His argument is simple: What's the rationale of a country's existence when terrorists cut, burn, and kill at will? Comments from the readers to his blog post show he has touched a raw nerve. Will his impassioned plea have any takers in the political and military establishment? Well, it is easy to predict the El Nià ±o effect on monsoon.
The economic mismanagement has given birth to a plethora of shortages that range from energy crunch to teachers and schools and drinking water. "The dwindling state machinery has provided fertile ground to all mafias to grow and become united for the establishment of their businesses and illegal activities", Taj Nabi Khan wrote in an op-ed piece in Daily Times on July 30.
Islamabad based Khan is a journalist and has a ringside view. His take, therefore, deserves attention.
First he outlines the mafia reach. "Whether it is the law and order situation of Karachi, violation of public and human rights, artificial price hikes in times of need, sale of spurious medicines to ailing people and medical institutions, bogus housing societies, target killings, human trafficking, drug smuggling, illegal land grabbing, car lifting or abduction, most of these crimes are patronised by these mafias". Then he speaks about the new warlordism in full display.
"The heads of mafias have turned into warlords and are famous for playing havoc with the rule of law, public and human rights, state institutions, constitution and laws of the land. However, sadly, these mafias are very often assisted by political, religious, business, trade, intellectual and media elites to pursue their vested interests, even if it goes against the State", he says. He laments that with each passing day, the canvas of local mafias is getting bigger with mafias being found in every sector, every field, and that the adage only the powerful and mighty can buy justice in Pakistan is becoming an everyday reality.
Taj Nabi Khan echoes what everybody knows but does not dare to speak up when he writes: " The notorious land, drugs, arms smuggling, human trafficking, transport, extortion, estate, trade union, medicine, money laundering, gang, criminal, corruption and above all religious and political mafias are ruling the roost. But their growth in metropolitan cities has put at stake the very survival of the country. Either the status of the mafias has become too high due to the accumulation of illegal wealth or state institutions have become too weak to bring them to justice for their unlawful activities".
Readers of news paper columns are justified to believe that Taj Nabi Khan is making an understatement. Because, the general perception is that democracy in Pakistan is sham democracy and that mafia is back seat driver exploiting the democratic-set up! Till-date a single mafia leader has not been arrested, tried and sentenced nor any one showed the courage whether at the village level or national level to take on the mighty mafia overlords, "who appear to have made huge investment in politics".
Khan fields the question: What kind of revolution does the country need? And provides the answer himself: "....dismantling of the mafias and to treat them with an iron hand to make an example out of them for the coming generations". He knows, like everyone else it is a tall order in the prevailing milieu.
The economic mismanagement has given birth to a plethora of shortages that range from energy crunch to teachers and schools and drinking water. "The dwindling state machinery has provided fertile ground to all mafias to grow and become united for the establishment of their businesses and illegal activities", Taj Nabi Khan wrote in an op-ed piece in Daily Times on July 30.
Islamabad based Khan is a journalist and has a ringside view. His take, therefore, deserves attention.
First he outlines the mafia reach. "Whether it is the law and order situation of Karachi, violation of public and human rights, artificial price hikes in times of need, sale of spurious medicines to ailing people and medical institutions, bogus housing societies, target killings, human trafficking, drug smuggling, illegal land grabbing, car lifting or abduction, most of these crimes are patronised by these mafias". Then he speaks about the new warlordism in full display.
"The heads of mafias have turned into warlords and are famous for playing havoc with the rule of law, public and human rights, state institutions, constitution and laws of the land. However, sadly, these mafias are very often assisted by political, religious, business, trade, intellectual and media elites to pursue their vested interests, even if it goes against the State", he says. He laments that with each passing day, the canvas of local mafias is getting bigger with mafias being found in every sector, every field, and that the adage only the powerful and mighty can buy justice in Pakistan is becoming an everyday reality.
Taj Nabi Khan echoes what everybody knows but does not dare to speak up when he writes: " The notorious land, drugs, arms smuggling, human trafficking, transport, extortion, estate, trade union, medicine, money laundering, gang, criminal, corruption and above all religious and political mafias are ruling the roost. But their growth in metropolitan cities has put at stake the very survival of the country. Either the status of the mafias has become too high due to the accumulation of illegal wealth or state institutions have become too weak to bring them to justice for their unlawful activities".
Readers of news paper columns are justified to believe that Taj Nabi Khan is making an understatement. Because, the general perception is that democracy in Pakistan is sham democracy and that mafia is back seat driver exploiting the democratic-set up! Till-date a single mafia leader has not been arrested, tried and sentenced nor any one showed the courage whether at the village level or national level to take on the mighty mafia overlords, "who appear to have made huge investment in politics".
Khan fields the question: What kind of revolution does the country need? And provides the answer himself: "....dismantling of the mafias and to treat them with an iron hand to make an example out of them for the coming generations". He knows, like everyone else it is a tall order in the prevailing milieu.
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