By Amir Zia
Friday, December 28, 2013
The News
With friends like Chaudhry Nisar and Ishaq Dar, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan do not need any enemies. The bitter and angry duo has mastered the art of damaging Pakistan’s interest through their recklessness.
Initially, the barrage of statements fired almost on a daily basis by the two main pillars of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet used to appear shocking, but now one finds them more and more farcical. While Sharif – in his third stint as prime minister – has learned to speak with restraint and in a measured tone at least in public, two of his top guns – Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar – are running amok.
The duo is creating controversies where ideally there should be none. They are bombastic and verbose where economy of words is required. They are emotional and melodramatic where level-headedness and self-control remain the need of the hour. They tend to defy logic and common sense for their love of exaggeration and thunderous posturing.
In a nutshell, their common dilemma, like many other Pakistani politicians, remains that they speak too much and love to play to the gallery. In opposition, perhaps a politician can get away with irresponsible statements, but when in power, words matter and they have consequences and repercussions for the country. A fact that hardly seems to matter for the two ministers who have a penchant for shooting emotionally-loaded and ill-timed statements. The lure of microphones and the spotlight of the 24/7 television cameras keep them going.
If Dar had the cheek to tip the currency dealers that the dollar would slide in the local market, therefore they should sell their greenback stocks to prevent losses without taking into account the meagre foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan, the interior minister remains fond of giving long sermons to Washington and speaking freely on issues from Pakistan-US relations to Bangladesh’s recent hanging to death of a Jamaat-e-Islami leader on war crime charges – matters which should be better left for the foreign ministry to deal with.
One day we find the finance minister vowing to get every cent out of the Washington’s pocket due under the coalition support fund (CSF), the other Nisar Ali Khan castigating the Obama administration for what he believes as sabotaging the ‘peace talks’ with the Al Qaeda-inspired local militants responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent civilians and security personnel in terrorist attacks and suicide bombings across Pakistan.
“Time to choose dollar or honour”, Nisar Ali Khan said in one of his many passionate statements. But ironically his display of bravado appears hollow.
In the world of politics and game of power theatrics are often self-defeating and a reflection of immaturity of personality and of untutored minds. The power of silence is as important as the eloquence of speech that calls for action, mobilises the people and raises the spirit of nations to perform magnificent feats. Yes, great minds and astute politicians weigh their words before they speak – even in public oratory.
However, discretion and caution don’t appear to be a forte of Chaudhry Nisar. On the floor of parliament, he went all out to slam Bangladesh over the hanging of Abdul Quader Mollah, calling it his sacred duty as a Muslim to do so. Earlier, the Foreign Office rightly declared it an internal matter of Bangladesh, but then who can stop our interior minister from speaking on an issue where he had to keep his mouth shut. He had to swank his bravado and holier than thou mentality in parliament. Perhaps Chaudhry Nisar should be a satisfied Muslim now as his reckless speech contributed in triggering anti-Pakistan riots in Bangladesh. Should one congratulate him over this feat?
And this is not the first time that the interior minister intruded in the domain of the Foreign Office and tried to set the tone of diplomacy. Who can forget Chaudhry Sahib’s emotional performance both at the press conference and in parliament when he mourned the killing of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakeemullah Mehsud in a US drone attack last month.
If Chaudhry Nisar is to be believed, Pakistan lost its best bet for peace in the country, conveniently ignoring that in November 2009 Pakistani authorities offered a reward of Rs50 million for any information leading to the arrest or killing of Hakeemullah Mehsud who was responsible for a string of bombings and suicide attacks across Pakistan. Perhaps Washington should ask the Sharif government to pay the bounty money as promised or deduct that amount from its assistance to Pakistan.
Nisar’s anti-US posture provided the stage where Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf managed to go a step forward and block Nato supplies going through Pakistan to Afghanistan. It is yet another matter that the mighty Khan placed himself in a hole by resorting to the blockade, which threatens the much-needed US aid and payments for the coalition support fund to Pakistan and testing its ties with the 28-nation bloc of Nato nations.
