Tariq Malik | An unsung hero or a political gimmick ?
Written by Hadeed Ahmed Sher
The issue of sacking the Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik is circulating in the political circles of Pakistan nowadays. Three days before, at mid night a news waved across the country about the dismissal of Tariq Malik (Later reinstated by the IHC). According to the news reporters he was threatened and pressurized by the Punjab law Minister for a possible voter verification in NA 118, Lahore. This news has some lessons to learn particularly for the ruling PMLN and generally by all the political parties inside and outside the power corridors.
The very first reaction of the removal of Tariq Malik was amplified because of a government which is lacking an active Information Minister. The social media which always looks for catchy stories, at the drop of the hat, started bashing the PMLN government. The issue of Tariq Malik was the nation wide top trend on twitter, soon after the news erupted and all the PTI supporters joined the bandwagon to "
curse" PMLN. The absence of information minister from the scene was similar to the Kargil crisis when after the meeting of PM Nawaz Sharif and US President Bill Clinton, the proprietors of dreams to capture Srinagar opened their mouth guns on Mian Nawaz Sharif. The issue of Tariq Malik, however, was portrayed like he was the one who was about to expose the "
rigging" of GE'13, which otherwise were declared justified by neutral international observers. PTI who is constantly alleging its defeat in GE'13 as part of a "
big game" cashed the situation and circulated that the chairman NADRA is an upright person and that he was not willing to surrender before the "
unconstitutional pressure" of PMLN. They claimed that this person was going to unveil the "
massive rigging" in Punjab, where PTI was literally knocked down despite the financial investments of Aleem Khan (EOBI scandal) and the Jahangir Tareen (The Sugar Mafia). Tariq Malik consulted the Islamabad High Court the very next day where he was reinstated by the court in the first hearing (Courts however never liked such rapid actions by the national assembly). As a counter measure the federal government filed a case in Supreme court of Pakistan, thus challenging the decision by the Islamabad High Court. Later on after the debates inside the National Assembly the minister In-charge of Interior Affairs Ch Nisar Ali Khan came to the house and presented the curious case of Tariq Malik. The speech of Ch Nisar had such information that the case of Tariq Malik turned out to be a real can of worms.
According to Ch Nisar Ali Khan, the Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik was appointed Chairman against the NADRA ordinance and was promoted first as a Deputy Chairman NADRA (A designation which do not exist in NADRA hierarchy). Perhaps PPP thought that if a Deputy PM can work unconstitutionally whats so wrong about a deputy Chairman NADRA. Anyhow, the main accusation by Ch Nisar was indeed shocking. He said that despite verbal and 2 written orders NADRA was the only department of Interior Ministry who was reluctant to the financial audit. According to Ch Nisar, he said in a meeting that if Tariq Malik will not provide space for the financial audits he will be sacked. He also revealed that Tariq Malik was appointed chairman NADRA after PM ordered to soften the rules and regulations of NADRA ordinance. Some news reports also inform us that Tariq Malik is a dual national which according to Shireen Mazari is a threat to National Security. Some news also circulated primarily in PMLN circles that Tariq Malik was in cahoots with Malik Riaz and allegedly issued multiple NIC to his employees for defeating PMLN in Rawalpindi.
The first lesson in this story is that never believe on the glitters of our media for false political mileage. The shallow work of our media once again exposed badly in this saga. After proving Tariq Malik the hero standing in between the "dictatorial PMLN" and Pakistan, the very next day media came to know that actually Tariq Malik was a political gimmick and was appointed to this sensitive post just because of his close relationships with the PPP mainstream leadership. Just in one day our so called "investigative" journalist portrayed their shallow depth of work. Therefore everything these "investigative" journalists say, we must take with a pinch of salt.
The
second lesson hidden in this issue is the timing. I mean how bizarre and suspicious it looks when late night orders are given to fire a person who is Chairman of a sensitive organization. Back in 1999, it was the same issue of timing when instead of waiting Gen Mushrraf to come back to Pakistan, he was fired midst Colombo-Karachi Flight (That issue was highlighted time and again as a proof of military coup). I am unable to understand that what would have happened if the issue of Tariq Malik was resolved during the daylight. It happened many times that PMLN was right in the case but the mistiming backfired and they were bashed by the media. For the military coup and KARGIL crisis the issue turned in favor of Mian Nawaz Sharif almost after 6 years. Luckily the issue of Tariq Malik is quite known to the people within a weak, although the "
naive" information Ministry cut short the broadcasting of speech by an important member of federal cabinet. Hopefully the issue will be amicably resolved in the next few days and will be taken as a lesson that in this Pakistan the late night jackals type actions will never by welcomed by anyone.
The issue of sacking the Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik is circulating in the political circles of Pakistan nowadays. Three days before, at mid night a news waved across the country about the dismissal of Tariq Malik (Later reinstated by the IHC). According to the news reporters he was threatened and pressurized by the Punjab law Minister for a possible voter verification in NA 118, Lahore. This news has some lessons to learn particularly for the ruling PMLN and generally by all the political parties inside and outside the power corridors.
The second lesson hidden in this issue is the timing. I mean how bizarre and suspicious it looks when late night orders are given to fire a person who is Chairman of a sensitive organization. Back in 1999, it was the same issue of timing when instead of waiting Gen Mushrraf to come back to Pakistan, he was fired midst Colombo-Karachi Flight (That issue was highlighted time and again as a proof of military coup). I am unable to understand that what would have happened if the issue of Tariq Malik was resolved during the daylight. It happened many times that PMLN was right in the case but the mistiming backfired and they were bashed by the media. For the military coup and KARGIL crisis the issue turned in favor of Mian Nawaz Sharif almost after 6 years. Luckily the issue of Tariq Malik is quite known to the people within a weak, although the "naive" information Ministry cut short the broadcasting of speech by an important member of federal cabinet. Hopefully the issue will be amicably resolved in the next few days and will be taken as a lesson that in this Pakistan the late night jackals type actions will never by welcomed by anyone.
