Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, April 19th, 2024

Memogate; the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

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Memogate; the Good,  The Bad, and The Ugly

Memogate episode has once again revealed the unprofessionalism of Pakistani media. It is shocking that the person, who is publically accepting that he conveyed the memo to American army chief, is represented as a hero. No one yet objected that if it was a sin why he had committed it and now why his conscience is jolting him.

Surprisingly, media is derisively targeting president Zardari to add more delight to the catharsis of the "Memonists". Without proofs, media has started believing in the blames of a venal person and made him "The Good" guy. Pakistani Ambassador whose part of name "Haqqani" also resembles names present on US most wanted guys, is dubbed as "The Bad" guy while Zardari who was Mr. 10% in the past is now "The Ugly" one. In this triangle, only the person who composed the memo and delivered it to American army chief, enjoys public gaze.

Nawaz Sharif too placed the burden of the roof on Zardari's shoulders. He has forgotten that once he also went to Washington to pressurize Pakistani army. If Nawaz justifies his decision when Pakistan army occupied Kargil heights to terrorize India then I think if it is supposed that Zardari has any involvement in the composition of the memo , Zardari has only repeated the history to request Americans to pressurize the army in whose premises International terrorist was found. Here I do not mean to degrade Pakistani army but it is just an analogy of the deeds of Nawaz and the writer of the memo.

If someone does remember the news headlines on Pakistani media after Osama's death then they must recall that it was Nawaz who was collected to exploit the situation to pressurize and obfuscate Pakistan's army. Zardari and Gillani were standing on army's side. To call that event a great victory was just to be part of the band wagon and to divert the attention of the International pressure. Nawaz could not do that after exploding nuclear bombs at Chaghi.

Though apparently it seems very rationale that Zardari may have involvement in drafting that memo because just after elections he also supported the idea of bringing ISI under civil control, and later on tried to get American aid (Kerry Lugar Bill) to civil government ignoring Pakistan's army, and very recently tried to give pardon to Raymond Davis but in contrast the contents of the memo have resemblance with the wishes of PML-N. If the element of American involvement is removed from the memo does PML-N not support the contents of the memo?

What I am writing in the next lines will be labeled as conspiracy theory but I think Zardari is justified when he says that memogate is a conspiracy against People's Party government. Am I not justified when I say that Zardari is not acceptable to Punjabi media of Pakistan? For the last three years I am eager to listen a word of appreciation for president Zardari. It's a dilemma of our media that it greets with garlands of flowers and says goodbye with garlands of shoes. Our media will have to change its attitude.

This government is always hindered to run the state smoothly. Judges issue, NRO, NAB, PIA, WAPDA, terrorism, long marches, coquetries of allies, Sugar crises, Abbotabad operation, Drones, Kerry Lugar Bill, and many more and now memogate. Some of these issues are created by the mismanagement of the government while some issues are being imposed on the government.

Like the recent memo issue. Doesn't it create doubt for a while in journalist's minds? How it is possible that an ordinary businessman meets with General James Johns and the General then totally believed in the contents of that memo and takes that memo very obediently to Mike Mollen. Can a General trust someone so easily in a matter like this?

And then surprisingly Mike Mollen did not pay heed to that memo. Interestingly he forgot about it when inquired? He had to inquire from his subordinates to confirm the existence of such memo. How innocent? How strange it is? How can he forget about any proposal that was brought by an important person like General James Johns?

All these things add to the suspicions of Zardari and so must it do with ours. If we are cognizant then we must think over the complications of the issue and try to analyze this triangle of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Certainly we may see different characters at the corners of this triangle.

Previously Kerry Lugar Bill has vivisected the reconciliation between army and civil government and now this memo may pave way for something more horrible. General Kiyani was the one who also took part in drafting of the terms of reconciliation and now again the nation needs reconciliation from establishment.

This evening when Hussian Haqqani is clarifying his position before the president, prime minister, chief of army staff and chief of ISI, media must also clarify its stance where it is standing; is it pro democracy, pro establishment or pro international establishment?

Farman Nawaz is a freelance columnist. He can be reached at farmannawaz@gmail.com

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