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If General
Musharraf Wants To Learn....!
One
man, no matter how intelligent, how smart, how alert he is,
there are chances, many things will go wrong under his nose or
on his watch.
At least that is what findings of Supreme
Court tell us about privatization process in Pakistan.
First, to begin with, a government should not
be in manufacturing business. Only private sector should play
leading role in establishing small, medium and large size
manufacturing units, which create jobs for people and tax money
for government and keep the economy on the move.
Since private sector is too weak in many
third world countries, governments do divert funds or acquire
loans from foreign financial institutions and build mega
projects to keep up the pace of development with the rest of the
world. Pakistan is no exception. Government of Pakistan also
adopted the same policy and heavily invested in many sectors
either through its own sources or by acquiring loans from
foreign investors to strengthen Pakistan’s economy.
However, with the change of economic outlook,
government of Pakistan also started privatization process in
early 1990s which still continues under genera Musharraf’s
regime.
Within six and half years, government of
Pakistan has privatized 57 various industrial units. Some of
them were bought by Pakistani investors while many more were
sold to foreign investors. Voices of concern were raised from
many quarters at the sale of many industrial units, but serious
effort was done when Privatization Commission tried to sell
Pakistan Steel Mill on cheap-dirt price.
Supreme Court took notice of this deal and
issued notices to relevant authorities and scrutinized the
details of the deal.
Supreme Court found many gray, shady and
black areas in the deal for which government authorities could
not provide satisfactory explanation to the court. Consequently,
the court suspended the deal and ordered government to activate
Council of Common Interests and let it review privatization
deals before finalization.
Privatization Commission was giving away a
national asset for pitons. Even general won’t like to give away
in such fashion any of his plots which he acquired, being an
army officer, as a special privilege.
If general Musharraf is an honest man, if he
has any conscience left in him, he needs to mull over Pakistan
Steel Mill’s episode. That is exactly what happens when one man
takes over the country and closes all legal and proper channels
for normal flow of things.
Steel Mill case is just one episode of serial
drama which general Musharraf is running for the last six and
half years. There are many more dreadful episodes which will be
unearthed after general leaves the office. Even, general will
ashamed that it all happened on his watch.
If general wants to learn anything from this
steel mill episode, it is, one man, no matter how intelligent,
how smart, how clever and how alert he is, there are chances,
many things will go wrong under his nose or on his watch.
Therefore, general must return power back to
the people of Pakistan and let the life take its normal course
in the country.
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