I WAS busy throughout the day. It was a hectic one, as all clients had chosen to visit my office same day. My luck! So bad, I was in no mood to sit in front of the computer and use my fingers anymore.
Having reached home, my tired body didn’t know what to do now? Yes, having a cup of strong tea sounds refreshing. I liked the idea supplied by my weary mind, and gathering all the remaining energy I dragged myself towards the kitchen.
Great! The Britisher, or whosoever invented this magic drink, had never thought of the tremendous response his product would receive and create addicts even in remote parts of the world.
Anyway, with a cup of steaming tea, I eased myself on the couch and opted to read the newspaper alongside watching the TV, not PTV of course, as I was in a mood to entertain myself and not willing to listen to the voice that is ‘voicing’ all the time.
Newspaper headlines were not interesting, the same old stuff. Like 80 per cent Pakistanis living in Pakistan and 99 per cent Pakistanis living abroad, I am now sick and tired of this all egg-and-chicken affair. ‘Uniform is the only hurdle,’ screamed one headline.
Only? Like everyone, I doubt?
I am frightened and can’t help visualize what will happen if the uniform opponents succeed. Will they abolish uniform in schools and colleges also?
Great!
So, in our country uniform is the ‘only’ issue?
I am feeling drowsy, nothing interesting or knowledgeable to read. It’s better to take a nap instead of reading this no-win story.
Oh! While putting down the paper my eyes got fixed on a single-column news, ‘President leaves for US’.
Sounds interesting. I managed to keep my eyes open to go through the text. He is expected to meet chiefs of the World Bank and the IMF. The president will also visit Canada. He will hold talks with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Cheritien on expanding trade and economic cooperation.
It was also mentioned that President Musharraf would also have bilateral meetings with several heads of states and governments on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s special session.
Great! The president will meet his US counterpart George W. Bush, French President Jacque Chirac, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, the king of Morocco and the presidents of Mexico and Indonesia during his stay. My eyes got wide open!
How great is the Western world. It has accepted our president to address the UN session, and are willing to meet him on the forum where generally only elected representatives present their country. Where is our elected representative? I failed to see the name of the chosen prime parliamentarian.
We are trying our best to make the world realize that democracy is restored and we are back on track, both democratically and economically, without elected representatives representing the country on international forum. Is that so?
Oh, God, the newspaper I had been reading was not of that particular day! But what the heck ... they carry the same news, the same statements with a new date printed at the top.
Anyhow, I tried to pull the current paper from the bag. Yes, here it is. What a coincidence, the first thing catching my eyes is the beaming president addressing the conference in New York! He definitely looks fresh and impressive. Was he more impressive in his early days, or he is aging with grace? I can’t comment, as he was not known to the public as late as five years ago.
I wanted to read the text despite my closing eyes. I read, “President General Musharraf has said that a strong military and stable economy guarantee the safety and stability of a country, and assured that now Pakistan is fully capable of meeting any challenge, conventional or otherwise.”
I was confused. Was he addressing the jawans at Siachen or Sialkot? But I decided to keep on reading. At the largest ever gathering, as reported by the paper, arranged by Ambassador to the US Jahangir Ashraf Qazi, the president said: “We have developed a tank, Al Khalid, which India failed to match”, adding that the recently manufactured Arjun tank of India could not meet the expectation of its own armed forces.
The president informed that the second success of Pakistan is the joint development of JF-17 Thunder with China, which had been tested and would form the backbone of Pakistan Air force, whereas India had been working on LTA for the last seven, eight years.
My already tired mind plunged deeper into the abyss of fatigue. What was it? Were the Pakistanis living there gathered to know about the military successes? Was he President Musharraf, or just General Musharraf, Chief of the Army Staff, narrating the success story of his institution, I wondered.
I like President Musharraf, but it is not always easy to come out of the aroma of your native institution, your grooming of more than 20 years does take over. It is never easy to wear two hats.
May I be allowed to think that had the elected prime parliamentarian be taken along, given the opportunity to speak, he would have spoken differently. At least he had sought permission to make amendments in the draft supplied by the ‘bosses’. He would have definitely tried to include some socio-economic aspects in the address. He would have chosen some points on democratic front to compare with.
No doubt, there is now no comparison on democratic front among the two; the one where democracy is protected by uniform, and the one where the uniform is governed by the democrats.
I WAS busy throughout the day. It was a hectic one, as all clients had chosen to visit my office same day. My luck! So bad, I was in no mood to sit in front of the computer and use my fingers anymore.
