Getting Away With Blood Stained Hands
GUEST BLOG by Nadeem Arif Najmi
The ‘memogate ‘drama that threatened to force out President Zardari just a few days ago, now appears to be a damp squib. All but the most delusional of the Government’s opponents still hold a hope that heads may roll as a result of this controversy. Like all the other near-misses, the PPP government has once again come right to the brink of destruction – and come away unscathed. Moreover it has come away bullish and unrepentant and assured of its own invincibility. Can we blame them? Zardari may more often be described in canine terms, but he sure has many more lives than the proverbial cat.
The astounding fact about this near-miss is not that this group of incompetent, self-serving and treacherous comedians posing as a government are wonderfully efficient at self-preservation; it is the strange reality that many commentators have now come to the conclusion that their really is no case to answer. Why? Firstly, because Mansoor Ijaz is an anti-Pakistan hawk known for spewing poison against the institutions of the state. Secondly, because he refused to appear before the Judicial Commission in person citing concerns about personal security and the security of the evidence he wishes to produce.
As for the first point, it is hardly a revelation. Mansoor Ijaz may be a danger to the ISI and GHQ as much as to the PPP and so it appears Kayani and Co have also put this consideration before the interests of truth –and Pakistan. But if Ijaz can prove his case i.e. that the President of Pakistan and its ambassador were involved in a conspiracy to allow a foreign country ‘carte blanche’ access to violate our sovereignty, it is absolutely irrelevant what we think of him and what he says about us. Secondly, Mansoor Ijaz is hardly wrong to suspect that both he and his documents/evidence may be unsafe in Pakistan. His non-appearance may indeed lead to the Commission dismissing the case due to lack of evidence. Yet it would be utterly ludicrous to conclude from this there is no evidence.
Mansoor Ijaz has placed into the public domain already such facts that clearly indicate that there is a case to answer. Moreover Hussain Haqqani would not have resigned and Zardari would not have run away with a feigned illness if they were not genuinely worried about getting caught with blood on their hands. Anyone looking at the bare bones of the case made by Ijaz will be struck by the fact that this man has no reason to go as far as he has without material evidence. It is simply the fact that Ijaz does not believe that the administration- which he seeks to indict, will, for example take his Blackberry and analyse the BBM messages and produce a fair report to the court. At every stage, the Judicial Commission will require government agencies to co-operate in order that the evidence may be presented before the court. Anyone who thinks his suspicions are unfounded should urgently seek medical advice.
It will indeed be a tragedy of Shakespearian dimensions that our treacherous government- although caught prostituting our nation for a paltry price, gets away with it due to the corruption of our institutions. I hope against hope, and pray to the Lord of all power and majesty that somehow the plans of this government to foil justice, blow up in their faces. And they are made to pay for their despicable crimes. May the Curse of Allah be upon the liars. Ameen.
