In all societies colloquial phrases used with reference to the ethical framework of such societies often form a fairly accurate measure of the ethos of a society.
In the early days of Pakistan, flaunting of religiosity was not yet in fashion, but a reputation for corruption was certainly considered a black mark. To certify that a person was free of this taint, a pretty common formula was: “maen qasm kha sakta hun ke is khandaan may kissi ne bhi kabhi haraam ka luqma nahin khaya” i.e I can swear that no one in this family has ever partaken of a haraam [non-kosher] morsel!
But a couple of decades down the line, there was a rearrangement. Morality was nudged off the pedestal by practicality. “Ooper ki kamai” i.e enhancement of emoluments by extortion, came to be accepted as a distinct advantage, but one to which shame was still attached. And then we graduated to where bribery became the norm in society, though it was still not openly flaunted. And then we reached the top rung. Everyone and his uncle went openly on the take without any shame or hesitation. The time had come to put into the works a new generation of Pakistanis who would be nourished on nothing but “haraam”.
At this point corruption moved up from being acceptable, to being justified by phrases like: “but who is not corrupt! “; ” yes, but where is the proof against him? “; ” well, OK, he may have made some money here and there, but the least you must give him is that after all he is a “yaaron ka yaar” i.e though he feeds on the vitals of the nation, he does not dine alone– he throws table scraps to his lackeys as well!
Whatever value system or moral grounding we had as a society, was dug up and completely overlaid by rampant greed and theft, and every outrage committed towards the satiation of this hunger began to be considered rightful and proper.
Musharraf’s NRO bestowed legal and moral sanction on this system of unalloyed and unchecked depredation committed on a hapless nation by the ones who were its solemnly sworn protectors.
This gave us the Zardari-Shareef decade of daylight plunder of Pakistan and every possible crime was committed in the furtherance of it, from blackmail to extortion to murder. And all these were consistently condoned and justified by ever expanding armies of “elite” beneficiaries or hangers-on, by the magic of the phrase: “but where is the proof?”
The proof was indeed there, but it lay hidden in the empty bellies of the poor and deprived– too far away from eyes sworn not to see. It lay also in the magnificent mansions and chateaus of the vultures who had stashed abroad, the wealth stolen from their country. But the willfully blind chose not to see these despite the refulgent glare of these palaces.
It was not just that the coffers of the state were hollowed out; to make theft a seamless operation the civil service was co-opted and destroyed. And to put the thieves beyond the reach of law, every institution of law enforcement was undermined, while laws were crafted to abet the thieves. To further enhance their immunity and to indemnify them against the possibility of being divested of power, the constitution itself was mutilated.
But more than all this was destroyed. The national ethos and value system were destroyed, honesty and integrity began being looked down upon, and those holding on to these values began being looked upon as fools. And any lingering sense of patriotism was squelched underfoot. To appear to be working for the U.S became a mark of honour; exhibition of deep but servile relationships with dirty rich became the stuff of glamour. Pakistan’s interests were accorded the lowest value possible. The only value Pakistan retained was that of a land which could be stripped without let or hindrance.
Every sanctity was erased, and outright thuggery came to occupy the vacated sacred spaces.
The elevation of Asif Zardari to the presidency was a metaphor for this epoch of rot and filth— a manifestation of the depths of national disgrace and dishonour to which we had sunk.
Any hope that Pakistan could be recovered from this fall could only have remained alive in the heart of a fool. But redemption did at long last miraculously dare to put in an appearance.
Imran Khan won the elections, and the higher judiciary and the army, for once, seemed to stand by the higher interests of their country.
But by this time the country was a suppurating mess with its infrastructure for governance destroyed and every higher value subverted, while economically it was in an advanced state of ruin. The hollowing out of Pakistan to bring it to this state seemed to have been lifted right out of the pages of ” The Confessions of an Economic Hit Man” i.e to run up a debt so large that it cannot be repaid so that national sovereignty is pawned off to the creditors. I believe this was a DELIBERATE goal of both Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, quite apart from feeding their greed as well.
What most concerns us today is whether this “seeming” partnership between Imran Khan, the Judiciary, and the Army is there to last?
And if it is committed to last, will it leave Pakistan to squirm in its present state of insecurity misgovernance and squalor, or is it equally committed to turn our fortunes around? And if so, where do they plan to begin?