Loss of reason

The Candid Corner

“Natural disasters are terrifying – that loss of control, that feeling that something is just going to randomly end your life for absolutely no reason is terrifying. But what scares me is the human reaction to it and how people behave when the rules of civility and society are obliterated”.

– Eli Roth

The prevailing circumstances in my country scare me. It is not just a case of rules of civility and society breaking down; it is a case of the whole system being on the brink of collapse. All it needs is a slight nudge and there are many waiting to push it over. Is there anyone who is concerned about this crisis, trying to do something to avoid the looming catastrophe, or are we all contributing, in our respective ways, to expedite the process of self-infliction?

There are powerful forces operating in our midst which have taken upon themselves the task of manipulating existent circumstances to suit their inclinations and their regimented approach about what a country should be all about, and what policies it should or should not pursue. In order to implement this self-serving plan, even a partnership with criminal elements, most of whom have either been condemned to varying terms of incarceration, or they are wanted by courts of law, is espoused without a trace of compunction. So, the country has ended up with a conglomerate of convicts and absconders at the helm dictating the incrimination of the entire society by eliminating people who reside on the right side of the law and who stand up to them in defiance when confronted with testing situations. Consequently, what we have ended up with in the country is not a system dispensing equitable justice to all, or a caring and functional administration, or a leadership that would focus on addressing grave challenges that the state faces. Instead, we have a vile travesty which pleads and promotes the cases of the criminal elements and their compatriots, forever ready to give them reprieve and pack off the law-abiding people to time in the dungeons.

The divide among the political forces is harrowing, or so it has been made to look like by the powerful elements operating from the dark that surrounds us. The entire criminal lot who are accused of having amassed huge stocks of pelf and who have piles of cases lined up against them at various stages of prosecution, including indictment, are all together in this coalition to rule a country which has been witness to grievous derelictions of justice in the past, and where convicting the rich and the powerful elements remains a dream. With their combined might rooted in exploitation of the administrative powers that a derelict system vests in their persons, they are trying to eliminate Imran Khan from the political arena. And why is that so? Because Khan has neither been part of any criminal coalition in the past, nor he seeks to be one now when the entire system is operating to have him declared ineligible for public office. And they are looking for proofs where none is available. But the task assigned to the operators is to ensure that something is dug out no matter how.

Much that they may want it to happen according to the script handed over to them by the operators lurking in the dark, the reality is that it is not going to be that simple. The path is riddled with insurmountable challenges which emanate from the uncompromisingly principled and courageous person that Khan is and the massive support base that he enjoys among the entire spectrum of people. To top it, there is a mood of defiance that pervades the political environment, particularly against the criminal coterie of leaders which has been virtually taken out of their prison cells and plonked in seats of power. Members of this criminal gang are also acting as judges, lording over incorporating amendments in rules and laws and posting people of their choice at key positions among institutions dealing with their cases to win reprieve from their crimes and, in the process, turn the accountability process into a hoax. That would legitimise the rule of crime in the future as we look forward to the likes of Sharif, Zardari, Fazl and sundry clans impose their illegitimate writ upon the country.

With the government rendered non-functional and the challenges of survival by the common people becoming graver with time, a situation of anarchy is fast emerging in our midst. The rationale behind Khan’s ouster never had any buyers. But now the mould of defiance is also laced with anger at the crudely fascistic treatment being meted out to Khan, PTI and its functionaries. There is massive reaction building which can spill over at a single call.

The whole game plan of foreign-inspired and locally-sponsored regime change has crashed. In its place, we have a bunch of convicts and criminals ruling the country and taking it to the brink of bankruptcy. The begging bowl being carried to all nooks and corners of the world has assumed proverbial proportions. There are rumours that state assets are now being leased out as a desperate measure to seek funds from foreign countries. That may or may not be but, in the process, national sovereignty and independence would be gravely compromised. But this appears to be of no concern to the incumbent bunch of criminals because they only have a singular purpose: to have their names cleared from the record books of the investigation agencies and the accountability bureau. What happens to cases which are awaiting hearing in various courts of law, or cases where the leaders of the criminal cabal are to be indicted, remain a different matter which will have to be tackled using other powers. One popular narrative doing the rounds is that the floor of the parliament would be used to grant pardon for crimes committed. How tenable such an option would be remains a contentious issue.

It is a mess, a bloody mess. There appears to be no easy way out of it unless, of course, those who perpetrated the foreign-inspired regime change conspiracy would concede their mistake and show willingness to make amends. Trying to eliminate, through fabricated means, a leader of Khan’s size, stature and substance would breed disastrous consequences. It is hoped that reason would not be completely forfeited as that would push the country to the brink of irretrievable chaos and anarchy. The only way out is the holding of free, fair and transparent elections immediately.

The writer is a political and security strategist and the founder of the Regional Peace Institute