The Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, while addressing a function at Pasroor near Sialkot, has complained against the lack of respect for politicians. He said that a politician deserves as much respect as a Judge and General receives. There are no two opinions about this argument but it is the demeanor, character, integrity, honesty, attitude towards people and their problems, good governance, respect for state’s institutions, abidance by rule of law and fundamental of transparency and principled stand on national interest that earn respect for a politician. The political breed from 1985 till date should evaluate their performance on this touch stone.
After the election and oath taking of KP Assembly in 2002, former Prime Minister Mir Zafar ullah Jamali, while speaking at Iftar dinner at Governors’ House Peshawar, gave one liner advice to elected representatives of the people. He said, “Learn to give respect and earn respect.” History is replete with numerous examples of leaders, both elected and non elected, who enjoyed tremendous respect at home and abroad because of their national building spirit, impeccable integrity and their yearning to enable the people of their countries to be treated with dignity abroad. President Ayub Khan was not an elected leader but when he visited the United States in 1961, he was very warmly received by at the airport by President Jhon F Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon B Jhonson and Secretary of State David Dean Rusk. Outside the airport he was jubilantly greeted by the people of the United States who were standing on both sides of the road. The reason was that Ayub Khan was an honest ruler and he strived hard to make his country economically strong and enable its people to enjoy dignity abroad.
There are other examples of the recent past. When Prime Minster Muhammad Khan Junejo (late) visited the United States in 1986, he was received at the airport by the Secretary of State George Shultz. He was elected leader of the house by National Assembly that came into being by party less polls. He was respected at home and abroad by virtue of his spotless character. General Musharraf was a non-elected leader but the senior cabinet members of President Bush used to welcome him at the airport. Assitant Secretary of State Christina Rocca had even given him protocol in his private engagements. The reason was obvious that there were no corruption scandals against him. On the contrary, the present elected Prime Minister was thoroughly body searched at the airport in his recent private visit of the United States. In sharp contrast, when the then Chief of Army Staff General visited the United States, he was received by the military leadership of the host country and driven out of airport with due protocol.
The architect of modern Malaysia, Dr.Mahatir Muhammad earned respect for himself, his country and its people by virtue of his integrity and national building capabilities. Malaysia was economically far behind Pakistan in the decade of 1960s. He made his country an industrial giant through heavily investing in human resource development. Universities of Malaya, Kualalampur and some other Malaysian educational institutions are included in the top 100 universities of the world. None of the Pakistani universities are included even in the Asian ranking. He had the courage to take on Briton, revoked the purchase agreement of Jaguar fighter aircrafts and cancelled the contract of British Construction Company when an article with malicious contents appeared in a UK newspaper. After good governance of 25 years, Dr. Mahatir Muhammad had retired from active politics about 10 years ago. But the Malaysian opposition parties brought him back now to active politics and have put him up their candidate for the slot of Prime Minister. It is time that our political elite emulate the examples of world leaders who enjoy respect at home and abroad due to their honesty, love for their country and its people by setting glaring precedents of abiding rule of law and transparency which is non-existent in the LNG deal with Qatar and agreements made with China in CPEC related projects. The political leaders of other developing countries do not keep ‘Aqama’residency visa and work permits for of other countries for drawing salary, while holding public office or being members of parliament in their own countries. This is below dignity of a political leader.
