Of Wikileaks, Zardari and the Pakistani nation

Oh Wikileaks, what have you done? (Photo: Dawn.com)

As the Wikileaks saga continues to gather steam, a lot of very serious question marks have been raised on the moral integrity of our politicians. Take the example of Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman (who is nothing but a gigantic slur on the respected institution of Maulana) who reportedly told the American ambassador Anne Patterson that he expects the US’ help to become the country’s Prime Minister. I ask you. This is the man who wastes no time in lambasting the US, whose party expresses outright sympathy with the Taliban, and yet he has the gall to go to the American embassy and demand America’s help for his ego boosting maniacal deed. This is what I call the age of hypocrisy and Maulana Diesel is certainly leading the crowds.

Then there is the curious case of the Saudi King’s two faced interactions with the Americans. He wants them to bomb Iran and he calls Zardari an impediment to development. Now while this may be true, but I thought the call for the unity of the Muslim Ummah preceded personal difference and ideologues. Apparently, the Saudi royal family has decreed it doesn’t matter so long as petrodollars keep rolling into their palatial residences. Zardari is corrupt, and even if he isn’t, he hasn’t done anything to rectify his failing image. On the other hand Nawaz Sharif will be ruing the revelations in the Wikileaks cables too.

According to one cable, Nawaz Sharif thanked the US government via its ambassador for helping appoint Kayani as the Chief of Army Staff. It seems the Sharifs’ fascination with army and its generals knows no time boundaries or historical facts. The cables are also revealing in that the ruler of UAE stated that Nawaz Sharif is not a man who can be expected to keep his promises. Well, don’t we all know that already?

The Americans are all praise for Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani and why shouldn’t they be? After all he is their principal man in the South Asian region. The government suffers from a huge trust deficit in the international arena and quite rightly so. According to the released documents, President Zardari is the most paranoid man on the planet. He reportedly told Joe Biden that he feared Ashfaq Kayani and the ISI will take him out. Now that’s just spilling the beans. Who would have known that the ISI and the army chief are larger than life beings in Pakistan?

But the story and I admit it’s quite an intriguing one, does not end here. Zardari also instructed his son, who I still hold does not fulfil the requirements of being called a Pakistani citizen, to appoint Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur as President if he is assassinated. The badass oaf does indeed intend to run Pakistan like a familial enterprise. Besides, if he really is so scared about his life, why doesn’t he run off to his French chateau and let 170 million people of Pakistan breathe a sigh of relief? And just who gave the right to Bilawal Zardari to decide the future heads of state of Pakistan? It’s bone crunching sick.

Now I’m no supporter of Pervez Musharraf but like I’ve always said, Musharraf had widespread popularity in the international community along with cordial relations with everyone. That is why the Saudi King never said no to meet him unlike Zardari, who met him after “hectic diplomatic efforts” when he had anointed himself co-chairman of the PPP.

Pakistan is immersed in controversies galore as of now. With the leak of some 250,000 plus cables, Pakistan has once again come into the limelight for all the wrong reasons. It is highly shameful that a country that cannot provide basic amenities of life to its residents pretends to be the most powerful Muslim country in the world. It is time now to use our common sense and see we’re no better than a browbeaten country on the brink of disaster. With a credibility deficit due to our incumbent government, and a lack of self realization we really are facing the murky depths of doom. One wrong move will trigger this massive slide until we reach the bottom of the pit, and only God knows how, when and if, we’ll ever get back out.