had been asked to investigate the Cypher leaks. I did not do so though I really wanted to. I have already explained the reasons why in numerous interviews and articles. Despite my explanations, there were die-hard groups who insisted that I was found wanting and should have taken on the task despite my reservations. I would now like to draw their attention to the crass, ham-handed and almost criminal manner in which every administrative organ has been manipulated, influenced and compromised.
Returning to my argument, I would have never been allowed to do this investigation in a fair and free manner and with the then sitting government on its way out, no one would have cooperated in providing the evidence needed to conclude such an investigation. So all the NaySayers – what do you say now? Those accused of the conspiracy have had the cabinet pass a resolution to investigate the Cypher Case against the PTI instead. This is what I was trying to convey all along. The heavily biased and prejudiced enquiry that may or may not be held, will find the PTI guilty of something that I fail to identify at the moment, but something nevertheless.
So while everyone has suddenly become an expert on Article 6 and the Official Secrets Act, we are subjected to a continuous diatribe how the PTI is guilty of politicizing the Cypher Case whereas my complaint was always about the former government not arresting those involved in the conspiracy at the very moment when the conspiracy was discovered.
Now that an investigation has been ordered – who is doing it will be a clear indicator as to where this case is going. It is apparent to me that this investigation’s primary purpose is to absolve the culprits from any accusation and its additional objectives are to somehow manufacture something to incriminate the PTI.
So here we are, as Europe rages in the Russo-Ukraine War, the global economy is on the edge of collapse by recession, Afghanistan accuses us of duplicity, India shores up its military capacity in Kashmir, Pakistan struggles with the devastation of the floods and the TTP threatens to recapture spaces – we have this aberration to content with, a country where there is a democracy of criminals, for criminals, and by criminals, while we the people, display the unprecedented silence of the lambs. Keep in mind that ‘despots prefer the friendship of the dog, who, unjustly mistreated and debased, still loves and serves the man who wronged him.’ — Charles Fourier.
‘It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either.’ Mark Twain
