Some of the suspects have been arrested on the suspicions of betting fix. The inquiry has been ordered in Pakistan as well for this scam. President Asif Ali Zardari has asked for a detailed report on this event.
The episode has seriously tarnished the image of Pakistan at home as well as abroad. The Pakistan Cricket Board had not yet recovered from the earlier shocks like humiliating defeats of the national cricket team in various one-day and test matches. The senior management has assured that if the allegations are proved, all those who are involved in the matter will be severely punished.
It is impetant that the matter should be seen from many angles. The view point of a conspiracy against our national team may also not be over looked. A person named Mazhar Maheed who has been arrested by British police may reveal many secrets.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ .
It is hoped that, given the seriousness of the occurrence, the senior management of the PCB and the Government of Pakistan will take effective steps that would ward off the possibility of repetition of such disasters again.
The self exiled leader of a political party MQM (Motahida Quami Movement) has given a statement in London that if some patriotic generals of Pakistan Army took any martial law-type action against the feudal lords and corrupt politician the MQM will support that action.
This statement from a leader whose party politically controls the urban population centers of Sindh and claims to be the true representative of middle and lower middle class was astonishing for the other political elite of the country. Almost all the parties, including the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and main opposition party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) have condemned it. They say that it is a conspiracy to derail the democracy and again bring in the military dictatorship. The stance of MQM leaders is that they do not favor martial law but some sort of military interference is necessary to take the country out of the quagmire which is taking heavy toll in terms of economic, political and social degradation. A veteran political leader, Pir Pagara, who is known for his close association with the Army has also supported the idea. A bout of statements and counter statements from different leaders is going on.
The desire of Mr. Altaf Hussain seems to sincere and can termed as a short cut measure to cure the ills of the country. However the past experience shows that military interference in the political affairs of Pakistan has never borne the desired results. Military governments, although duly welcomed by the public at the initial stage have invariably fell short of people’s expectations. As a matter of fact Army is not a suitable instrument to bring revolution. It is meant to defend the country from the enemies of the state. And this is where it wins the hearts and minds of the people. When it interferes in the politics and takes over the reins of power it suffers from the problem of legitimacy right from the start. The military dictator becomes hostage to the puppet politicians that he creates for his justification in power. Similarly he is pressurized and blackmailed by foreign powers and is forced to act according to their wishes. Hence the hope of a patriotic revolution evaporates in the air. The Army then starts losing its prestige in the eyes of public who start looking forward to elections and democracy, and hence the vicious circle goes on and on. The result is always a total despair for the people.
I think it is high time now that the politicians should learn how to conduct their business of statesmanship without looking towards the Army. It will be much better for sincere leaders like Mr. Altaf Hussain and others that if they think that the regime in Pakistan is inept and should be changed, they should come forward and mobilize the public opinion in that direction., instead of favoring a military interference that has got inherent dangers for the country. This is how the democracy will flourish.
Pakistan is facing the worst floods of its history. The unusual climatic changes have resulted in devastating floods. As per the initial survey of UNO, almost 20,000,000 people have directly suffered from the flood. The province of Khaiber Pakhtunkhwa was the initial victim, followed by southern Punjab and then plain areas of Balochistan. The flooding waters have now entered the province of Sindh and till date no end to this calamity is visible.
For the last about five years Pakistan has been subjected to most horrible kind of terrorism. The suicide bomb attacks have taken a heavy toll of human life and property. The devastating earthquake of 2005 has yet not been forgotten. In both the calamities Pakistani nation had proved its worth and came out successful. The terrorist groups have been decidedly beaten out of Swat and South Waziristan. Their remnants are being perused vigorously in other parts of the country, particularly the tribal belt. The public support to these miscreant outfits had been severed properly and they are on the run. However given the support and funding from their foreign masters, they still show their appearance on certain occasions. The credit goes to Pakistan Army in particular for this marvelous achievement.
While fighting the battle against flood, Pakistan Army is again on the fore front. Areas where the flood water has receded, the Army has begun reconstruction work for the destroyed bridges and roads. The management of relief camps is mainly being done by the Army. The way the people stranded in flooded areas were evacuated by military helicopters was worth noticing.
The coming months will be a period of trial both for the nation and the government. Apart from social problems the economic burden will be enormous. So far a rough estimate says that Pakistan has suffered a loss of Rs 400-500 billion, and this estimate is going to swell. Although the loss is colossal but I am sure that Pakistan nation will come out victorious from this disaster as well.
