Lota Parties, no matter what fancy name is given to them, are not the solution to Pakistan’s deep political and economic crises.
The launch of another party, the Istihkam-e Pakistan Party (IPP) by Jahangir Tareen on June 8 once again highlights the army’s stranglehold on politics.
While claiming to be “neutral”, the army is unable to wean itself from the habit of making and breaking political parties to serve their own agenda that has nothing to do with the well-being of the country or its long-suffering people.
It would be much more honest if the new party were to call itself the Army Chamcha Party (ACP).
Why hide behind high-sounding names?
The bunch of opportunists, all ideological mongrels, that have gathered under the army-created party are not capable of bringing ‘istihkam’ (stability) to Pakistan.
The new party comprising a long list of lotas who were either coerced or bought by the army to abandon Imran Khan’s Tehreek-e Insaf Party (PTI) are rank opportunists.
Regardless of claims made by Jahangir Tareen, ‘leader’ of the so-called new party, to work for Pakistan’s well-being, is a crook.
He was charged with money-laundering when he was still in the PTI and Imran Khan was prime minister.
Tareen expected Imran Khan to have the charges against him dismissed, as other politicians did in the past for their party members and continue to do so even today with the criminals and rapists installed in power by the army.
Imran Khan refused to have the charges against Tareen dropped, saying if anyone is accused of wrongdoing, even if he belongs to the PTI, must face the law.
So, Jahangir Tareen parted ways with Imran Khan.
The army top brass has now brought together a motley collection of opportunists who are ever-eager to jump ship at the first sign of trouble, to form a new party.
The aim is to undermine PTI’s support base.
The situation in Pakistan today is beyond such gimmicks of political engineering.
Since the people of Pakistan have woken up to the army’s dirty tricks, they do not appear in a mood to remain silent or indifferent anymore.
The army high command has exposed itself as never before: a bunch of criminals hell-bent on preserving their undeserved privileges.
They do not give a damn about the country or its people.
They do not even care for their own rank-and-file except to use their sacrifices as a tool to advance their criminal agenda of loot and plunder.
Pakistan is on the verge of economic collapse and political explosion.
These gangsters in uniform refuse to learn any lessons from history.
Such political engineering has not worked in the past and it will certainly not work today.
The generals also have a lot to answer for in how they have destroyed the country.
East Pakistan was lost because the incompetent but bloody-minded generals refused to respect the wishes of the majority residing in East Pakistan.
These cowards unleashed their fire-power against innocent people killing hundreds of thousands.
Bengali women were raped in order to “teach them a lesson”.
What was the end result?
The army surrendered to the invading Indian army and the country was broken up.
Pakistan’s real tragedy is that not one general was held to account.
Had a few generals been tried and hanged for committing treason, Pakistan would not be living this nightmare all over again.
The army’s attempt to exclude Imran Khan from the political process will not work.
Imran Khan has created an awareness among the people that cannot be easily suppressed.
The army is trying to eliminate Imran Khan from the political process by charging him with more than 150 cases, the latest being the murder of a lawyer in Balochistan.
How on earth can Imran Khan be held accountable for a lawyer’s murder whom he did not even know?
There have been two assassination attempts on his life that he miraculously survived.
The generals are now threatening to put him on trial in a military court.
There is no provision in the constitution for such trials but they are persisting because they know that in a civilian court, evidence has to be presented against the accused who will have the right to defend himself.
The army is openly violating the constitution. This amounts to treason.
The current army chief, General Asim Munir is also issuing direct threats against Imran Khan.
And he has threatened to deal with people that he considers his enemies “according to the law”.
This is absolute hypocrisy.
The generals have never obeyed any laws because they consider themselves above the law!
These bandits in uniform are incapable of confronting Pakistan’s arch-enemy India but are always itching to conquer their own people.
Now they are threatening to rape the daughters, wives and even mothers of those who dare to question their illegal interference in politics.
If the generals persist in such folly, they will destroy Pakistan sooner rather than later.
God forbid, if that were to happen.