IT is said that power corrupts but it is truer that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by the truth.

The Supreme Court in its short order ruled that there was ample evidence to suggest that the 1990 election was rigged and that a political cell maintained by the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan supported the formation of the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) to stop a victory of the PPP.

The ruling said Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Gen Aslam Beg and Gen Asad Durrani violated the Constitution. It shows some justice for what been done to all the three. But what about politicians who were financed by the ISI in the 1990 election by dishing out Rs140 million to create the IJI and stop the PPP from coming to power? We want the same thing for them. They are just as guilty as them.

One of the main beneficiaries of this whole episode was Nawaz Sharif. First, I humbly request the chief justice to investigate all decisions made by Nawaz government during his 1990 tenure.

In 1990 the government of prime minister Nawaz Sharif passed a resolution in the National Assembly to launch a military operation in Karachi to target 72 ‘big fish’. The government gave the reasoning behind this operation, known as ‘Operation Clean-up’, as the government’s attempt to end terrorism in Karachi and to seize unauthorised arms.

The Operation Clean-up, which ostensibly sought to eliminate all terrorists irrespective of their political affiliation, began in June 1992. But actually the MQM was the target of the army operation. Political violence erupted while the MQM organised protests and strikes.

The period is regarded as the bloodiest in Karachi’s history with thousands killed or gone missing. Although 18 years have passed since the alleged arrest or disappearances of the MQM workers, families of the missing people are still hopeful after registering the cases in the Supreme Court.

The resulting lawlessness prevailed in the largest metropolitan city of Pakistan which led to the country’s president dissolving the National Assembly.

Nawaz Sharif should be impeached with retrospective effect for launching the illegal army operation and for misguiding the army for personal and political motives.

I request the chief election commissioner to disqualify all political leaders who accepted Rs140 million to create the IJI, while the Supreme Court should issue summon for all former IJI leaders.

DAWAR NAQVI     Yorba Linda, USA

Speedy justice

INDEED the Asghar Khan case decision is of historic significance. All of us were familiar with the facts, thanks to the statements of the select few privy to the ins and outs of the politics at that time.

Only these facts have been confirmed by the money changers involved in 1990 election saga, 22 years after the fact. No further probes in this matter are expected and it will become a part of illustrious history in the not-so-distant future. Then we will be able to call it a decision of true historic magnitude.

Please do not waste money from our exchequer and precious time of our younger generations. We have seen that it takes two years before a particular letter can be written, a few more months to agree on its contents and ultimately compose it, and just a few more weeks to translate it into German by the superlative legal eagles this country has.

Everything strangely moves at the convenience of all those concerned. I was just wondering as to how many more decades will it take to apprehend Tauqeer Sadiq wanted by our courts of law?

DR FAHEEM AKHTAR     Lahore

‘A historic ruling’

YOUR editorial ‘A historic ruling’ (Oct 20) is the true reflection and voice of every democratic and patriotic Pakistani.

Very rightly, decorously, nicely and fittingly you have expressed the inner voice of a layman of this country: “If the past is to be prevented from repeating itself -- and particularly with the general elections on the horizon -- the truth as stated by the Supreme Court is an essential part of turning the page of Pakistan’s undemocratic history once for all”.

The democratic forces of the country wish and pray that the dirty game of interfering and intervening in the democratic processes and destabilising of elected governments is over once for all.

Operations like ‘Operation Fair Play’ and ‘Operation Midnight Jackal’ are now buried forever.

AAMIR AQIL Lahore