A minister, who mixed up his official and private lives, took Britain by storm during 2004. Allegations that the minister used his official position to speed up the processing of visa for a Filipina nanny of his beloved's son, led to the resignation of Home Secretary David Blunkett, one of the key allies of British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Blunkett was a widower for over a decade. At no point, did anyone question his private life. The issue was not that he had a love affair. The public's sole concern was home secretary's abuse of his authority to go round the law instead of following it.
The home secretary promptly set up an inquiry to look into claims that he had intervened improperly to help get a British visa for the nanny. However, to save his party and its future, Blunkett decided to step down on December 15, 2004. In his resignation statement, Blunkett said: “Any perception of this application being speeded up requires me to take responsibility. That is why, with enormous regret, I have tendered my resignation.”
This is how inflexile democracies can be, where even top party cadres sacrifice to uphold the norms of democracy. In fact, the citizens in the developed countries expect an exemplary conduct/behaviour from their leaders/elected representatives. Those who violate a law, find things difficult due to public/media monitoring. If the heat increases, the representatives often bow out before public pressure and quit.
Blunkett's case brings to one's memory another event – Christine Keeler-Mandy Rice-Davies scandal of the early 1960s involving a Pakistani leader and some of his British friends in some of the doings – rather misdoings. That scandal also cost one of the British ministers – John Profumo – his cabinet slot, but no such thing happened in Pakistan. Here, the press went dishing out official denials, at times giving them extra colour as if these were the result of its own research and investigations.
But, such issues – abuse of authority or corruption – in the third world's "sham" democracies rarely make people resign or request a judicial probe. Rather, in the third world countries like Pakistan, it is a common practice to facilitate relatives, friends, party cadres in violation of the laid down procedures and norms. In third world democracies, breaking law and taking pride in this malpractice is common amongst a segment of the elite, regardless of their educational background, or being exposed or even taunted by foreign diplomats and media. More common is a sense of pride, expressed openly, narrating and re-narrating those incidents to the 'common folk' in their sphere of influence, probably, to give the impression that 'VIPs' like them are distinct from the rest and thus above the law.
In our version of democracy, some leaders fail to distinguish between personal and state funds. They do not hesitate to spend public money to satisfy their cravings for hunting and travel, and also on entertaining friends. They attend college/university convocations of their progeny abroad, as well as their marriage ceremonies as if on official assignments – and draw handsome amounts from the state treasury as travel and daily allowances. They use state money to perform Haj/Umrah, buy sports/exercise gear, build polo grounds and shooting ranges.
Often, they react angrily even to some of the mandatory requirements, like the MPs on the floor of the House in 2003 following the chief election commissioner's reminder about MPs being required to submit a statement of assets, within a stipulated period, after the elections. Or take an event in Islamabad, during 2003, when a car with tinted glass speedily passed by a superintendent of police (SP) patrolling the president's motorcade route.
Through a wireless message, the SP directed the police post to intercept the car. The police post in charge contacted the SP, after a while, and told him that the car belonged to a federal minister. "I did not ask you as to who owns the car," the SP retorted and advised the sub-inspector to report to the Police Lines for failing to take action against a violator of law. However, the sub-inspector had retained the registration book before letting the vehicle go. Within minutes, the minister's car, along with his special assistant, reached the police station to collect the registration book. Before returning the registration book, the police removed the coated sheets, in keeping with the standard practice when violators happened to be important personages. The minister approached the Islamabad Capital Territory chief, demanding an unconditional apology from the SP who did not see any difference between a minister and an ordinary citizen, threatening action against the policeman.
The ICT bosses had no reason to admonish a dutiful SP, but the minister insisted that the SP not only apologize but also replace the tinted glasses. Meanwhile, the minister had obtained a special permission from the DC to use a car with tinted glasses….But, 95 citizens of ICT were not that lucky; they were challaned during the same week and issued tickets for driving cars with tinted glasses.
Recently, the finance ministry had allowed duty-free import of bullet-proof luxury cars, vide SRO No. 1121(1)/2007 dated November 20, 2007, but it continues to charge duties/taxes on standard cars, which citizens are impelled to buy due to lack of public transport. Earlier, in the mid-90s, the government had allowed duty-free import of Mercedez cars for use as taxi-cabs. The elite booked those cars, but never plied them as taxis. Rather, those vehicles strengthened their pool of limousines.
A few months before or after general elections, the government writes off bank loans worth billions of rupees, obviously to give relief to its cronies and to enable them to use the largesse for contesting election or meeting expenses incurred by them during the past elections.
While the government provides world-class health facilities to the elite, it is reportedly thinking to privatize some public hospitals, beginning with General Hospital in Lahore, which caters to the health needs of 20-25% of the city's population. The hospital's sale to an American company would deprive health facilities to the poor, who cannot afford treatment at private hospitals, even those managed by fellow citizens.
Over Rs100 million, out of a loan secured by the government in 2002 for the drought-stricken people, was spent by the Planning Commission Baboos on purchase of cars, air-conditioners, mobile telephones and payment of their bills or on office décor and jobs to friends/relatives; while scores of children and women in drought-hit areas died for want of adequate relief.
This is the kind of democracy being practiced in third world countries like Pakistan, where legally, all citizens, irrespective of their class, profession or creed, are equal. Even the religion professed by the majority – Islam – abhors discrimination on the basis of colour or creed.
Of relevance here is a historic tale of a chieftain, who slapped a Bedouin during Tawaf-e-Kaaba because the rustic had accidentally stepped upon the chieftain's lengthy garment. When the case was presented before the Holy Prophet of Islam (PBUH), after hearing both the parties, the Holy Prophet (PBUH) sought opinion of his Companions, and some pleaded that the chief be pardoned in view of his lofty position. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) disagreed and ordered for Qisas, saying that earlier civilizations perished because their systems favoured the elite.
