Once upon a time, there was suddenly no Mohammad Ali Jinnah to lead the nation he had founded by knitting together various ethnicities and regional identities. The nation survived that loss. Pakistan continued to exist. And to march on.
Pakistan has continued to exist and to march on even in the absence of its recognized or self-proclaimed builders – men like Ayub Khan, Z.A. Bhutto and Ziaul Haque.
Each one of them had a huge claim to flaunt, and a ‘mammoth’ pretense to make, to the nation’s monumental strides under their leadership, in one or the other directions. And each one of them enjoyed no dearth of ‘paid’ or ‘rewarded’ sychophants who were never found wanting in going out of their way to dub them as the very ‘epitomes’ of epoch-making leadership. Agreed, in one or the other area, each of them did make some worthwhile contributions. But Pakistan had existed before them, and Pakistan continued to exist after them. Only the All – knowing and the Almighty knows how things would have shaped and what direction the country would have taken if the destiny of Pakistan had not fallen into their hands, and ‘the unknown others’ had risen to the pedestal of power. For example had Ziaul Haque not ousted Z.A. Bhutto, and the latter had been allowed to continue playing his role, what would have been the direction of Pakistan’s march? Similarly had the duo of Iskandar Mirza and Ayub Khan not struck ‘death blow’ to the constitution of 1956, and the elections scheduled to take place in the following months hadn’t been put off what shape would the Republic have taken? Or say had General Yahya Khan not unceremoniously pushed F.M. Ayub Khan out of his office, how different the scenario would have emerged?
All these questions are hypothetical. The point I want to make here is that Pakistan does not owe its existence and continuity to any real or imagined prodigy. Prodigies are not known to be immortal. They have come. And they have gone.
So let us say it is not specifically Pervez Musharraf, or Benazir Bhutto, or Mian Nawaz Sharif on whom the future of this country depends or the destiny of this nation rests. They are not any less mortal than their predecessors. Had there been no Pervez Musharraf, or no Benazir Bhutto or no Mian Nawaz Sharif, there would still have been “some” to do what they are doing. May be less impressively. But may also be more impressively.
So let no one take any special joy or pride in believing that without them, there would have been no progress. Or no desire for democracy. Or no hope of a better tomorrow.
Had there been no Pervez Musharraf, or no Benazir Bhutto or no Mian Nawaz Sharif, there would still have been “some” to do what they are doing.
They are all merely pawns in the Big Chess Game, the All Powerful Divine Hand plays.
General Pervez Musharraf, today is to bid farewell to the ‘apparel’ he had thought was a guarantee against instability, terrorism and chaos.
The office he vacates today will be filled by General Ashfaque Kayani, who I am sure would do his best to fulfill the nation’s expectations, and would not be found wanting in committing ‘the whole’ of himself to the sacred task of defending the honour of the Flag, the invincibility of the Frontiers, the supremacy of the faith and the joy of the freedom we have been living in, for over six decades now.
On his part President Pervez Musharraf is soon to find out that Pakistan’s security and stability has no threat to face simply because he is not wearing the uniform he had come to regard as his second skin. There Are No Immortals In The World Of Mortals.
(This Column was first published on 28-11-2007)
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