Sep 5, 2008
Zardari the ‘Expert’
In April, Mr. Zardari told Ishaq Dar, the finance minister at the time and a member of Mr. Sharif’s party, which has since broken with Mr. Zardari, that he wanted the price the government paid farmers for wheat to be raised substantially as a way of rewarding an important constituency in Punjab Province, the nation’s most populous, according to two participants in the discussion with Mr. Zardari. The government would then have to heavily subsidize the cost of wheat to the consumer.
When Mr. Dar asked Mr. Zardari how he thought the government would pay for the subsidy, Mr. Zardari replied, “Print the notes,” according to the two participants, a government official and an associate of Mr. Zardari’s. In an effort to solve the impasse over the subsidy, it was suggested that Mr. Zardari form a committee of experts.
“ ‘I am the expert,’ ” Mr. Zardari said, according to his associate.
That was news to me. Audacaious and maddening, but not surprising. I’ll just make myself forget it by repeating, “roti, kapra, makan.“
But this below wasn’t news to me, nor to most observers of/in Pakistan:
“The two officials described another episode in May as the budget was being prepared. Mr. Zardari decided to scrap a proposed capital gains tax after a visit from a group of influential stockbrokers from the Karachi stock exchange, they said. The revenue from the capital gains tax, and from an income tax proposal on the rich, would have paid for an income support program for the poorest Pakistanis, they said. More than half of Pakistanis live on less than $2 a day, according to the World Bank.”
In mid-June, The News, a leading Pakistani English-language daily reported a claim that Zardari was visited in Islamabad by an unidentified person who arrived on a chartered plane (not an alien, but probably a leading banker) who was decisive in the reversal. Note that the person allegedly visited neither the finance minister, nor the prime minister, but the unelected (and many times indicted) “co”-head of a political party (or, more technically, an association of liberals, feudals, serfs, and others who share lineage/linkage/bondage to a set of charismatic figures and/or distributors of patronage). Anyway — that’s democracy? Well, maybe it’s just politics — sans rules and morays.
An official at Pakistan’s largest foreign exchange firm described the coalition’s breakup — and Dar’s departure — as “a welcomed move.” He said, it “improved sentiments in the financial markets as both [Shaukat] Tarin and Naveed [Qamar] are very pro-market.”
Pro-market? More accurate would be pro-mafia. Very mature attitude. So these spoiled brats are unwilling to cooperate with a minimally redistributative mechanism in their deeply poor society but American taxpayers are expected to dish out $1.5 billion/year to their country for developmental aid? These guys are not the exception, but the rule. I — and most of you readers — have paid more taxes than people such as Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari.
Trickle down in Pakistan means wealth trickling down from wealthy parents to their children. More likely than a tax on capital gains is one on poor Pakistanis who have to sell their kidneys. It’s a growth industry there.
And remember, Zardari heads a ‘social democratic’ party. That’s how convoluted it is.
The election of Zardari, albeit constitutional and a political fait accompli, is like locking a nation of 165 million in a ship with a madman at helm and chucking the keys into the Arabian Sea. Zardari can prove everyone wrong. Pakistan, and indeed the world, needs him to. But the odds are the Zardari of now differs little from the Zardari of yesterday. Pakistan, in perhaps as early as six months, will be back to square one, with one of its best opportunities for structural reform and rebalancing — led by its two largest parties, checked by civil society and the media, and in concert with a supportive military — vanquished.
Guess what he is going to do when he actually enters the office of President. No good days ahead, certainly.
Let the democratic process work. Zardari has been in Jail for over 9 years, his wife has been murdered, No case has been proven and he seems to be courageous, wise, skilled, forgiving and patient. Allah SWT is helping him with the reward of honour, dignity and above all a chance to get back on track. I hope and pray that he will get our country out of darkness.
Zardari is an idiot and his election will only bring bad news for Pakistan.
I just could not sleep last night thinking about our next president. I totally blame for this to free press and Nawaz Sharif Brothers they closed their eyes in hate for musharraf, They could not see anything else. Boycott aryone , geo Ajj, Sharif brothers got what they deserve.
Mohammad Khan did you even read the article? if not click on this link its not coming from east its coming from west.
With Zardari at the helm, I agree that Pakistanis are in for a rough ride. They all need to fasten their seat belts, if they have any. Or just hold on tight for dear life. I just hope it’s not too rough a ride, and they can survive it to live for another day.
[...] The Love, AZ September 6th, 2008 Arif, at Pakistan Policy: The election of Zardari, albeit constitutional and a political fait accompli, is like locking a [...]
Hey!! read this…
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E2D61E30F93AA35752C0A96E958260
I think the Term Financial Tsumani is gaining ground…we need to change our trading currency for International Markets, we are paying someone elses debts.
zaradar is a corupted person hw cn he do fair wth country………..
Without any grudge or grievance against any body. The article above is an honest reflection of what we got as our president Mr. zardari. Now when I am writing this comment, I can hear multiple news of Mr 10% corruption. At these trying times when our nation is shedding blood to fight the menace of terrorism; here is our president collecting money through all means possible.(Do’nt ask fair or unfair). The lust of money is so over whelming amongst our so called leaders (very few exceptions; may be due to lack of opportunities), that they never loose an opportunity to mint dirty money, mostly at the cost of poor and down trodden.
BUT……. This all is possible because west, the champion of human rigths, is bent upon thrusting democracy down our throats, no matter what shape and form it has.
These very politicians of ours are pampered, honored and accorded cozy arms and no body thinks of the poor man dying of hunger or selling his kidney to feed his kids.
Please please my western audiance and champions of democracy, do realize that 95% of this country are serfs, labours and minials to 5% of this country who rule them. How do you expect an illetrate, hungry, needy dependant to make an informed decision and choose a leader of his choice. You need a fortune even to run of an office. With goevrnment servants ever dependant on the so called leaders for lucrative slots, prized appointments and discretionary perks, please do not expect them to be fair towards a poor man. They would only ride the leaing boat. Elections can never be fair, courts can never be fair, oppoitments and postings can never be fair. Democracy can never work judiciously for this country. We need a leader, a fair and able person, who should be above all biases and greeds; and we do have such people.
Right now poor people of this country are so depressed and engulfed in their survival that no body even agitates or protests. A weak staving baby never vries on death bed.
May some angel fall from heavens to rid us of these corrupt leaders and thanks again to west for their patronizing us while we suffer and our kids die for none of their faults.