(The writer lives in Dubai)
An Open letter to Imran Khan
Dear Imran,
Assalamo Allaikum.
I am not from PTI nor one of your admirers in the real sense of the word. Till 2013 I never took you seriously and thought you as one of the frustrated retired celebrity fighting for some identity. I never even followed your Cricket career as I was not ever a cricket lover.
In 2011/12 when suddenly, your campaign against corruption became a public outcry it resonated me personally as corruption bribery, nepotism had been the devils I have been fighting during my 38 years of Financial career in Corporate world. I have fought my small battles in 4 continents and about a dozen as big organizations as IBM, SBM, Etisalat to name a few.
My hatred about these prevalent values and measures of success dates to a very tender age when I was robbed of Rs 4/= out of my Rs.24/= scholarship awarded to me by the District Education board for achieving outstanding marks in Grade VIII by the Cashier of District Treasury. It was solidified when another Govt department cheated my mother out of her inheritance of the compensation paid to her against the abortion of Zameendari in India when I needed it for my University Education.
I twice had a very close encounter with death when first time in 1972 in Quetta where Mr. Salim Bugti the son of mighty Sardar Akber Bugti ordered my assassination because I had refused to give employment to one of his cronies in Quetta Distillery where I was General Manager at the time and had a lucky escape as his assassin came to me the day when I was leaving Quetta to join as Finance Manager of IBM Pakistan Karachi and my friend IG Baluchistan had sent me a truck with a few constables to take my luggage to Bolan Mail. The second encounter came in Zanzibar in Tanzania where I had a visit of 7/8 fully armed assassins to rob and kill me, both these episodes are part of my biography “Accidental Gypsy” published in 2014 from Germany.
All the above description I gave to convince you that my hatred of corruption is natural personal and deep rooted, and I feel personally and naturally attached to this fight and with anyone with the same attitude about it.
Now coming to the topic of my purpose and reason of writing this letter to you is not for any personal gain from you but to give you some unsolicited advices which under common circumstances I hate to give as well as receive.
I am just hoping and wishing you a success in the coming elections enough to give you a legitimate legal strength to fight this malice which has almost brought this country to complete extinction.
My few suggestions are as follows:
A. The window of opportunity to attack the evil forces with you will be very limited and perhaps very narrow, may be only couple of months. If you do not act fast ruthlessly and logically this window will close before you even know it. Hit them when they are still licking their wounds.
B. Take bold step to immediately revive Military Courts and hand them over the JIT Reports of Ozair Baluch, Mohd Asim, Baldia Town, Model Town and SSP Malir the high and mighty Mr. Rao Anwar and immediately put anyone and everyone named or suspected in these enquiries on ECL and strict observation of Military Intelligence. Give full powers and mandate to these courts to conclude these cases and hand over sentences in first 90 days of your Govt.
C. Increase the number and powers of NAB investigators & courts to at least 5 to 10 times of the present strength and give them the mandate to close all pending cases within 6 months.
D. White collar crimes are difficult and a bit complicated to investigate and establishing the charges, my suggestion is to hire a group of at least 200 to 300 Chartered Accountant out of Ex-patriate Pakistanis from the world on Ad-hoc basis with clean reputation and background and give them the temporary assignment of six months to establish the extent of Assets beyond means in six months and give them the incentive 10% of the established excess. REMEMBER YOU NEED ISHAQ DAARS TO FIGHT ISHAQ DAAR.
E. Immediately hire best legal minds to amend the outdated criminal, corporate and Fiscal laws and make them easy, transparent and victim friendly as presently they are criminals friendly having so many loopholes to help the criminals to escape.
These are few of the cuff very basic suggestions to jump start this failed country and to put it back on track. Once the stolen wealth is recovered, the criminal properly punished and legal and financial stability is achieved then the recovery in all other fields will be easy and smooth.
I am putting it on the net just as a SUDQA-E-JARIYAH without any desire, hope for appreciation from you or anyone now or in future.
Best Regards
Rais A. Khan.y