A recent front page picture shows the Prime Minister inaugurating the Bhasha Dam (for the nth time), with the COAS and DGISI in attendance. Since there is no urgent national security threat prompting them to be seen together to fortify the nation, we can only surmise that they are signaling their continued resolve to remain on the “same page” amidst renewed rumours of an impending Minus-1 change in the political scenario. Therefore it is pertinent to address a host of serious questions about governance and accountability not just to the handsome PM but also to the two powerful gentlemen who are carrying a candle for him.
Why is the corruption inquiry against the PTI Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government in the BRT, Malam Jabba and Billion Tree Plantation cases not being vigourously pursued by NAB when it is opening up fresh and frivolous cases against the political opposition every other day?
Why is the same company – blacklisted by Shahbaz Sharif in the Punjab – at the centre of the corruption scandal in the BRT case, being favoured afresh with billions of rupees in construction contracts in Islamabad?
Why is the Foreign Funding Case – over 70 hearings and 30 PTI-sought adjournments – against the PM and PTI, stalled in the Election Commission of Pakistan for the last five years?
Why is no action underway in the case against the PM and PTI relating to the assault on PTV Head Quarters in Islamabad during the 2014 Dharna?
Why has “Regularisation” of the PM’s Bani Gala residence not been done transparently by the CDA despite clear orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan?
Why is the PM persisting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar when Pakistan’s largest province is crying out for a semblance of governance?
Why is the PM silent when PTI minions are brandishing anti-blasphemy and religious weapons against opposition leaders and civil society activists while global watchdogs of religious persecution are targeting Pakistan and advocating sanctions?
Why does the PM sanctify Osama bin Laden as a martyr when the world condemns him as a terrorist and FATF is breathing down Pakistan’s neck?
Why does the PM continue to oppose anti-Covid19 Lockdown when the Miltablishment, WHO and global governments have admitted its efficacy beyond any doubt?
Why is the PM inaugurating projects already inaugurated by Nawaz Sharif?
Why is the PM silent over the popular demand for his cabinet members to disclose their dual nationalities and assets?
Why are federal and provincial PTI cabinet members and heads of Public Sector Entities like Hashim Bakht, Khusrau Bakhtiar, Razzak Dawood, Nadeem Babar, etc., with palpable conflicts of interest still lording it over the fate of Pakistan?
Why have federal ministers like Sheikh Rashid and Faisal Vawda not been shown the door when the former should be held accountable for the bloody mess in Pakistan Railways and the latter is clearly a prime candidate for electoral disqualification for fudging his nomination papers by hiding his dual nationality?
Why are the PIA MD, CAA DG and Federal Minister for Aviation not being sacked for jointly bringing PIA into irreparable global disrepute?
Why was Jehangir Tareen allowed to leave the country when he is the central figure in the sugar scandal?
Why has no action been taken against hoarders of petrol, wheat and sugar?
Why has the PM dragged his feet over his great Administrative Reform Agenda?
These questions are only for starters. There is a litany of failures of foreign and economic policy that remain unaddressed.
Why has Pakistan failed to persuade the Taliban to renounce violence and speed up a peace deal with the Ghani government?
Why has Pakistan failed to expose India before the international community for persecuting Indian Muslims in general and Kashmiri Muslims in particular and insisting that sanctions be applied for failing to live up to religious covenants?
Why has Pakistan failed to follow up on the billions of dollars in investment projects offered by the Saudi Monarch Mohammad bin Salman during his last visit to Pakistan?
Why has the PTI government failed to privatise loss making state enterprises in two years?
Why has the PTI government not even paid half of the Covid-19 Relief Package promised to the people?
Why has the PTI government changed the Chairman of the FBR, Federal Interior Secretary, Federal Health Secretary, Chief Secretary Punjab, etc, every six months?
Why has the PTI government handed over CPEC Authority into the exclusive domain of the Military?
