Pakistans Fake Pro-US Democrats Launch Campaign Against PAK Judiciary
By THE NATION
Monday, 21 December 2009.
ISLAMABAD, PakistanIt is unfortunate that the PPP has chosen to effectively defy the Supreme Court decision on the NRO and its aftermath. The message going out to the public at large is that the rulers will defend their alleged corruption and will not adopt a high moral ground (which could have set an example for their people) by relinquishing their offices till their names have been cleared. Interestingly, many questions are being asked about the whole Defense Minister and the ECL episode, which some say could not have happened without the clearance of the Interior Ministry at the highest level - not simply at the level of the Secretary. In other words, the whole thing was engineered to put those implementing the SC decision in a negative light. Additionally, it again made the ECL a controversial issue - but if we are clamoring to bring back Musharraf and others so that they can be tried for their sins, why should the NRO beneficiaries be allowed an escape route out of the country?
A more dangerous path that is now being adopted by the NRO beneficiaries of the ruling party is to try and discredit the judiciary by starting a massive campaign on the internet and in the media which, in a most bizarre fashion, seeks to imply that by having struck down the NRO, the judiciary has become political. Strange argument, since striking down something that contravened the Constitution and allowed whitewashing of the illegal acts of corruption and murder is a legal act alone with no political connotations - except that the affected people also include politicians.
Ironically, an attempt, in this campaign, is also being made to show the whole SC striking down of the NRO as a civil versus military confrontation. Yet, the NRO had amongst its beneficiaries many military personnel as well. So all should now stand subject to the law which alone must be allowed to take its course. Therefore, to try and undermine the independence of the judiciary and its decision on the NRO, by painting it as a civil versus military struggle is unfair, unjust and totally irrational. As for the argument why the SC allowed the NRO to go to Parliament, it seems to be a case of "damned if you do and damned if you don't"! If the SC sought to allow the elected representatives to convert a black ordinance into a law through parliamentary consent, then that was an attempt to allow Parliament a chance to express the popular will and make this dictatorial ordinance a law through democratic expression. The efficacy of the law would still have been challenged in the Supreme Court by petitioners. That the government chose not to pursue the NRO in Parliament was a political decision. But to try and undermine a sound legal decision, that will allow for effective accountability of the elite, both military and civil, through legal means is a dangerous and detrimental game for the government to play - if they care about Pakistan at all.
Published with permission.
By THE NATION
Monday, 21 December 2009.
ISLAMABAD, PakistanIt is unfortunate that the PPP has chosen to effectively defy the Supreme Court decision on the NRO and its aftermath. The message going out to the public at large is that the rulers will defend their alleged corruption and will not adopt a high moral ground (which could have set an example for their people) by relinquishing their offices till their names have been cleared. Interestingly, many questions are being asked about the whole Defense Minister and the ECL episode, which some say could not have happened without the clearance of the Interior Ministry at the highest level - not simply at the level of the Secretary. In other words, the whole thing was engineered to put those implementing the SC decision in a negative light. Additionally, it again made the ECL a controversial issue - but if we are clamoring to bring back Musharraf and others so that they can be tried for their sins, why should the NRO beneficiaries be allowed an escape route out of the country?
A more dangerous path that is now being adopted by the NRO beneficiaries of the ruling party is to try and discredit the judiciary by starting a massive campaign on the internet and in the media which, in a most bizarre fashion, seeks to imply that by having struck down the NRO, the judiciary has become political. Strange argument, since striking down something that contravened the Constitution and allowed whitewashing of the illegal acts of corruption and murder is a legal act alone with no political connotations - except that the affected people also include politicians.
Ironically, an attempt, in this campaign, is also being made to show the whole SC striking down of the NRO as a civil versus military confrontation. Yet, the NRO had amongst its beneficiaries many military personnel as well. So all should now stand subject to the law which alone must be allowed to take its course. Therefore, to try and undermine the independence of the judiciary and its decision on the NRO, by painting it as a civil versus military struggle is unfair, unjust and totally irrational. As for the argument why the SC allowed the NRO to go to Parliament, it seems to be a case of "damned if you do and damned if you don't"! If the SC sought to allow the elected representatives to convert a black ordinance into a law through parliamentary consent, then that was an attempt to allow Parliament a chance to express the popular will and make this dictatorial ordinance a law through democratic expression. The efficacy of the law would still have been challenged in the Supreme Court by petitioners. That the government chose not to pursue the NRO in Parliament was a political decision. But to try and undermine a sound legal decision, that will allow for effective accountability of the elite, both military and civil, through legal means is a dangerous and detrimental game for the government to play - if they care about Pakistan at all.
Published with permission.
