ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani may have had a bad week with the protests over load shedding and the scathing attacks he faced from the parliamentary opposition for his government’s failure to resolve the energy crisis.

But the same cannot be said of one of his cabinet members. Having become the recipient of the second award in about two months, Interior Minister Rehman Malik was probably busy celebrating at home.

This week, Karachi University announced an honorary doctorate for Malik. Dr Pirzada Qasim, Vice Chancellor of the Karachi University, confirmed the announcement to Dawn. He said that the award had been given to Malik for his services to bring peace to the city of Karachi.

Dr Qasim said a ceremony would soon be held in the Governor’s House, where Governor Ishratul Ebad, as chancellor of the Karachi University, would award Malik an honorary PhD.

One can only hope that all the city sections of the newspapers can find space for this news and that all the headlines are not dominated by target killings or raids and arrests of the target killers.

But then if Malik is being honoured for having brought peace to the city, there should be no dismal news about violence and deaths for the papers to cover. They can spare all the space to cover this ‘good news.’

Before Karachi University discovered the interior minister’s hard work, President Asif Ali Zardari had also made a similar discovery on August 14. He conferred the Nishan-i-Imtiaz on Malik. That is a national civil award for recognising an individual’s outstanding achievement or services for the country.

As a close confidant of the president, Malik’s Nishan-i-Imtiaz is understandable if not justifiable. But the University’s decision is baffling.

In the past, universities in Pakistan conferred awards on the individuals more universally recognised.

For example, in 1957, Punjab University conferred on Dr Abdul Salam, the only Muslim Nobel Laureate an honorary doctorate. Sindh Muslim College awarded former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto an honorary doctorate. Despite being a controversial figure in his times, no one can deny Bhutto’s achievements. He gave this country its constitution.

In more recent times, Imran Khan was awarded an honorary doctorate by a British university for his charity work. Whatever one thinks of his politics, the cancer hospital he set up has ensured that Mr Khan will be remembered for his philanthropic work for times to come.

Sadly, Malik’s honorary degree does not remind one of Khan or Bhutto or Salam.

In fact, the only parallel that comes to mind is that of General Ziaul Haq. Soon after he abrogated the Constitution of Pakistan and declared himself Martial Law administrator, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Law by the University of Punjab.

The irony of the decision did not escape anyone — an honorary law degree for a coup making general who reportedly said that the constitution was just a piece of paper that could be consigned to the trash-bin.

In a similar vein perhaps Malik has been feted for his (in)ability to keep peace in Karachi.

Indeed, despite being the federal interior minister, responsible for security in the country at a time when insurgents and militants were running amuck and terrorist attacks were commonplace, Malik has remained focused on PPP’s allies especially the MQM.

As the special emissary of the president, Malik was always there to cool off temperatures between the two parties in Sindh.

And if in the process the violence in Karachi grew worse, he didn’t appear to care.

It was only when the PPP’s provincial leadership in Sindh made public their resentment over his interventions (and Zulfikar Mirza decided to go public with his views on Malik) and the Supreme Court got involved, did the interior minister adopt a low profile.

So Malik can be given as many awards as the government and the universities can muster, but chances are that he will be remembered for not doing his job and not ensuring peace. All people will remember, as they do in the case of Ziaul Haq, is the irony behind the honours bestowed on Malik.

He remains the Nero who flew back and forth and shook hands with friends and foes as Karachi burnt.