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ZA Bhutto on 'shoes'
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Taj M Khattak
While he was addressing a public rally in Lahore in the early 1970s, some of the audience in the stands flashed their shoes at Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was in his usual best at the podium. At this Bhutto quickly changed tack: "Yes, yes, I know, I know. Shoes have gone expensive, the leather has gone expensive. But we are doing everything in our power to get the spiraling prices under control."
The audience laughed, and it was probably here that Bhutto earned the name of "Madaari," or juggler. But the epithet had no connotation of disrespect; rather it had a touch of fondness for a man who had given hopes and aspirations to the multitudes of poor. Two decades later, his son-in-law, who has since become president, earned the sobriquet of Mr Ten Percent--which is a different story, and of course no laughing matter.
It is amazing how Bhutto could spot some shoes in a sea of humanity and charm those at the rally with his wit. But his successors first couldn't see Shameem Khan's salvo (which lacked in velocity but not in direction) in a well lit hall in Birmingham, and then made a royal grand hash of post-incident responses.
To be fair, Pakistan must be one of the most difficult countries in the world to govern. Governments have their own priorities; most of them away from public eye, and they can't always be expected to follow media advice.
However, what is dangerous and undesirable in representative governance is for a leader to treat public opinion with complete disdain and near-contempt, as happened in the case of President Zardari's visit abroad. Sooner or later, the Zardari trip was going to run into some unpleasantness, and that is exactly what happened at Birmingham.
It is a fair guess that any of Pakistan's military dictators, starting from Ayub Khan, would have avoided the trip to UK and France after the utterances of Mr Cameron in India, even if the threat of a disastrous flood could not be anticipated.
The fact that an elected president disregarded widespread public indignation and went ahead on the visit demonstrates only one thing: his commitment to pluralistic politics falls short of what even dictators would do, and that is not good news for democracy in Pakistan.
Whatever one's differences with the president, it was sad to see him disrespected in a foreign land since he is the sovereign head of the state. The incident was reported in nearly all Fleet Street broadsheets. Why, then, were the president's advisors spewing anger at those who were merely reproducing what had already been published, is beyond comprehension.
If the ruling party earned presidential disrespect at Birmingham, at home it was Mianwali which was unkind to the prime minister. The one all-important conclusion which his ordered enquiry will never draw is, how the standing of this regime has plummeted in public eyes.
Instead of making amends, party officials reminded the opposition and everyone else that the PPP jiyalas also wore shoes. To that one can only add: Yes, yes, we know, we know; and some of them wear fairly expensive ones too.
The prime minister has been heard calling for national unity in response to the challenge of reconstruction in the aftermath of the unprecedented destruction. The Pakistani nation has repeatedly demonstrated that it has in it what it takes to cope with disasters. If only the rulers could inspire Pakistanis with substance and sincerity in their actions, and not hollow talk every now and then.
One just has to recall the national response when Nawaz Sharif asked for nations help to break the begging bowl. Even old widows responded to the call with donations. But no one knows if that money was ever used for the purpose it was asked for. And of course the begging bowl is still very much with us.
The sight of stricken people's hands stretched heavenwards is always a soul-stirring. So were the photographs splashed on the front pages of our newspapers in recent days. These helpless people were perilously standing below a hovering rescue helicopter as food packets and water bottles were thrown down haphazardly by the crew trying to get away from the spot as soon as possible.
The plight of these needy people was in stark contrast with another helicopter ride, with a beaming President Zardari and his children on their way to Manoir de la Reine Blanche in France, a country where, historically, the dispossessed stormed the Bastille.
It might be better if the rulers acknowledged that they do not have it in them to inspire a nation in distress before the dispossessed take their revenge. There was time to make amends a fortnight ago, but that has now all been washed away by the floods and the ill-fated visits.
The write is a retired vice admiral. Email: tajkahttak@ymail.com
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Taj M Khattak
While he was addressing a public rally in Lahore in the early 1970s, some of the audience in the stands flashed their shoes at Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was in his usual best at the podium. At this Bhutto quickly changed tack: "Yes, yes, I know, I know. Shoes have gone expensive, the leather has gone expensive. But we are doing everything in our power to get the spiraling prices under control."
The audience laughed, and it was probably here that Bhutto earned the name of "Madaari," or juggler. But the epithet had no connotation of disrespect; rather it had a touch of fondness for a man who had given hopes and aspirations to the multitudes of poor. Two decades later, his son-in-law, who has since become president, earned the sobriquet of Mr Ten Percent--which is a different story, and of course no laughing matter.
It is amazing how Bhutto could spot some shoes in a sea of humanity and charm those at the rally with his wit. But his successors first couldn't see Shameem Khan's salvo (which lacked in velocity but not in direction) in a well lit hall in Birmingham, and then made a royal grand hash of post-incident responses.
To be fair, Pakistan must be one of the most difficult countries in the world to govern. Governments have their own priorities; most of them away from public eye, and they can't always be expected to follow media advice.
However, what is dangerous and undesirable in representative governance is for a leader to treat public opinion with complete disdain and near-contempt, as happened in the case of President Zardari's visit abroad. Sooner or later, the Zardari trip was going to run into some unpleasantness, and that is exactly what happened at Birmingham.
It is a fair guess that any of Pakistan's military dictators, starting from Ayub Khan, would have avoided the trip to UK and France after the utterances of Mr Cameron in India, even if the threat of a disastrous flood could not be anticipated.
The fact that an elected president disregarded widespread public indignation and went ahead on the visit demonstrates only one thing: his commitment to pluralistic politics falls short of what even dictators would do, and that is not good news for democracy in Pakistan.
Whatever one's differences with the president, it was sad to see him disrespected in a foreign land since he is the sovereign head of the state. The incident was reported in nearly all Fleet Street broadsheets. Why, then, were the president's advisors spewing anger at those who were merely reproducing what had already been published, is beyond comprehension.
If the ruling party earned presidential disrespect at Birmingham, at home it was Mianwali which was unkind to the prime minister. The one all-important conclusion which his ordered enquiry will never draw is, how the standing of this regime has plummeted in public eyes.
Instead of making amends, party officials reminded the opposition and everyone else that the PPP jiyalas also wore shoes. To that one can only add: Yes, yes, we know, we know; and some of them wear fairly expensive ones too.
The prime minister has been heard calling for national unity in response to the challenge of reconstruction in the aftermath of the unprecedented destruction. The Pakistani nation has repeatedly demonstrated that it has in it what it takes to cope with disasters. If only the rulers could inspire Pakistanis with substance and sincerity in their actions, and not hollow talk every now and then.
One just has to recall the national response when Nawaz Sharif asked for nations help to break the begging bowl. Even old widows responded to the call with donations. But no one knows if that money was ever used for the purpose it was asked for. And of course the begging bowl is still very much with us.
The sight of stricken people's hands stretched heavenwards is always a soul-stirring. So were the photographs splashed on the front pages of our newspapers in recent days. These helpless people were perilously standing below a hovering rescue helicopter as food packets and water bottles were thrown down haphazardly by the crew trying to get away from the spot as soon as possible.
The plight of these needy people was in stark contrast with another helicopter ride, with a beaming President Zardari and his children on their way to Manoir de la Reine Blanche in France, a country where, historically, the dispossessed stormed the Bastille.
It might be better if the rulers acknowledged that they do not have it in them to inspire a nation in distress before the dispossessed take their revenge. There was time to make amends a fortnight ago, but that has now all been washed away by the floods and the ill-fated visits.
The write is a retired vice admiral. Email: tajkahttak@ymail.com
