WE, the youngsters of the Namurad Mansion on the famous Goongi Gali, met in the stinking basement of the dilapidated building. We are great admirers of General Pervez Musharraf. Our fathers were great admirers of General Ziaul Haq, the pious. Our grandfathers were admirers of General Ayub Khan, who in order to establish his legitimacy as popular ruler of Pakistan was obliged to vanquish Mohatarama Fatima Jinnah in the president elections. He then fought a 17-day war with India to earn for himself the rank of a Field Marshal. Our forefathers were great admirers of General Sir Charles Napier who conquered Sindh in 1843, and was knighted. Our next generation is getting ready to welcome General Nazar-se-Poshedah waiting in the wing first to salvage the country from democratic crisis, and then to become our popular ruler.
We, the youngsters of the Namurad Mansion, desire to see General Pervez Musharraf, like Field Marshal Ayub Khan and General Ziaul Haq, to rule our country for at least ten years. His often-repeated statement to legitimize his rule through a referendum has perturbed the young residents of the Namurad Mansion. Who does he want to show his acceptance among the masses! After the enigmatic destruction of the WTC in New York, the torch bearers of democracy and human rights in the West and the USA have fallen for him. They no more despise him for trampling upon democracy and the fundamental right of the people to choose their own rulers through an accepted democratic process. He shouldn’t nurture baseless apprehensions. He is our popular, as well as a gracious, ruler. Doesn’t he believe the right to rule has been bestowed upon him by God Almighty!
General Pervez Musharraf should gauge his popularity from the unending queue of the inqalabi (revolutionary) and the gairatmund (conscientious) politicians outside the Presidential palace, and his office in the GHQ. Have, for once, the daring and outspoken scholars, intellectuals, journalists, columnists and the editors of the independent newspapers worth their salt turned down his invitation, and refused to call on him and eat from his kitchen?
He waves his wand, and they come running to him. Such is General’s magnetic attraction (or awe) and his popularity! If he extends an invitation to Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to dine with him, they too would eagerly catch first available flight to Pakistan. Then, why referendum?
We, the kids of the Namurad Mansion, do not have the slightest fear that General Pervez Musharraf would not bag a heavy mandate in the referendum to remain the perpetual ruler of Pakistan. He, through his perceptive and prudent policies after the devastation of WTC, has carved out for himself a permanent place in world history as well as in the hearts of the people.
What we fear is the lethargy of the people of Pakistan. Economic and financial prosperity over the years has made them overtly contented. They have become fat and flabby and they avoid standing in the miles-long queues under the blazing sun to cast their valuable vote. God forbid if an insignificant percentage of the sluggish people labour to the polling booths to extend their verdict in favour of General’s rule, it will not convey the true picture of his popularity to the world. Therefore, why is the General taking unnecessary risk of referendum?
We, the youngster of the Namurad Mansion, are not in favour of the referendum. If at all his advisors favour referendum they should ensure that the Election Commission puts a clause in the rules of the game that the absentee voters would be deemed to have agreed to the General’s rule. After all, silent majority that abstains from coming to the polls is with him.
The purpose of our getting together in the basement of the Namurad Mansion was to thrash out a strategy to covey our concern to President General Pervez Musharraf. Finding no way out, we decided to seek help from Pendu Pahari. He is our neighbour. Pendu Pahari enjoys an access to the corridors of power. We thought him an appropriate person to convey our concern to the President. We contacted him. After expressing our love and admiration for the General, we communicated our fears and apprehensions about the referendum to Pendu Pahari.
Pendu attentively listened to us. He then smiled, and said, “Kids, you are sadly mistaken.”
“Mistaken about what?”
“I am a powerless person.”
“But, you have an access to the corridors of power!”
“That is true.”
“Don’t you rub shoulders in the corridors of power.”
“No. I do not.”
Surprised, we asked, “Then what do you do in the corridors of power?”
Pendu Pahari replied, “Kids, I wipe the corridors of power with a mop.”
