Significantly, a day earlier, The Dawn had reported a London High Court order thatinstructed prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s father and brothers—one is the Punjabchief minister—to repay $35 million they owed an investment company.
Significantly, a day earlier, The Dawn had reported a London High Court order thatinstructed prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s father and brothers—one is the Punjabchief minister—to repay $35 million they owed an investment company.
As always, Benazir denied that she or her husband—senator Asif Zardari, alsodisqualified—were guilty. Confronted with the allegations by a reporter, she turnedred, stomped her foot angrily and, flinging her arms wildly, sent her wedding ring flyingacross the room. "What Shaheen missile? Benazir is made of sterner stuff than a meremissile with a range of 600 km," commented a disgusted aide about the woman who hasbrought one of Pakistan’s largest political parties down to its knees.
The curious timing of Benazir’s disqualification has sparked off much speculation.Many see it as a means to divert public attention from the London High Court order. NawazSharif’s family had apparently defaulted on a loan taken for machinery for theirpaper mill. The order was passed ex-parte after the family ignored a summons issued by thecourt on September 7, ’98. The high court ordered Sharif’s father to pay$17,719,315.26, and the father and his sons jointly to pay $14,712,912.18.
"Whatever be the case against Benazir, this order came as a smokescreen to hidethe corruption of the prime minister’s family," a senior ppp leader toldOutlook. The order itself was short, with none of the customary summing up of prosecutionand defence arguments to be followed by a reasoned order. The order said simply that theprosecution had succeeded in proving its case. It added only that a commission of thecourt had "validated and authenticated" documents from Swiss authorities.
"Saner people would have accepted the squeeze against Bhutto if there had been animpartial or morally and political correct government in office. The present government isnot a set-up represented by saints or people with high moral standards. (That) somemembers of the government are among the country’s biggest bank defaulters cannot beignored," wrote The Frontier Post.
A campaign against the "double standards" has been launched by the MuttahidaQaumi Movement, the third largest party, led by Altaf Hussain from his self-imposed exilein London. According to Hussain, not just in this case but in others within Pakistan,"the prime minister and his brother Shahbaz Sharif have not returned a single pennyof the loans taken from banks".
"Why was the case taken to the Lahore High Court? Why was only Justice Qayyumthought fit to hear the case? Is it because he is a brother of a sitting Muslim Leaguemna? Why is the trio from Raiwind pitting Punjab against Sindh?" asked senator IqbalHaider in the upper house.
Bhutto now risks being jailed and having her ancestral property confiscated. She leavesbehind a party whose morale has hit rock bottom, with no second-in-command to steer it tosafer waters. A situation partly created by Benazir earlier when she unilaterallynominated herself ppp chairperson for life.
"Of course we want accountability, but Benazir is being singled out. What aboutthe accountability of Nawaz Sharif?" asked mqm senator Nasreen Jalil. The leadinglights of the Muslim League haven’t been questioned about property in London, unpaidloans, or money laundering.
Yet, public pressure demanding accountability across the board will mount if Benazir isconvicted by the Supreme Court. "What about Zia’s cronies? Set up commissions totry the generals also," said Habib Jalib of Balochistan’s Baloch National Party(Mengal group). Demands for cleaner leadership may be stepped up. Which is what formerpresident Farooq Leghari and cricket hero Imran Khan, who heads the Tehrik-e-Insaf, arewaiting for.
The Muslim League’s assertion now is that Benazir will get no relief from theSupreme Court since the Ehtesab courts found her guilty. "This is in line with Sharifand his cronies. First they attack the Supreme Court. Then they give two hoots for theCourt when it wants vacancies filled and alternatives to the military courts inSindh," says ppp senator Reza Rabbani.
So where does Benazir go from here? If jailed, could she inject life into her party byprojecting herself as a martyr and a rallying point for her workers? "Notlikely," says Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, one of the founders of ppp and a man Benazircalls uncle. "How many people came out on the streets when her father washanged?"
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