Haider Mehdi
First of, Skipper, most people who support you do so for the sake of Pakistan and will continue to do so whether it’s supporting you or anybody else who can take Pakistan out of the clutches of her terrible and existential elite capture.
Doesnt matter who these elites are.
Whether in politics or in the public and private sectors, the judiciary, police, bureaucracy, military or businesspeople or any other sector of our society!
But, realistically, we do not see any member of these elites who have Pakistan in their vice like talons, bringing about any major change which will transform this society to one which is built on strong, moral and ethical foundations and moorings driven by transparent systems which hold the mighty accountable and protects the weak. Our Riasat e Medina!
Whether it’s the core team around you, your cabinet, your advisors, your party leadership, the members of all our federal and provincial legislatures, whether with you or against you in the PPP, PMLN. The vast majority are all cut from the same cloth. Corrupt, self serving vultures!
Or people, high and low, who belong to other institutions like the Superior or Lower judiciary, the ECP, the Federal and Provincial Bureacracies, the Military, the Police and other stakeholders.
All of them are untouchable sacred cows with absolutely no interest in reforming the system!
Zero. Zilch. Nada!
Why would they or should they?
The vast majority of our political leaders, Members of Federal and Provincial Legislatures Judges, Generals, Air Marshals, Admirals, bureaucrats, police officers, and everybody down the line, love the current system. It couldn’t be better for them!
This system, which is totally in their control, collectively gives them massive powers, influence, authorities, perks, benefits, privileges.
Each member of this unholy alliance of elite capturing institutions, feed off each other, help each other and sustain this loot and plunder and state of mafia like capture.
No one. I repeat no one thinks and acts for the poor, the weak the vulnerable! Beyond rhetoric and token actions!
Whether you’re a politician in or out of power, a judge, a military officer, a police officer, a bureaucrat, you have it really good. You’d be mad to change the system which would hold you accountable and take away your power.
In fact the greater the power an institution possesses, the greater the resistance to change. Civilian, Military or Political, doesn’t matter. They’re all the same!
And that is why, Skipper people came to you in the droves, in the hundreds of thousands and eventually in the millions to bring you into this position of power and authority, hoping that you would start to break this elite capture.
Many still hold that hope and still believe in you. I certainly do!
Many still hold that hope, despite their disappointment in you, because the alternative is, as my good friend Adnan says, MOTS – “More of the same.
Many have resigned themselves to the inevitable and continous rape, loot and plunder and are either leaving or attempting to leave the country because they can’t take it anymore or have simply accepted the status quo and desperately looking out for their own survival.
Others have decided to join the elite in this loot and plunder or as a minimum seek the safety of the institution and its fair and unfair perks, privileges, benefits, power, influence authority as an MNA, MPA, Senator, a civil servant, a lawyer, a police officer, a judge, a military officer, etc.
So dear Skipper, we all know the challenges of the system, the mafia, the elite capture and that’s why people like me, my family and millions voted for you and will do so again. Hopefully!
But we didn’t vote for you and support you so you keep telling us how bad the system and what a great super amazing guy you are and why you didn’t need this job as PM, having all the fame and wealth one needed, and by implication how unfortunate this country is to not take advantage of you and how corrupt Asif Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, Yousaf Raza Gilani are. Or how screwed up the ECP is. Etc etc.
By the way it’s really strange that the Chief Election Commisioner and and 3 of the 4 “friendly” Provincial Election Commissioners were nominated under your watch. Go figure!
Skipper, we don’t need to be reminded ad nauseum what a great cricketer you are, how you won against odds, how you built SKMH, Namal. Or how you struggled for 22 years to come into power.
We know that Skipper!
And that’s why we voted for you. Because we thought, and some still think you’re super good!
You’re now 2.5 years into the game and it’s really unfair and insulting to the people who voted for you and supported you when you continue to harp on this theme over and over again!
And then one sees the many compromises you’ve made in trucking with some highly questionable characters and turning a blind eye to the massive misgovernance in Punjab and the broad daylight corruption by several Federal and Provincial ministers and many senior bureaucracts!
Skipper we don’t understand why you gave key cabinet roles to loochas and lafangas.
We don’t understand you making a mockery of merit by appointing cronies or cronies of cronies to important advisory positions.
We don’t understand, Skipper, your ignoring of the many talented people who were attracted to you, who came to you to help Pakistan, without seeking any power, fame, money, glory or influence but you couldn’t retain them.
We don’t understand you ignoring so many honest and competent, elected and unelected people within your own party and giving key cabinet positions to lafangas or outsiders.
Skipper one cannot be selectively moral and preachy and sermonize to the world, when it suits one’s self and yet allow the filth around you go unnoticed!
I really hope, Skipper, you have some really damn good reasons for the compromises you’ve made, for some greater good and vision. If not, then we better look elsewhere, because, Skipper, quite frankly I do not understand the compromises you make and why! At All!
So Skipper, please enough of what a great guy you are. We know that.
We also know how putrid, corrupt and terrible the system. How awful Asif Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, Billo, Maryam, Fazlu, Yousaf Raza Gilani, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Fazlu etc are.
And it is for these two reasons we voted for you and supported you.
Skipper. You also have to reflect and do some serious introspection!
You have to change the way you are governing.
You have to change the people around you.
You have to get some really good top talent around you to fill your still very significant experience and competence gaps. And if you can’t find them, then you have a really serious problem!
Skipper you have to build your party and not leave it in the hands of third raters.
Most importantly, Skipper, tou have to uproot the institutions to inititate, embed and sustain change and do a complete reset of our system!
Your current team, your compromises, your party, the current institutions of legislatures of governance, of justice, of law and order of national security, cannot deliver.
They are the leeches which feed of this country. They need to be uprooted.
Do what you have to! That’s why we elected you.
No excuses and no bitching, please!
Otherwise, Skipper, like you keep saying.
Expecting different results from the same behaviours is insanity.
So Chin up, Skipper. It’s all about Pakistan.
Haider Mehdi is a Geo political commentator / blogger on National and International affairs. Formerly a media anchor, corporate leader, management consultant, start up entrepreneur and military officer, he tweets @SHaiderRMehdi and blogs on shrmehdi.com
