Fact Sheet

TWO YEARS OF EMPTY PROMISES, FALSE STATISTICS AND WRONG POLICIES

Released by PML(N) Secretary Information Siddiqul Farooq at a briefing on November 5, 2001 at Lahore

Pakistan and its people today face a crisis that fills the mind of every patriotic citizen with anxiety. He feels as if the existence and independence of the country, his own security and future of his children – everything has been put on stake. This is no exaggeration, but the facts on ground speak of the truth of this statement.

I am going to describe here the state of affairs existing in different sectors, which would give you an idea of the gravity of the situation.

NATIONAL ECONOMY

You know that the former Soviet Union possessed huge and unlimited arsenals of weapons of mass destruction, including atomic and hydrogen bombs. Yet all this might proved useless. It was not an atomic attack by the United States, but the internal economic deterioration that broke the Soviet Union into pieces.

Now take a look at the ruined economy of Pakistan. According to Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz himself, the country has suffered a loss of up to 3 billion dollars, which, in the words of State Bank Governor, may rise to 10 billion dollars in days to come. General Pervez Musharraf has admitted that foreign importers are canceling their orders fro Pakistani goods; the multinational companies are winding up their business; raise in insurance rates for out imports and exports is causing further losses. Fishing industry has been ruined due to presence of the American fleet near Pakistani waters. One thousand industries have been forced to close down during the past two years, bringing the total of such industries to five thousand. Hundreds of thousands of people have been rendered jobless. The value of the rupee has sunk to the lowest level after 1971. Sky-high prices of the items of daily use have caused such despondency among the people that there has been ten-fold increase in the number of suicides. The State bank has maintained the level of the foreign exchange reserves at 1.5 billion dollars only with purchase of dollars from private moneychangers. It must be noted here that this year the bank bought 2.5 billion dollars as against two billion last year. The amount of commission grabbed in these deals is another matter to be discussed later. The fact, however, remains that the foreign exchange reserves being claimed by the government were not earned through increase in exports or any positive economic performance. Pakistan appears to be under siege on all fronts. The much flaunted mega projects have been abandoned. Already, 12 billion rupees have been withdrawn from three big projects to make up shortfall in the revenue. The income from taxes has decreased by 30 percent, and there are all indications that the development program worth 120 billion rupees will have to be abandoned to meet the loss. Following the 180 degrees somersault in the Afghan policy, general Musharraf and his finance and commerce ministers claimed a flood of dollars would emanate from the allies. Now the General admits: “Several countries have made promises and given assurances, but we have received not a penny so far.” On October 31, he helplessly told his cabinet that we have not alternative except drastically cutting our economic and development programs. Meanwhile, not only the foreigners but the despaired Pakistanis also are leaving the country. The stock exchange is about to collapse, and government institutions are propping it up with emergency purchases, and thus putting the hard earned savings of poor people in peril. The industrialists, the businessmen, even common citizens, all have lost confidence in the government. Soon, the government won’t have money to pay the salaries of its employees. And resorting to print more currency would lead to unimaginable devaluation of the rupee.

The overall economic condition of the country might lead Pakistan to a situation faced by the former Soviet Union. And even child, when asked to name the root cause of this plight, would point his finger to General Pervez Musharraf. Are we then to silently observe this deterioration, or is it incumbent upon us to launch a peaceful struggle to get rid of this incompetent ruler?

FOREIGN POLICY

In his press conference on October 8, 2001, General Musharraf said, “Our friends do not accept our position on the Afghanistan issue.” This short admission is enough to prove his failure on the foreign front. After all, who could consider a person successful whose friends refuse to respect his opinion and do not trust him? Furthermore, majority of these “friends” make him announce empty promises and assurances after forcing his acquiescence to their demands. They are not providing the resources needed to rescue Pakistan out of its difficulties. Why? Because your foreign policy has failed and no one on the international level, including friends, trusts you.