As if this was not enough, the interior minister ridiculed his own government’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz when another US drone attack killed six people including three militants belonging to the Haqqani network in Hangu; the minister accused Washington of sabotaging the dream peace talks with the militants.
With the hard-line cleric Mullah Fazlullah now in command of the TTP, militants have responded to the government’s mantra of talks by action. A truck loaded with explosives rammed into a military check post in Mir Ali, North Waziristan killing five soldiers and wounding more than 40 earlier this month. Foreign and local militants fought pitched battles with the security forces following this incident in which the death toll has crossed well over 50 in just two days. Yet our interior minister fails to see the writing on the wall.
With the country’s foreign exchange reserves barely enough to meet its three weeks of import bill and the economy at the brink of a balance of payment crisis, Pakistan certainly does not need the American dollars going by interior minister’s statement. Pakistan can survive and live happily ever after on Chaudhry Nisar’s highly misplaced notion of national honour, the Mullah Fazlullah-led TTP, vast stretch of its territory under the control of foreign and local terrorists, exploding bombs and killing civilians and security personnel when they want.
With friends like Chaudhry Nisar and Ishaq Dar, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan do not need any enemies. The bitter and angry duo has mastered the art of damaging Pakistan’s interest through their recklessness. Many of the controversies triggered by the two ministers can easily be avoided if saner minds and moderate personalities are holding such important portfolios.
If Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wants to realise his vision of turning around the country’s economy, building trust and friendship with neighbours and world powers including the United States and establish rule of law and writ of the state, he has first to pick the right individuals for these jobs; those who can control the demons of their emotions, impotent rage and resist temptations of speaking too much and too loud.
Is Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) that barren that it can’t come up with better substitutes?
Friday, December 28, 2013
The News
With friends like Chaudhry Nisar and Ishaq Dar, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan do not need any enemies. The bitter and angry duo has mastered the art of damaging Pakistan’s interest through their recklessness.
Initially, the barrage of statements fired almost on a daily basis by the two main pillars of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s cabinet used to appear shocking, but now one finds them more and more farcical. While Sharif – in his third stint as prime minister – has learned to speak with restraint and in a measured tone at least in public, two of his top guns – Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar – are running amok.
The duo is creating controversies where ideally there should be none. They are bombastic and verbose where economy of words is required. They are emotional and melodramatic where level-headedness and self-control remain the need of the hour. They tend to defy logic and common sense for their love of exaggeration and thunderous posturing.
In a nutshell, their common dilemma, like many other Pakistani politicians, remains that they speak too much and love to play to the gallery. In opposition, perhaps a politician can get away with irresponsible statements, but when in power, words matter and they have consequences and repercussions for the country. A fact that hardly seems to matter for the two ministers who have a penchant for shooting emotionally-loaded and ill-timed statements. The lure of microphones and the spotlight of the 24/7 television cameras keep them going.
If Dar had the cheek to tip the currency dealers that the dollar would slide in the local market, therefore they should sell their greenback stocks to prevent losses without taking into account the meagre foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan, the interior minister remains fond of giving long sermons to Washington and speaking freely on issues from Pakistan-US relations to Bangladesh’s recent hanging to death of a Jamaat-e-Islami leader on war crime charges – matters which should be better left for the foreign ministry to deal with.
One day we find the finance minister vowing to get every cent out of the Washington’s pocket due under the coalition support fund (CSF), the other Nisar Ali Khan castigating the Obama administration for what he believes as sabotaging the ‘peace talks’ with the Al Qaeda-inspired local militants responsible for the killing of thousands of innocent civilians and security personnel in terrorist attacks and suicide bombings across Pakistan.
“Time to choose dollar or honour”, Nisar Ali Khan said in one of his many passionate statements. But ironically his display of bravado appears hollow.
