The new Chief Minister of Sindh made history on the day he was sworn in. He paid three visits on this day— to three different destinations which were important either ceremonially or pragmatically. Quite clearly his visit to the mausoleum of the Founder of the Country and the Father of the Nation was ceremonial. He didn’t bother to join his Naval escorts in showing ‘prayer-ful’ respect to the man because of whom he is Chief Minister today. He could easily have been found doing cleaning work at some tomb in Sewan Sharif if Pakistan had not come into being.
His second visit was to Garhi Khudabux the last Resting Place of the two ‘Bhuttos’ who had devoted their lives to the cause of making Pakistan a strong Federation, but who now have ironically been given an ‘iconic’ stature in the cause of ‘Sindhism’. The man who has done it was born a Zardari but has made Bhutto his identity for the obvious advantages known to the whole world. Precisely why Murad Ali Shah stood there ‘praying’ tearfully for the departed souls.
Murad Ali Shah’s third visit was to Dubai, where the defacto king of Sindh has his throne and his palace. The purpose of this visit can’t be a mystery. A reassurance of total loyalty on the part of the CM, and a list of expectations on the part of the King couldn’t be dispensed with.
Zardari Sahib has an alarming history of using the Sindh card in the defense of his visible power as well as his perceived corruption. He did it successfully against General Kayani and a deal was struck that extended the General’s tenure of office.
The second time he tried to do a it year back, he found talking to a General of different breed and mettle. He had to flee from Pakistan, and since then has ruled Sindh, and collaborated with Mian Nawaz Sharif from abroad.
The two will go down into history as men who through the 18th amendment ‘partitioned’ the Federation of Pakistan into four large fiefdoms— each belonging to a different lord.
The Mians have Punjab. The Zardarised Bhuttos have Sindh. The rest of Pakistan is up for grabs.
The Father of the Nation had not hoped this would happen to the country he had created as a home to one sovereign nation.
But history is still in the making. Those who have undone the Dream of Pakistan as a Nation-State will be undone soon by the forces that created this nation-state.
Syed Murad Ali Shah in my view is doomed to fail as an icon of Sindhism, and as Zardari’s last weapon of war in the defense of a system that is likely to be brought down by the flag-bearers of the Quaid’s dream.
