Response to Fahd Husain’s column The Container, Again of 19 Feb 2022 by SM Mazari

Everyone who writes op eds and articles for the media has their own perspective and viewpoint – and it is always subjective. Fair enough since it is the right of everyone to express their viewpoint, but there must be some facts on which the views are formed. However, when you are a resident editor of a newspaper which claims it is not affiliated to any political party then some minimum semblance of facts and rationality should be present in op ed pieces such employees of a newspaper write.

Fahd Husain seems to think he should not be held to these standards and that he can arrogantly pontificate as he pleases. To begin with he seems to think Pakistan is a fiefdom with different parts being the property of different corrupt mafias. So he begins by referring to central Punjab as “the heart of Sharif territory”! Really? Did the Sharifs purchase this entire area of Punjab with their looted wealth?

Clearly being traumatized by the size of the Mandi Bahauddin jalsa made Fahd lose all rationality in his pointification. Oh by the way he is also still smarting at being unable to grab the PTV MD position for which he lobbied incessantly. And a hurt ego, especially one that is over bloated, can run amok as it has happened in Fahd’s case. But then he is a man who also bit the hand that launched him into journalism so principles and ethics don’t find much space in his person.

He is upset because PTI leadership keeps reminding people of the corruption and debt pile up by PMLN as it speaks of its own attempts to move forward to improve people’s lives despite this burden from the past. Ehsaas and health cards plus the many other social welfare schemes operating have been totally ignored by him as have concrete laws to improve human rights in Pakistan especially of the marginalized and vulnerable segments.

He cannot accept the internationally recognized PTI handling of once-in-a-century global pandemic Covid 19. And heaven for bid he concede that despite  Covid Pakistan registered growth of 5.37 %, which PMLN only achieved in its 5th year by running a record Current Account deficit. Of course Fahd was unable to see the record exports despite Covid, increase in tax collection and remittances plus record harvests of wheat, sugar cane, maize and rice.

These are all of little concern to him. But he arrogantly demands PTI explain what it has done for the people and what the electorate expects of PTI. Because he refuses to see anything good in the many people-friendly policies of the PTI government he assumes others are also as blinded by hatred and frustration!

Well if PTI is failing then the electorate will send its rejection in the next election! But for a newspaper editor – sorry a resident editor only – to pontificate on how PTI has failed to see its failures is arrogance at its worst.

But then one has seen the woefulness in his tone of disappointment every time PTI does something good or whenever the opposition suffers a major setback. Then almost hysterical rants come from him as to why opposition allowed PTI success especially in Parliament. In his blind hatred for PTI he fails to see how the opposition is getting desperate to enter power through the backdoor because they know PTI policies are now showing success. Maulana FR is seeing the door to parliament remaining closed to him in the next elections as reflected in his loss in LG elections this time in his own district. Not surprising how Fahd failed to see an absence of PMLN and PPP winsin the first phase of the KP LG elections.

The last straw for Fahd was seeing the people of central Punjab responding overwhelmingly to PTI and the PM in Mandi Bahauddin. But on one thing he was right on — this is not the same container, nor the same narrative, nor the same leader. This is a container of the PTI in government; this is a PTI with a narrative of fulfilling its social welfare mandate; this is a PTI leader who is a Prime Minister committed to delivering to the people of Pakistan, not to saving his looted wealth. So yes there is a difference and we know the difference. Perhaps it is time for Fahd to also shed his mantle of frustration and hate so that some rationality can come into his writings, which right now are more like personal diatribes.