Who Owns Pakistan - Yimg
Who Owns Pakistan - Yimg
Who Owns Pakistan - Yimg
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
lives they have queued for bank loans, but now that their day has arrived,<br />
the general wanted them to cap their business.<br />
During Nawaz Sharif's premier-ship, Interior Minister Chaudry Shujaat Hussain<br />
and later during Benazir's premier-ship her spouse Asif Zardari, defended their<br />
right to obtain bank loans, " like any other citizen of <strong>Pakistan</strong>". All three, Mian<br />
Mohammad Sharif, Chaudry Shujaat Hussain and Asif Zardari have been to<br />
prison, on charges of corruption relating to their business activities during their<br />
hay days, yet they see nothing wrong in mixing business with politics.<br />
Since the creation of <strong>Pakistan</strong>, businessmen and industrialists have been active<br />
in politics and affairs of the state. Yusuf Haroon was first chief minister of Sindh<br />
and persons like Ahmad Dawood, Nasir A Sheikh, A K Sumar, Ahamd Qadir<br />
(Jalil) and Rafiq Saigol held importent official posts in the ruling parties and<br />
governments before the advent of Z A Bhutto era. However it was Zia ul Haq era<br />
which harvested a bumper crop of businessmen who entered politics and<br />
politicians who made fortune in business, using one to serve the other, without<br />
qualm of conscience.<br />
The politicians who are currently pursuing careers both in business and politics<br />
on a grand scale include Mian Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, The Haroons,<br />
Saifullahs, Ahmad Mukhtar (Service Industries), Shahid Nazir (Kohistan<br />
Transport), Chaudaries of Gujrat, Gohar Ayub, Basharat Elahi, Noons, Jatoi and<br />
Sumro.<br />
Then there are no 2 politicians like Khalid Ahmad Kharal ( Accord Textile), Faisal<br />
Saleh Hayat ( Shah Jiwana Textile), Akhtar Abdul Rehman (Tandianwala Sugar,<br />
Superior Textile, Grace Textile), Nawaz Khokhar and Islam ud Din Sheikh.<br />
Ittefaq comprise of at least 30 industrial units with assets etimate ranging<br />
between Rs 10-30 billion. Chaudries group comprise of at least 10 units. During<br />
the National Debt Retirement Scheme announced by second Nawaz Sharif govt<br />
in 1997, Chaudry Shujaat was reported by a Veteran journalist Saud Sahir, in<br />
Weekly Takbeer, Karachi to have stated that the he could bring any amount of<br />
foreign exchange target without leaving <strong>Pakistan</strong>.<br />
Saifullahs are in politics for six decades and have the distinction of being part of<br />
almost every federal or provincial govt in <strong>Pakistan</strong> since the days of Z A Bhutto.<br />
Under Zia ul Haq, two members of the Saifullah family, Kalsoom Saifullah and<br />
Salim Saifullah were federal ministers. In second Bhutto govt when a reporter<br />
accused Petroleum Minister Anwar Saifullah of planning privatization of OGDC<br />
for his personal benefit, observing that if he succeeded in his plan he would<br />
become <strong>Pakistan</strong>'s richest man, he retorted angrily with remark, " But I am<br />
already <strong>Pakistan</strong>'s richest man"<br />
128