Opinion Past imperfect

PAKISTAN’S Supreme Court issued a verdict late last week said to have the potential to change the country’s political history. It indicted an erstwhile chief of the country’s most powerful institution,the army,along with some politicians and the election commission. The petition was moved by the chief of the erstwhile political formation Tehrik-i-Istaqlal,Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan,who had accused the ISI of financing politicians in the 1990s. The petition was based on an affidavit filed by former ISI chief General Asad Durrani.

Dawn reported on October 20: “The Supreme Court ruled… that the 1990 general elections had been polluted by dishing out Rs 140 million to a particular group of politicians only to deprive the people of being represented by their chosen representatives. Thus the court threw the ball back to the government’s court by directing it to take necessary action under the Constitution and law against former army chief Gen (retd) Aslam Beg and former director general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani for their role in facilitating a group of politicians and political parties to ensure their success against their rivals in the 1990 elections.”

Daily Times added: “The court observed that their acts have brought a bad name to Pakistan and its armed forces as well as secret agencies. It also declared that legal proceedings should be initiated against the politicians who allegedly received donations… For this purpose,it said,a transparent investigation should be initiated by the FIA against all of them and if sufficient evidence is collected,they should face trial,according to law.”

Experts say the army and ISI chiefs could be reinstated into service and their court martials done. Durrani’s affidavit alleges former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was paid Rs 3.5 million,among others. The most significant objection raised by this order is against the “political cell” said to be active in the army. The order minced no words: “ISI or MI may perform their duties to safeguard the borders or to provide civil aid to the federal government,but they have no role to play in political activities/ politics to form or destabilise political governments. Nor can they facilitate or favour a group of political parties or politicians individually… which may lead to his or their success.” The army has expectedly denied the existence of any such political wing.

The PML-N has vehemently denied receiving any such money. Political mudslinging has been the most visible activity in Pakistan since the order.

Road to recovery

MALALA YOUSAFZAI,the child activist from Swat who was shot in the head by the Taliban,is showing rapid progress in Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The News reported on October 23 that despite the tight-lipped approach of hospital authorities,it has learnt from “sources” that Malala’s parents were staying close by and that has contributed to her recovery. Due to security reasons,their presence is not being disclosed. In an interview to The Huffington Post excerpted by The Express Tribune on October 25,her father laughed off a question about taking political asylum in the UK.

Record time

THIS is a world record for setting eight Guinness records — the most number of records — in a day. The Express Tribune reported on October 22 that Pakistanis set records for: the largest group of people singing the national anthem together (42,813); a man making three chapatis in three minutes and 14 seconds; a 12-year-old arranging the pieces on a chessboard in 45 seconds using only one hand; landing 616 martial arts kicks on a punchbag in three minutes; a man using his moustache to pull a 1.7-tonne pick-up truck over a distance of 60.3 metres; a man wired a household plug in 35 seconds; two men heading a football between them,managing 335 consecutive headers in three minutes and 45 seconds.