EACH time one of our political opposition groups schedules rallies, meetings, marches or strikes and the government in power is prompted to order mass pre-arrests I am reminded of that classic film 'Casablanca' released in 1943, starring the beautiful Ingrid Bergman, Humphrey Bogart, Claud Rains, Paul Heinried and Conrad Veidt.

In the closing scene at Casablanca airport in Vichy France, Rick, the cynical neutral American cafe owner (Bogart) shoots Major Heinrich Strasser of the Gestapo (Veidt) who is calling for help to stop the aircraft in which Ilsa (Bergman) and Victor (Heinreid) of the Free French are about to escape whilst the flip-flop police chief Captain Louis Renault (Rains), looks on. When a carload of gendarmes arrives at full pelt, Renault, the honour of Free France getting the better of him, calmly orders, "Major Strasser has been shot. Round up the usual suspects."

It is an acknowledged fact that when something here is termed 'grand' it is anything but grand, as is the case with the present 'Grand Alliance' formed by the riff-raff of the opposition. The same applies to the term 'democratic' when used by both the government and the opposition. The Grand Alliance is made up of tried, discredited and failed men, most of them corrupt, most toothless, one of whom has an attendant to carry his hookah, and another an attendant to carry the rubber ring upon which he enthrones himself.

When recently this weak wishy-washy lot called for a general strike a weak Nawaz Sharif government ordered that it be rendered ineffective. Police chiefs around the land barked 'Round up the usual suspects'. In Karachi alone around 500 were picked up and most were released after dark at the end of strike day.

The Americans - our mentors, masters, regulators of our oxygen supply, friends, enemies of Islam, or whatever - have reprimanded our government. Peaceful demonstrations must be allowed under a democratic government, says the US, not realizing that it is impossible for any political demo or rally in this country to be peaceful. The mobs gathered together, those who have little to do but be paid to rally and shout, are uncontrollable. The men they follow are incapable of preventing them from damaging public and private property, from arson, from violence, from shooting, fighting, and knifing. They disrupt the already disrupted lives of our cities, blocking traffic, and through fear forcing business and trade to come to a standstill, thus further damaging the economy.

The US State Department relies in large part on its embassy and its men, including a CIA station chief, to keep it informed of present and potential happenings in a country. The 180-odd countries of the world are classified in different categories. We fall under the category of troublemakers and defaulters, now of little strategic importance, a nuisance to be watched. To each category are assigned men who fit the categorical requirements.

The Americans seem not to realize that in this country, with the men of the calibre available to it, with their level of intelligence and integrity, there cannot be a democracy. No institution of the state supports its people, all work solely to support and maintain in power whichever man or woman happens to be on top.

As an illustration, let's take the case of the major bank loan defaulters, many members of the ruling party. They borrowed money, hypothecating no assets other than clout. Their aim is to remain in power for as long as possible so as to put off the evil day when they will be forced to pay back what they have robbed.

In my column of July 24 I wrote of the bank defaults of Nawaz confidant Saifur Rahman and his Redco group, how Saif had endeavored to get the banks concerned to 'cooperate,' and how when they resisted he harassed their officials, going to the extent in the case of United Bank (UBL) of having one officer picked up by the FIA.

Saifur Rahman, chieftain of our accountability process, and his concerns have defaulted in the repayment of their loans to UBL, which borrowings total some Rs.1.4 billion (Rs.1b. in Pakistan, Rs.0.4b. abroad). UBL's recovery suit filed in 1998 is pending before Justice Ehsanul Haq Chaudhry, the banking judge of the Lahore High Court. Redco filed a counter-suit claiming damages, which is also pending in the LHC. Saif filed a writ petition in Justice Malik Qayyum's court at the LHC seeking, inter alia, that proceedings in the UBL suit be stayed so as to give him time to approach the high-powered bankers' rescheduling committee. On September 9, Saif filed an application (CM 1099/99) which was heard by Justice Qayyum. Without hearing UBL or the AG, the judge ordered :

"Notice to the respondents for 5.10.99. The learned counsel for the petitioner has stated that the petitioner was ready and willing to discharge its liability in terms of the package announced by the State Bank of Pakistan, but the respondents did not allow it to do so and have instead put the names of the applicants on the list of defaulters. To come up on the aforesaid date. In the meantime the names of the applicant/petitioner and its directors shall be removed from the list of creditors maintained by the State Bank of Pakistan."

Until this order is reversed the defaulting party will be able to borrow further amounts from the government banks (no foreign bank will lend it anything). UBL, HBL, NBP and others will be coerced into giving money, further indebting the nation.

On September 30, under the heading 'Loan and tax cases,' Jang published a news report. Its translation:

"A division bench of the Lahore High Court presided over by Justice Malik Qayyum reserved judgment in the case of three units of the Ittefaq Group relating to incorrect assessment of tax and adjustment of loans . . . . . . . . Whilst addressing the nation, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had offered three units of the Ittefaq Group, namely Ittefaq Foundries, Brothers Steel, and Ittefaq Brothers to the banks and DFIs in settlement of his loans/liabilities of the Ittefaq Group. These units were handed over to the company bench of the Lahore High Court . . . . . . . . The court also considered the nine-year-old case of incorrect assessment of income tax of the Sharif family. Advocate A. K. Dogar representing the Sharif family argued that the income tax department had assessed the liability of the Ittefaq Group at Rs.2 crores [20 million]. Benazir's first government had raised the IT demand to Rs.40 crores [400 million] in collusion with the IT department. On appeal [during the first Sharif round?] the amount was reduced to Rs.2 crores. In Benazir's second round an appeal was filed [presumably by the IT department] after a period of three and a half years instead of the normal 60 days period, and the tax liability was again raised to Rs.65 crores [650 million]. Shafqat Chauhan, advocate for the IT department said that it was due to the pressure exerted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that the case could not be heard. Justice Qayyum asked why, when Benazir was in power, did the department not proceed as at that time Nawaz Sharif was running from one court to another. Later the court reserved judgment."

For whom are the institutions of the state - the courts, the IT department, the attorney generals, etc - working? For the state and the people, or for the Prime Minister and the party in power? Naturally, the latter lot will try to remain on top as long as they can, not wishing to be relegated once again to the list of 'the usual suspects.'