That Rare Day when Pakistan is a Winner

It is not always that Indians get an opportunity to envy Pakistanis. Since India got independence from Britain, and Pakistan was formed 70 years ago, India has left Pakistan far behind on all parameters of development. Yet today is that rare day when Indians are looking at Pakistan with envy. The reason for that is Pakistan Supreme Court's judgment in the Panama Papers case involving Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The speed with which Pakistani judiciary has moved on this case is commendable.

Here's a timeline of how the case unfolded:
3rd Apr 2016: "Panama Papers" become public, mention Nawaz Sharif and his family members owning shell companies abroad
Apr-May 2016: Judiciary declines PM Nawaz Sharif's request to form what it called "a toothless commission" to investigate the charges
29th Aug 2016: Imram Khan files petition in court to disqualify PM Nawaz Sharif on charges of corruption, money laundering and owning benami properties abroad
1st Nov 2016: Court beings daily hearing of the case
20th Apr 2017: Court orders setting up of Joint Investigation Team and gives it 60 days to investigate
6th May 2017: JIT formed with full authority to investigate allegations against PM
10th Jul 2017: JIT submits report to court saying Nawaz Sharif and his family cannot justify their huge income, and the companies & property they own aborad
28th Jul 2017: Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualifies PM Nawaz Sharif, declares lifetime ban on him from holding any public office, and orders filing of cases against him

In just 11 months since the case was filed, Pakistani Supreme court has disqualified PM Nawaz Sharif, made him an accused in cases of financial misappropriation, and put an end to his political career. It is not unlikely that he will soon end up in jail.

If Indian courts move this fast it won't be long before corrupt politicians and their family members like Robert Vadra, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, P. Chidambaram and Manmohan Singh are put behind bars.

Hours after Pakistani Supreme Court delivered its judgment this afternoon, Nawaz Sharif stepped down as PM. Twenty-two years ago, a court in India had delivered a similar judgment disqualifying India's incumbent Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Instead of stepping down from her post, Indira Gandhi had declared a State of Emergency, jailed all her opponents, and then commited terrible crimes against Indian Democracy. Crimes for which she never got punished by law. On this point too Pakistani democracy of today appears more mature than Indian democracy of that time.

Today is a rare day indeed, when Pakistan comes out a winner in a comparison to India.

Taking Crucial Indo-US Relationship to a New High

It is less than two-and-half years since Indian diplomat in US, Devyani Khobragade was arrested and strip-searched by US authorities, resulting in a diplomatic disaster that took Indo-US relations to its nadir. That's where Indo-US relationship was when Modi took over as Prime Minister of India. In just over 2 years Modi has managed to take this most crucial relationship, for India, US & the world, to a new high. And he has put it on a path that will take the partnership between the two largest and most stable democracies in the world to heights we have never known!

Here's a very good article on Indo-US relationship by John McCain, where he mentions India's rise by saying that "only a select few countries rose so quickly to such an exalted esteem". Interestingly, McCain, who has been Obama's foremost opponent, whom Obama defeated in bitterly fought 2008 Presidential elections, has appreciated Obama's efforts in nurturing relationship with India. This shows the maturity of McCain as a politician, and the maturity of US political system in general. Sticking to the belief that international relations should be kept above and beyond petty political gains was practiced diligently when PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister, and Vajapayee was the Leader of Opposition. Unfortunately, this is something that is totally missing among present opposition party leaders in India - it is something that the likes of Sonia and Rahul hopelessly lack.