Belling the Cat
Random thoughts
by Dr. A. Q. Khan
In my school days we used to read classical Urdu stories by writers like Deputy Nazir Ahmad and Maulvi Muhammad Ismail Meruthi. One interesting story was about mice and a cat. This particular cat was terrorising the mice, every now and then catching and eating one of them. The mice called a meeting to find a solution. One of them suggested that they put a bell around the neck of the cat so that its whereabouts would be known and they could run to safety. An old mouse then quietly enquired as to who would volunteer to do the job. Pin-drop silence ensued and there were no volunteers. There then followed the sound of the cat approaching and they all ran to safety. The present political situation and the actions of those in power remind me of this old story and I wonder if someone will have the courage to bell the cat.
The economic and political situation in our country is in a shambles and we are looking for someone to bail us out – in other words, someone to bell the cat. Fortunately, two institutions – the judiciary and the media – have gained strength and are asserting their constitutional roles. In the history of Pakistan, this is the first time that these two important pillars of the state are working in accordance with the aspirations of the people. Unfortunately, this is not enough.
Ordinary citizens still suffer lawlessness, load-shedding and shortages of foodstuffs, to mention but a few problems. The main problem here is that the abovementioned institutions depend on the support of the government. Legally, the government is bound to obey and implement the decisions taken by the judiciary, but in practice this does not happen. Repeatedly, ministries totally ignore court instructions. Similarly, a good government would pay attention to the media as they are voicing the concerns of the citizens. While refusing to obey court orders is a punishable crime, overlooking constructive press criticism is immoral and the public is anxiously awaiting government action to remedy matters.
The chief justice constituted a 17-member bench of the Supreme Court to investigate the legality or otherwise of the NRO. The media played an important and aggressive role in exposing the vices of this black law and the Supreme Court unanimously declared it unlawful and against the Constitution. Nonetheless, all the beneficiaries (read accused) are still holding important posts, did not resign, are influencing the legal process and have not been placed on the ECL. Contrast this to the fact that a policeman, a clerk, a patwari, etc., is immediately suspended if accused of corruption. On the basis of the result of investigations, they are then either reinstated or prosecuted. Unfortunately, this course of action does not suit our leaders. There is one set of rules for others, and one for themselves. Talk of double standards. Nowadays, nobody is expecting a fair process of accountability under the present setup consisting of influential people from top to bottom. That is not even mentioning the matter of moral values. That has become an extinct commodity, truly reflected in the following verse:
Kuchh log ji rahe-hain sharafat ko bech-kar;
Thhori-bohat inhi sey sharafat kharidiye.
Gen Musharraf is still under the illusion that people love him, and his most ardent supporter, Dr Sher Afgan Niazi, would have us believe that the general would be given a warm welcome upon his return to Pakistan. His reception would probably be more in the nature of the one Dr Sher Afgan himself received at the hands of the lawyers in Lahore.
The NRO has been buried by the Supreme Court but some recent statements made by the prime minister are unacceptable. His asserted that, since the public (read Assemblies) had voted for Mr Zardari and all others accused of corruption, it would be tantamount to insulting the public mandate to remove them and the courts and the media have no say in the matter. If we accept this kind of irrational logic, then all the hundreds of members of the National and Provincial Assemblies would be as innocent as newborns irrespective of their misdeeds. Was he forgetting that Hitler, Marcos, Abacha, etc., were also elected by people? Does that mean that they too should be absolved of all wrongdoing on the grounds of having been elected by people? Again and again we hear the question as to who will supply the evidence, who will prosecute the culprits, who will be witnesses. In short, who will bell the cat? Muslims believe that in the end Allah will punish the wrongdoers and take them to task for all the misdeeds. With that load on their conscience, how will they face their Creator?
Kaabeh kis munh sey jaao-ge, Ghalib?
Sharm tum ko magar nahin Aati.
Recent discussions on TV and in the newspapers, and the shameless manner in which the accused and their cronies are shouting at and abusing their opponents, reminded me of something that took place in Bhopal 60 years ago.
Before Partition, Bhopal had only high schools and for higher education students had to go to Aligarh University, for which the government provided scholarships. One such student obtained a BSc (honours) in physics, mathematics and chemistry. Upon his return he had an attack of high fever and went into delirium, which probably caused irreversible brain damage. Afterwards, one saw him sometimes elegantly dressed and at other times wandering barefoot in kurta-pajama. The boys used to stop him and ask for help with their homework, which he gladly did.
One day we were shocked to see him stark naked, whistling, with a keychain swinging in one hand. Everyone stopped to stare, one passer-by even picking up the courage to tell him that he was not wearing anything. He only smiled and enquired what all the fuss was about. “You have seen everything that I have,” he said.
The present situation, the NRO beneficiaries and the loan defaulters present the same picture. We have seen them in their true nature; they have nothing left to hide. The culprits have been exposed, but who will bell the cat? Who will bring them to book and get back the public money so brazenly stolen? They should be made to pay for their misdeeds and the courts should put a stop, once and for all, to this kind of crimes.
There remains the question of self-respect. If you lose that, then no bars remain and that loss is the forerunner of disaster. We seem to have closed our eyes and minds and think that there is no reckoning for our misdeeds. But Allah Almighty has warned us over and over again in the Holy Quran that all wrongdoers, sinners and munafiqs will be held responsible for their misdeeds, perhaps even after having been granted some respite in time. The present situation and the ongoing moral decay have been aptly expressed in this slightly modified verse written by Allama Iqbal.
Magar yeh raaz aakhir khul gaya saare zamane per
Hamiat naam he jiska gae is qom ke dilse.
Note: In last week’s column, I mistakenly wrote that Napoleon was defeated by Admiral Nelson at Waterloo. In fact, he was defeated by Duke of Wellington.
Thanks to Mr Abdullah Hussein for pointing this out.
