'CTRL+ALT+DELETE'

The News

May 24, 2006

Shakir Husain

Everyone who uses a computer has had to reboot his/her system at least once a week due to corrupt software or moments when the system 'freezes'. The much vaunted CTRL+ALT+DEL triage is the way to do it, as we all know. But what do you do when software of the country and the 'system' is corrupted? How do we reboot an entire country? In 1999, I was enthusiastic about General Musharraf's takeover and his plans to reform the country, but almost seven years later my support for his regime is at an all-time low.

Every single pledge that he made, and every single reason that he presented to an ever-supportive nation for overthrowing Nawaz Sharif's regime is exactly what the current set of rulers are indulging in today. VIP culture. Check. Corruption. Check. Free trips abroad for friends and family. Check. Free Umra and Haj trips. Check. Real estate scams. Check. Billions wasted on fancy cars. Check.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has recently released a 1200 page report, which outlines the assets and wealth accumulated by our elected representatives up to September 2005 and there is a comparison between the filings of 2004 and 2005. Looking at the net gains within the span of a year, it is evident that our elected representatives are far better at asset and wealth management than the fund managers and investment bankers of Pakistan. Other than feeling physically sick after reading Ansar Abbasi's lead story in this newspaper on May 18, one has to call a spade a spade. These people are extremely good at creating wealth -- too bad they can't do the same for the 160 million people of this country. The report also raises some interesting questions. For instance, why did the National Police Foundation allocate two plots to then Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz in E-11? He purchased them for Rs1.1 million and Rs0.24 million respectively, and within a year they are now worth Rs12.5 million and Rs1.5 million. If that isn't capital appreciation then I don't know what is. Since Shaukat Aziz resides in government provided housing, has a flat in New York and London (declared), why does the National Police Foundation need to allocate two plots to him? Ch. Shujaat Hussain is another exceptional investment banker who saw his wealth jump from the previous Rs74 million to Rs146 million within the span of a year. Mashallah!

Shaukat Aziz has stated that his farmland in Chak Shehzad is for agricultural purposes and is worth Rs20 million. I imagine that all the time he has spent in his ancestral home in Thar has given him enough practice to start farming. According to my real estate agent, a 2.5-acre plot in Chak Shehzad is worth Rs60.5 million. So I would be more than willing to buy the prime minister's plot from him at a 25 per cent premium.

Another story by in the same newspaper, this one by Rauf Klasra, was titled: 'Punjab governor, wife, ex-ministers use cultural fund for visits abroad'. Federal Minister for Culture, G G Jamal, reported to the Senate that Punjab Governor Lt. General (retd) Khalid Maqbool, his wife, two former ministers Col. S K Tressler, Mohammad Ajmal Khan, additional secretary Khalid Saeed Haroon, chairman film censor board Ziauddin, and miscellaneous others visited foreign countries using a fund which is supposed to send performers, dancers, and vocalists to enhance cultural ties and improve the 'image' of the country. I don't know any of these individuals personally but I can safely assume that none of them are known for their dancing or singing. However, travelling for free is a skill that they all seem to possess. Who are these people and why can't they just pay for their tickets like the rest of us? When General Musharraf was putting together his team did he go out and find the poorest people in the country? People who can neither afford their own homes, a plane ticket, cars, guards, rent or plots?

The third story on the front page of the same paper was: 'Pakistan, Libya to boost ties.' The story chronicles the prime minister's trips. As we know the prime minister is on yet another junket and has taken a 'small' entourage of 40 lackeys who obviously can't afford their own vacations. A noble thought from a thoughtful man, but when you read the press releases all you hear is that Prime Minister Aziz met the prime minister of Greece, then the tourism minister, addressed a banquet, met schoolchildren and then met business leaders. My question is that if Prime Minister Aziz is doing all the work why does he need to take 40 other people with him? What do they do when he's negotiating matters of state? Go sightseeing?

From what I know Tariq Kirmani is a thorough professional who is known for turning public sector companies around and making them profitable. I'm sure that every time the prime minister's secretariat calls to borrow one of his planes from profitable foreign routes he must shudder but what's more important; giving the prime minister what he wants or ensuring that the national airline makes money? Can't go commercial now can they because then the world will know that we're a poor third world country.

What's most upsetting is the fact that things have gotten to such a point that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif are being positioned as the people who can save things from getting worse. Imagine BB and Sharif are now our defenders of democracy. If the last seven years have shown us anything it is that human greed knows no boundaries, and that honest decent people don't have a hope in hell. Maybe, it is time to reboot the system.

The writer is an entrepreneur and business consultant. Email: shakir@ gmail.com