Does a country like
Pakistan suit a man in uniform rather than the elected person? The next
elections are on our head and all the political parties are presenting their
manifestos in front of masses but there is a single fact which is above all
these sayings that democracy is the government of the people, by the people and
for the people, that after this so called one and only government that
completed its five years tenure got success to hold the position of Pakistan as
third in world banking profitability as Pakistan was ranked in Musharraf’s
rule.? As everyone known when the IMF had offered loan on soft
conditions in 2005 after the earthquake but the Musharraf government had
rejected it.
Do the Pakistanis are still wanted parliamentary
form of government in their country? When some of the parliamentarians are proved corrupted, when
the Prime Minister of the state convicted by the supreme court, the poor law
and order situation in Pakistan, the economical disturbance, when we all do not
have security assurance. Do people are still criticizing the previous
government / Musharraf’s era when Pakistan was much stable in its whole
history, when the development in different fields became the faith of Pakistan.
Which we clearly observe:
Pakistan Foreign
reserves in 1999 was $ 700 million while in 2007 (Musharraf’s era) Pakistan
Foreign reserves were $ 17 billion. Pakistan Exports in 1999 were $ 7.5 billion
and in 2007 it was $ 18.5 billion. Textile Exports in 1999 was $ 5.5 billion
while in dictator’s era it was $ 11.2 billion. In 1999 Karachi stock exchange
was $ 5 billion at 700 points while in 2007 Karachi stock exchange was $ 70
billion at 14,000 points.
Poverty level in 1999
was 34% while in 2007 it was 24%.The Literacy rate in 1999 was 45% and in
Musharraf’s era (2007) it was 53%.Pakistan Development programs 1999 was Rs. 80
billion and in 2007 these programs increased at Rs. 520 billion.
The youth got
opportunities in Musharraf’s era; The IT industry was esteemed at around $2
billion, including $1 billion in exports and employed around 90,000
professionals. Nine world class engineering universities were developed and 18
public universities further developed.
In total, 99,319
educational institutions increased in Musharraf’s era. There are more than
5,000 Pakistanis doing PhDs in foreign countries on scholarship. 300 Pakistanis
receive PhD degrees every year, in 1999, the number was just 20.
According to the
National Education Census (NEC-2005), “Pakistan has a total of 245,682 educational
institutions in all categories, including 164,579 in the public sector and
81,103 in the private sector.”
While so-called
democratic government has provided many opportunities to their officials and
representatives for stealing people funds for their luxury, damaged cotton,
textile, sugar and other industries by reducing the amount of gas and
electricity supplies to them. Records showed that only 17 percent people in
Pakistan were living below the poverty line in 2007-08 while the number had now
increased to 40 percent. Former Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani
encouraged Pakistanis to leave their homeland. He said that if 1/3rd Pakistanis
want to leave Pakistan, why don't they leave, who is stopping them.
A remarkable 100% growth
in tax collection (amounting to Rs1 trillion) was witnessed in Musharraf’s rule
while in this democratic government president Asif Ali Zardari did not file tax
returns, 34 ministers out of 54 did not file tax return in 2011 even and the
commerce minister, Makhdoom Amin Fahim
does not possess National Tax Number. That is the reality of elected government
which induces taxes on masses and itself is free from all kinds of taxes.
The above mentioned facts
enforce to think that military era was better than democracy, from Rs.89 of
dollars, ample of drone attacks, “hands of external elements” as lame excuse.
Whatever is happening in Pakistan it is all because of Taliban.
Pakistanis cannot say
that military rule was full of fortune because the country had faced so many problemsin
their regime too but it was much better than the present government. Former
Prime Minister Bhutto said, “Even if we have to eat grass, we will make
nuclear bombs”, is somehow proving correct Pakistan is nuclear power
but we are not able to stand on our own feet.
Former finance minister
Dr. Salman Shah said “Musharraf regime was the best in over 60
years history of the country as far as the economic indicators and growth rate
were concerned.” He further added, “We had left $16 billion reserves
in 2007 which have now fell to only $6 billion and ultimately the government
has to beg form the International Monetary Fund (IMF)” that is all the
workings of the parliamentary system of government.
