LAHORE – There are many politicians who claim they would eliminate corruption after coming to power, however the flamboyant chairman of Aap Janab Sarkar Party, who is one of the candidates contesting the general elections in NA-122, has another take on the issue. “I believe we need to introduce the concept of need-based corruption among politicians in the country,” he says.
Though this stance might furrow several brows, Dr Nawab Amber Shahzada proudly calls himself an “aalmi zameer-faroosh”. He argues for the need to provide legal cover to corruption in order to end many of the problems in Pakistan. “I am the messiah this nation has been waiting for. My slogan is Thori Rishwat Kaam Ziada (fewer bribes more work).”
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“By desire, I’m against the corruption yet I favour it because the situation demands it,” Amber Shahzada said while explaining his theory which he claims is logical with the party’s slogan – “Thori Rishwat Kaam Ziada—Wazeeray Azam Amber Shahzada” (More work with small corruption—your Prime Minister Amber Shahzada).
Amber Shahzada studied philosophy at the masters’ level at Government College University, Lahore, and is an old Ravian like Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. He contested his first election in 1988 and has since fought 40 elections against Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar and Imran Khan among other prominent politicians. His long stint as a politician, however, is yet to take him to the parliament.
Wearing a Turkish-style hat, with handlebar moustaches, he looks quite contended as compared to his rival candidates.
“Being head of Aap Janab Sarkar Party, a registered political party, I’m constrained to contest every election,” Dr Amber Shahzada murmurs while giving the reason of his political struggle.
About his ideology of legalising corruption, Shehzada argues that he believes that it could not be ruled out from the planet Earth until the human beings are there. As corruption, he says, is inbuilt in humans’ nature, so there is only one option left – that it should be legalised and thus should be minimised.
He argues that the public would have fulfilled its desires if the rulers had done corruption, considering it a need-based option but when they (rulers) are corrupt by choice the public is hungry and far from the dreams.
“Neem Corrupt Aaway Ga—Mulk Taraqi Paway Ga” (The country will prosper if the semi-corrupt comes into power).
“This is the right time when the entire nation needs a semi-corrupt leader,” he criticises the prevailing corruption.
His party has a five-point agenda: first, to slash the defence budget; second, to improve the tax collection system; third, to make the judiciary, the police and the Election Commission of Pakistan transparent and free; fourth, to introduce accountability and stop inflation; fifth, to start mega projects in the health and education sectors; and to ensure that politicians only carry out “need-based corruption”.
