Dear Editor,
AFTER having my usual morning prayers seeking the Lord’s protection from being confronted by stupidity in any form, I came across a video by the sanctioned Opposition Leader Mr. Azruddin Mohamed claiming victory in the duty-free vehicle matters, and once again attempting to place the blame on President Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C government.
That unorthodox and laughable video, in my view, lacks substance and seeks to mislead the public.
Mr. Mohamed claimed that President Ali knew about the importation of the vehicles before they were shipped and even referred to a so-called “conversation” as evidence. However, what was presented failed to substantiate such a serious allegation. Making accusations without credible evidence does little to strengthen one’s case.
What is particularly disturbing is the continued effort to portray the government as the cause of circumstances that, according to public reports and official statements, allegedly arose from Mr. Mohamed’s own actions.
It was not President Ali or the PPP/C government that imposed international sanctions. It was not the government that allegedly failed to pay billions of dollars in taxes or that became the subject of allegations relating to gold smuggling and money laundering. Those matters have been publicly associated with Mr. Mohamed and are being addressed through the relevant legal and regulatory processes.
In any democratic society governed by the rule of law, public officials have a constitutional obligation to uphold the laws of the country regardless of personal relationships. It would have been inappropriate for any President to place friendship above the responsibilities of public office.
Political disagreements are part of democracy, but accountability should not be dismissed by shifting blame onto others. If there are genuine legal grievances, the courts remain the proper place to address them.
If Mr. Mohamed is innocent as he’s claiming, then he should jump on a plane and head straight to Miami to answer his cases, because public opinion should not be influenced by emotional narratives unsupported by evidence.
It is time for the politics of blame to end and for all citizens, regardless of status or influence, to respect the institutions that safeguard the rule of law.