Why is the PTI government appointing serving and retired military officers to top civilian posts when competent civilian professionals are available from the private sector?
And so on, ad nauseum.
To top it all, the ultimate questions that everyone is asking: how long is this abysmal arrangement going to be forcibly held in place, no matter what the cost to the economy and society? And why?
Why is the corruption inquiry against the PTI Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government in the BRT, Malam Jabba and Billion Tree Plantation cases not being vigourously pursued by NAB when it is opening up fresh and frivolous cases against the political opposition every other day?
Why is the same company – blacklisted by Shahbaz Sharif in the Punjab – at the centre of the corruption scandal in the BRT case, being favoured afresh with billions of rupees in construction contracts in Islamabad?
Why is the Foreign Funding Case – over 70 hearings and 30 PTI-sought adjournments – against the PM and PTI, stalled in the Election Commission of Pakistan for the last five years?
Why is no action underway in the case against the PM and PTI relating to the assault on PTV Head Quarters in Islamabad during the 2014 Dharna?
Why has “Regularisation” of the PM’s Bani Gala residence not been done transparently by the CDA despite clear orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan?
Why is the PM persisting with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar when Pakistan’s largest province is crying out for a semblance of governance?
Why is the PM silent when PTI minions are brandishing anti-blasphemy and religious weapons against opposition leaders and civil society activists while global watchdogs of religious persecution are targeting Pakistan and advocating sanctions?
Why does the PM sanctify Osama bin Laden as a martyr when the world condemns him as a terrorist and FATF is breathing down Pakistan’s neck?
Why does the PM continue to oppose anti-Covid19 Lockdown when the Miltablishment, WHO and global governments have admitted its efficacy beyond any doubt?
Why is the PM inaugurating projects already inaugurated by Nawaz Sharif?
Why is the PM silent over the popular demand for his cabinet members to disclose their dual nationalities and assets?
Why are federal and provincial PTI cabinet members and heads of Public Sector Entities like Hashim Bakht, Khusrau Bakhtiar, Razzak Dawood, Nadeem Babar, etc., with palpable conflicts of interest still lording it over the fate of Pakistan?
Why have federal ministers like Sheikh Rashid and Faisal Vawda not been shown the door when the former should be held accountable for the bloody mess in Pakistan Railways and the latter is clearly a prime candidate for electoral disqualification for fudging his nomination papers by hiding his dual nationality?
Why are the PIA MD, CAA DG and Federal Minister for Aviation not being sacked for jointly bringing PIA into irreparable global disrepute?
Why was Jehangir Tareen allowed to leave the country when he is the central figure in the sugar scandal?
Why has no action been taken against hoarders of petrol, wheat and sugar?
Why has the PM dragged his feet over his great Administrative Reform Agenda?
These questions are only for starters. There is a litany of failures of foreign and economic policy that remain unaddressed.
Why has Pakistan failed to persuade the Taliban to renounce violence and speed up a peace deal with the Ghani government?
Why has Pakistan failed to expose India before the international community for persecuting Indian Muslims in general and Kashmiri Muslims in particular and insisting that sanctions be applied for failing to live up to religious covenants?
Why has Pakistan failed to follow up on the billions of dollars in investment projects offered by the Saudi Monarch Mohammad bin Salman during his last visit to Pakistan?
Why has the PTI government failed to privatise loss making state enterprises in two years?
Why has the PTI government not even paid half of the Covid-19 Relief Package promised to the people?
Why has the PTI government changed the Chairman of the FBR, Federal Interior Secretary, Federal Health Secretary, Chief Secretary Punjab, etc, every six months?
Why has the PTI government handed over CPEC Authority into the exclusive domain of the Military?
Why is the PTI government appointing serving and retired military officers to top civilian posts when competent civilian professionals are available from the private sector?
And so on, ad nauseum.
To top it all, the ultimate questions that everyone is asking: how long is this abysmal arrangement going to be forcibly held in place, no matter what the cost to the economy and society? And why?