Benign dictator

This refers to the letter by S R H Hashmi (Jul 21) in response to the article ‘The KE journey’ (Jul 19) by Dr Farrukh Saleem. The confluence of politics, power and business is omnipresent in Pakistan and KE is just one example. Politicians are big businessmen in this country, albeit the businesses may be benami. Conflict of interest does not matter to them and the laws coupled with the archaic judicial system such that the menace is prospering. Parliament is a rudderless forum while governance stands collapsed. Courts also take a lenient view and avoid taking suo-motu notice of critical issues of national importance except issuing warnings and threats of punitive action without actually meaning to implement it.

The writer in his wisdom wants the Shanghai Electric Power Company to buy out the shares of Abraaj Group in KE as a better option. What is the guarantee that the conduct of the new investor would be different from the existing management? Who doesn’t like to make fabulous profits when the rulers stoop so low and demand their pound of flesh? The moot point is that the whole system in this country is corrupt and every conceivable project and institution is tainted. The nation needs a benign dictator like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, Park Chung-hee of South Korea or Xi Jinping of China to steer the country out of the deep morass.

Arif Majeed

Karachi