NATIONAL SECURITY

The efficacy of Pakistan’s nuclear program and its preparedness to defend to country is essential to national security. Suspicions are now being floated about this program. Our friends tell us that you are unable to provide security for it. The world media is continuously talking of terminating the nuclear program; while India’s corrupt defense minister George Fernandes makes a joke of it saying Pakistan’s nuclear program is in safe hands. India has moved its troops to our borders forcing us to go on high alert. Meanwhile, our military leadership is entangled in such mundane affairs as cricket, hockey, accountability, internal monitoring, WAPDA, curbing protests, controlling the media and running corporations and other institutions. Who is now left to look after national security and defense? Unless the armed forces return to their professional and constitutional role, our security and integrity would continue to be threatened.

INTERNAL SITUATION

The present government has also failed in rounding up terrorists, robbers and other criminals, and providing the people with security of life and property. The horrific massacre of 18 Pakistani Christians in a Bahawalpur church on October 28, frequent bomb blasts and attacks on places of worship, highway and bank robberies, car thefts, kidnapping for ransom, rape and other serious crimes are on the increase depriving the people of the sense of security. All the government agencies, therefore, have failed on the internal front.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The Musharraf government is never tired of boasting about achievements in the field of accountability. It claims to have recovered loans amounting to 60 billion rupees, and another large sum as fine. The fact is that the Nawaz Sharif government recovered 20 billion from the defaulters in 1998, and 23 billion in 1999. Had that government not been removed, it would have recovered at least 26 billion rupees in the year 2000. All these recoveries were made in a routine way without coercive Ehtesab measures. That government would have collected 55 million rupees in the past two years, while the Musharraf government was able to recover only 5 billion more despite all sorts of oppression and violence. Meanwhile, the total of defaulted loans rose from 212 billion in 1999 to 240 billion rupees in 2000. (The figures have been taken form the State Bank report.)

The coercive actions of the so-called National Accountability Bureau have caused flight of capital worth 500 billion rupees from the country. The claims about the transparency and impartiality of the accountability process are ridiculous. The charges against and conviction of PML leader and former MPA Chaudhry Tanweer, and the recent arrest of PML Acting President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi under fake allegations are two of the many instances of the vindictive nature of accountability. Keeping military officers, members of the judiciary and some other officials, as well as the corrupt government supporters out of the jurisdiction of accountability proves that the whole process is a farce, and the government has failed in this venture.

NATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The Musharraf government, under the pretext of purging the national institutions of politics, has ruined their efficiency with recruiting personally loyal inexperienced and retired personnel on hefty salaries of up to four hundred thousand rupees per month. NDRA is the worst example of this cronyism. WAPD is also an example of mismanagement. Over 200 persons have been appointed illegally on salaries ranging from two to four hundred thousand rupees per month. Not a single institution under the Musharraf rule can be cited as efficient.

DEVOLUTION OF POWER

The National Reconstruction Bureau has set a system of Nazims, Naib Nazims and councilors with the slogan of devolution of power to the lowest levels. However, it has neither filled the vacuum created by the absence of local bodies, nor then new bodies have been provided funds or powers. These people are unaware of their role, and lament their helplessness. In fact all policies and measures of the NRB are a mess of confusion and devoid of all wisdom. The NRB, therefore, better be called National Subversion Bureau.

CONCLUSION

This short review of only a few sectors goes to prove that the Musharraf government is a failure on all counts. All patriotic and democratic people, who believe in the ideals set by Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal, agree that this government is:

Damaging the moderate image of Pakistan;
Bent on eroding the Islamic values;
Ruining the image and prestige of the armed forces in the eyes of the people;
Threatens the national economy; and
Has become a security risk for the country.

When the national press tries to convey the true picture of the situation, General Musharraf blindfolds it with press advice, and fetters its with blackmail. When patriotic citizens dare to speak the truth, he declares them to be enemies and throws them behind the bars.

The fact remains that, like “usurper” General Yahya Khan, General Musharraf is also the most incompetent and failed ruler. His continuance in office might prove fatal for the country and the nation.