We all know how previous military and civilian governments used dirty tactics to throttle an independent media. Sometimes they succeeded by using sheer brute force and sometimes through bribery and blackmail. On the whole, the media managed to survive and came out cleaner and stronger after every scuffle. The recent attack by the so-called democratic government on Geo Super is a dark chapter in the history of the PPP government. They did manage to deprive the public of sports and entertainment for some time and to cause a loss of hundreds of millions of rupees to the organisation. They were apparently under the impression that they could bring Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman to his knees, totally forgetting that similar tactics had failed in the past to subdue his father, that giant of a journalist, Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman. There is an adage that an apple does not fall far from the tree—in this case, the son is a reflection of his father. I had once written in my column that both Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman and Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman were like tall, straight, strong pillars; they could only be broken but not bent. I am personally aware of the efforts made by the government to gain Mir Sahib’s support in Dubai for their illegal and corrupt activities. When that failed they turned to dirty tactics. Thanks to public pressure and the intervention of the Supreme Court, Geo Super is now back. One would think that the rulers would learn from their setbacks, but nothing seems to bother them. Let us now discuss the dire need for a peaceful revolution. I have emphasised this need in some previous columns, giving the examples of revolutions in France, Russia, China and Iran. The leaders of those revolutions were
commoners and the army was not a driving force. I also exposed those who were shouting hollow slogans of revolution but were practically part and parcel of the corrupt government. We all realise that our dear country is on the verge of collapse and that we have been branded by the whole world as corrupt country and a terrorist state. If one merely sits as a silent spectator, one becomes an accomplice. There are many sayings by Almighty Allah, our Holy Prophet (SAW) and caliphs and religious scholars emphasising this. I witnessed the creation of Pakistan. I was part of the struggle in Bhopal. I walked barefooted on scorching sand for about ten kilometres before entering Pakistan via Khokhrapar. I saw the break-up of our beloved country due to the cruel policies of military dictators. When I saw mortal danger threaten our beloved country, I gave up an excellent career and comfortable life abroad to serve Pakistan. It was at the cost of my family life, but I was rewarded with the setting up of Kahuta and, with the help of my able and patriotic colleagues, turning this underdeveloped, defeated and humiliated country into a nuclear power in 1984. Now Pakistan will not have to face another Dec 16, 1971, situation and could never be blackmailed. Now, when I see where the country is heading, it is impossible for me to be quiet. It would be criminal to just sit back and not try to do anything about it. I will use my pen as a sword, and if called upon to help, I would willingly do so. Allah has blessed me with knowledge, experience, an excellent education and, above all, the ability to attack and solve problems. Many of my friends and former colleagues are of the same opinion and are more than willing to serve the country. We all thought and hoped that once the military dictator had fled the country—leaving us more or less a colony of America—we could start a new page in our history. Unfortunately, as bad luck would have it, we got rulers no better than the dictator. Now we are being plundered and subjected to all kinds of maladies in the name of democracy. That is the reason why, when Prime Minister Gilani stood in parliament and challenged someone to take over if he thought he could do a better job, I had no hesitation in accepting, with the condition that an international jury of eminent experts evaluate my performance after two years and compare it with that of the three-year rule of the present government. No response, not even a whisper of it, followed and the same game continued. When I see what is happening in the country now, I think back to 1947 and I wonder if all those sacrifices were made in vain. Most painful are scenes of poor, starving people being mercilessly baton-charged because they are asking for the availability of flour, sugar, petrol, etc. against payment. Law-enforcing agencies have become gangs of murderers. Remember the events of Kharotabad and Karachi? While Musharraf reneged on many promises he made to the nation, he also reneged on promises made to me on TV and to the press and confined me to my house, just to please President Bush. He had said that I was a free citizen with total freedom to move within the country but requiring an NOC for travel abroad. The Wikileaks documents show that he had been pledging the Americans that he would keep me under house arrest until my death—and that without any legal case, without any prosecution and without any conviction. In the Holy Quran such people are called Munafiq and hell is their permanent abode. It has become quite obvious that the present political parties are not capable of delivering what is required. Even while I was being subjected to illegal detention and mental torture, the leaders were looking the other way. Then, when the occasion arose, they used my name and letters in their election campaigns, even promising to make me president. In 2001 I had chalked out a proposal for intensive vocational training centres and hostels for young boys and girls in the whole tribal areas. There was enough foreign aid at the time to cater for the plan. It would have resulted in the eradication of the use of young people as fodder for terrorist activities and suicide bombings. But the importance of the proposal was not grasped by the dictatorial authority. In the early eighties I had proposed the establishment of a broad-based automobile industry to manufacture cars, trucks, pickups, buses and tractors to Gen Zia. He did not grasp the importance of such an industry for national economic development either. Since then we have spent billions of dollars on the import of these products. We are No 12 in the list of Failed States while India is at No. 76. Our religion does not allow us to sit idle while the country goes further downhill. That is why I have been asking young, patriotic Pakistanis to come forward, join hands and bring about a peaceful revolution. |
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