Chowrangi

Sometimes I wonder why we pay taxes. It looks like all the taxes collected by the government are used to fatten the already fat bank accounts of the rulers. After all, the ruling classes are also human: they have to take their families to Europe and the United States on vacations at least twice a year, where they can buy the most expensive stuff with their ill-gotten money. And they have to go on free Umrah trips now and then (so that Allah will forgive them for looting the taxpayers).

The most promising alliance in the history of Pakistan; the Pakistan Democratic Alliance is on the verge of a gigantic Titanic collapse, and few hours remain when the formal announcement will be made. It would be sad, but then it was on the cards from the time, when PPP compromised with the dictator.

PML-N took votes from the people of Pakistan on the issue of judges ,and they couldn’t possible remain in the alliance and in the government after not fulfilling their promise. Though Zardari thinks that this matter could be elongated and it could be stretched to an indefinite period of time, but he forgets the shenanigans of the camp office.

All of a sudden, there is a very ominous quietness which is engulfing the London, where the leadership of both Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz is meeting for the last time over the restoration of judges.

The body language of both PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Mian Nawaz Sharif is very tough, gloomy and ultra serious and Nawaz Sharif has even shown his disappointment. Zardari has also uttered that he is looking forward towards the new tomorrow.

After the exposure and mass-rejection of the Minus One Theory, constitutional Merlins and Gandalfs are brewing up one potion after another to somehow adjust Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and his fellow deposed judges with existing judicial setup.

Rauf Klasra reports that setup of two parallel Supreme Courts is being considered as part of a draft constitutional package to resolve the complex issue of the deposed judges’ restoration.

Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Women’s Action Forum (WAF) at Karachi Press Club to mark anniversary of May 12, 2007, said,

“For God’s sake give your sentiments a direction for a goal and that goal should be peace,” she said. “We also want to give the direction of peace to those forces which are hyper and aggressive. We want to build a new society where people’s problems are resolved and peace prevails. We are now talking in open atmosphere, which is a sign of hope.”

While the Pakistan People’s Party lingers on the judiciary issue, the Pakistanis in utmost frustration and agony search frantically for the flour, and their anguish is mounting day by day.

The wheat smuggling is the basic reason of this flour crisis. Thousands of bags of flours are being smuggled to Afghanistan daily, and there is no check of the Khasadar forces and the Frontier Constabulary. Smugglers pay money to these forces and smuggle at will, or they cross the borders with the wheat and flour in the garb of the returning Afghan migrants.

Whatever the intellectuals say,the truth of the matter is that only to save his multi-billions of dollars and luxurious vehicles, horses and houses under the blessed umbrella of National Reconciliation Ordinance, Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party is selling the aspirations of the nation. What more would you expect from the percentage oriented mind?

London talks between Zardari and Nawaz Sharif have also failed as expected. Zardari basically went to London on the orders of Pervez Musharraf to meet with the Altaf Hussain, the pir of London to get his approval for the new coalition. The terrorist of London had the guts to advise Nawaz Sharif on the judges issue.

Promises are made to be broken. That seems to be the mantra of Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari. He cannot say that he didn’t get the vote of restoration of judges. He did like PML-N.

Nation on 18th February gave him mandate to oust Musharraf and the most agile, automatic and easy way to oust Musharraf is to restore the apex judiciary. It was as simple as that. After 18th Feb, and after the farce of Bhurban Declaration, Musharraf was at his lowest ebb and that was the time to strike. Now its extremely hard to oust him, where he sits now.

I feel sorry for the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who doesn’t know what to do exactly. He wants to be the Prime Minister with all the fanfare in the world, and he wants to really enjoy the throne at full throttle with full hubbub.

But when the poor premier meets Pervez Musharraf, his allied party PML-N starts oozing fire, and when he tries to give statements in the favor of the judiciary, his own party and the masters in America start fuming. There are very few options for the new PM.

Ok, now you may add two more days to the 12th May deadline for the reinstatement of the unfortunate judges. These judges must be thinking wonderously as what the hell is going on, and was there any purpose or meaning behind their ‘No’ in front of the army chief?

As the thirty days deadline expired due to the delaying tactics of Pakistan People’s Party on the cue from the President Pervez Musharraf, and a new deadline was given along with the formation of a legal committee in the clownish leadership of law minister Farooq H. Naek who idiotically start smiling in front of cameras telling everyone about a “Khush khubri”.