In the world of politics and game of power theatrics are often self-defeating and a reflection of immaturity of personality and of untutored minds. The power of silence is as important as the eloquence of speech that calls for action, mobilises the people and raises the spirit of nations to perform magnificent feats. Yes, great minds and astute politicians weigh their words before they speak – even in public oratory.
However, discretion and caution don’t appear to be a forte of Chaudhry Nisar. On the floor of parliament, he went all out to slam Bangladesh over the hanging of Abdul Quader Mollah, calling it his sacred duty as a Muslim to do so. Earlier, the Foreign Office rightly declared it an internal matter of Bangladesh, but then who can stop our interior minister from speaking on an issue where he had to keep his mouth shut. He had to swank his bravado and holier than thou mentality in parliament. Perhaps Chaudhry Nisar should be a satisfied Muslim now as his reckless speech contributed in triggering anti-Pakistan riots in Bangladesh. Should one congratulate him over this feat?
And this is not the first time that the interior minister intruded in the domain of the Foreign Office and tried to set the tone of diplomacy. Who can forget Chaudhry Sahib’s emotional performance both at the press conference and in parliament when he mourned the killing of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakeemullah Mehsud in a US drone attack last month.
If Chaudhry Nisar is to be believed, Pakistan lost its best bet for peace in the country, conveniently ignoring that in November 2009 Pakistani authorities offered a reward of Rs50 million for any information leading to the arrest or killing of Hakeemullah Mehsud who was responsible for a string of bombings and suicide attacks across Pakistan. Perhaps Washington should ask the Sharif government to pay the bounty money as promised or deduct that amount from its assistance to Pakistan.
Nisar’s anti-US posture provided the stage where Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf managed to go a step forward and block Nato supplies going through Pakistan to Afghanistan. It is yet another matter that the mighty Khan placed himself in a hole by resorting to the blockade, which threatens the much-needed US aid and payments for the coalition support fund to Pakistan and testing its ties with the 28-nation bloc of Nato nations.
As if this was not enough, the interior minister ridiculed his own government’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz when another US drone attack killed six people including three militants belonging to the Haqqani network in Hangu; the minister accused Washington of sabotaging the dream peace talks with the militants.
With the hard-line cleric Mullah Fazlullah now in command of the TTP, militants have responded to the government’s mantra of talks by action. A truck loaded with explosives rammed into a military check post in Mir Ali, North Waziristan killing five soldiers and wounding more than 40 earlier this month. Foreign and local militants fought pitched battles with the security forces following this incident in which the death toll has crossed well over 50 in just two days. Yet our interior minister fails to see the writing on the wall.
With the country’s foreign exchange reserves barely enough to meet its three weeks of import bill and the economy at the brink of a balance of payment crisis, Pakistan certainly does not need the American dollars going by interior minister’s statement. Pakistan can survive and live happily ever after on Chaudhry Nisar’s highly misplaced notion of national honour, the Mullah Fazlullah-led TTP, vast stretch of its territory under the control of foreign and local terrorists, exploding bombs and killing civilians and security personnel when they want.
With friends like Chaudhry Nisar and Ishaq Dar, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan do not need any enemies. The bitter and angry duo has mastered the art of damaging Pakistan’s interest through their recklessness. Many of the controversies triggered by the two ministers can easily be avoided if saner minds and moderate personalities are holding such important portfolios.
If Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wants to realise his vision of turning around the country’s economy, building trust and friendship with neighbours and world powers including the United States and establish rule of law and writ of the state, he has first to pick the right individuals for these jobs; those who can control the demons of their emotions, impotent rage and resist temptations of speaking too much and too loud.
Is Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) that barren that it can’t come up with better substitutes?
Very well written article Amir. You have rightly pointed out the carelessness, lack of coordination between the ministries, and the hollow statements by the two (so called) leaders.
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