![]() There are enough disgruntled prominent party members like Safdar Abbasi – an old classmate of Shah Mehmood – Naheed Khan, Yousaf Talpur, Sherry Rehman and others who may rally to his cause. It would entail taking on its current leadership and if possible supplanting it through grass root support of the workers. But this means making an attempt for national leadership on the PPP wicket. Where would Shah Mehmood fit in? I think he understands this and therefore has pledged his undying loyalty to the ideals of Shaheeds’ Zulfikar Ali and Benazir Bhutto. It has opposition, lots of it, but this space is taken by PML-N and much of the religious lobby. PPP with all its faults, including a leadership tainted by allegations of corruption, is still a popular political party. The difference is that Ayub was a hated dictator with very little support among the people. ![]() PML-N, Tehrik-e-Insaaf and Jamaat Islami are also trying to cash in on it. As a platform for leadership and popularity, this has great potential. There is a huge anti American sentiment in the country as there was against India then. There are some similarities between today and the Tashkent moment but also many differences. Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Off the Record 2/17/11 - P3 Ousted from the cabinet a la Shah Mehmood, Bhutto rode the tiger of anti India sentiment to popular leadership. Primed by a constant anti India rhetoric and convinced of Pakistan’s military superiority, they thought that Ayub had let them down. This was seen by the people as a betrayal. In the public eye he became a hero when he ostensibly – it is still not clear to what extent – differed with his president, Ayub Khan, on signing a peace deal with India after the 1965 war. Will he succeed? For those younger readers who may not be fully aware of the significance of Tashkent, this was the moment that made Zulfikar Ali Bhutto a national leader. His virtuoso press performance Wednesday, replete with dramatic pauses and high flown rhetoric, was as good an attempt as any to carve out a leadership niche for himself. Is this another Tashkent moment in our history? Shah Mehmood Qureshi may think so. REFERENCE: The wry taste of ultra-patriotism Ayaz Amir Friday, Febru Oh really? Exaggerated as the comparison may seem, is he trying to sound like another Zulfikar Ali Bhutto? Silence would have suited Qureshi better but then silence is not a particularly Pakistani quality. Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s bravura press conference was bemusing: this is not the time to lower our heads but to raise them I know that by speaking up harm can come to me but I will not bend when it comes to national honour there is a lot more to tell and if the need arises I will do so. And protestations about national honour would sound more convincing if we could somehow put our permanent begging bowl to one side, for some time if not permanently. National dignity is better served by speaking softly. But we can proceed along this path without too much frothing at the mouth. To repeat the earlier point, if Davis is without diplomatic immunity, as seems to be the case, his prosecution should go ahead, regardless of anything else. ![]() Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Off the Record 2/17/11 - P1 But why must we make a tamasha (spectacle) of everything? Why can’t we handle this affair without fuss and without the drumbeats of patriotism sounding from every rooftop? And why, as we go about fashioning a response, must we present a picture of national disarray? The presidency in a tizzy, wanting a way out of this crisis and not being able to find one the prime minister, as always, not in charge and hoping for the whole thing to blow away the Foreign Office on a different page from the presidency the former foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, eager to turn this dilemma into the wages of heroism and the guardians of national security not wholly able to avoid the suspicion that they are busy pulling the strings from behind. If he is without immunity then that’s it and to this position we should stick, regardless of pressure or threats from the seat of the American empire. Davis should be dealt with according to the letter of the diplomatic law. Let me enter an immediate caveat so as not to be misunderstood.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |