PKKH Editorial
PML-N has confirmed PPP nominated Najam Sethi , as their final pick for the CareTaker CM of Punjab. In this very crucial time, when the fate of the nation is to be decided in the up-coming elections, the Punjab government has again proven to be a lame opposition, hand in gloves with the Zardari regime, playing another game of underhand deals, oblivious to the democratic rights of the people who mandated them.
Why Najam Sehti, is the question we ask? Known for his Marxist ideology and arrested in 1999 on charges of trying to destabilize the country, raises the eyebrows of sensible people of Pakistan. June, 1,1999, authorities charged Sethi with “Condemnation of the Creation of the State and Advocacy of Abolition of its Sovereignty” and “Promoting Enmity Between Different Groups”. But as usual the courts ruled out the charges saying the government had provided insufficient evidence to justify Sethi’s detention.
The irony of the matter is that those who voiced support for Sehti were none from Pakistan but big organizations all the way from America. The Amnesty International The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists and World Bank president James Wolfensohn, immediately sent letters of protest and called upon the government to release Sethi; latter awarding him with Awards.
One cannot disown the fact that many journalists have been prosecuted by authorities in our history but Amnesty and the World Bank have never raised their voice for any; a parallel can be drawn for many whom our authorities have imprisoned on allegations of treason but no one has been defended as much as Dr. Afridi has been. Who do the US and the international organizations defend and how these few are connected to them is a question need to be raised.
So much so for ‘Neutrality’ in the Caretaker set-up! Was Sehti the only ‘neutral’ guy the Zardari-Nawaz alliance could agree upon; were their no names like Ansar Abassi , Dr. Sahid Masood or Talat Hussain, who at least have no history to hide; Or did they need a very baised man for the job, one who could safe-keep the interests of both parties.
We do not intend to file any allegation upon Sehti without solid evidence in our hands, but we question the intentions of the already corrupt rulers, upon their plans to connive in the up-coming elections. Is it not that they want to secure the ballots before votes have been drawn into them. Therefore it is highly desirous that Mr. Sehti should stop celebrating his foreign awards on the media and clear the genuine doubt of the people in his person.