- Whom should I mention first.? Imran Khan? Mushahid Hussain? Raza Rabbani? Safdar Abbasi? Javed Hashmi? Raja Zafar ul Haque or Gen (R) Hamid Gul?
I have too long a career in the world of mass communications not to boast of having interacted in one way or the other with a number of distinguished persons in all mentionable areas of life—-certainly not excluding politics. At the age of twenty when I was still a student, I had the privilege of meeting Field Marshal Ayub Khan at his summer residence in Nathiagali. I remember even the date. June 30, 1959. my uncle the Late Nasim Hijazi had a meeting scheduled with the Field Marshal. I was studying in Sindh University at that time, and happened to be in Abbotabad for summer holidays. The reason my uncle took me along to Nathiagali was that he thought it would give me an early and useful exposure to the corridors of power. It goes without saying that he had plans to induct me in Daily Kohistan, then already the second largest Urdu newspaper of the country. Sure enough I joined the said newspaper two years later as an apprentice, and under the leadership of my mentor the late Mr. Enayatullah (the Managing Diector of Kohistan Limited), I rose rapidly to a high position of responsibility in the said newspaper.
After my first meeting with the Field Marshal on June 30, 1959 in which my role was simply that of a fascinated listener to an interesting conversation that went on between my uncle and the Chief Marshal Law Administrator of the country, I was destined to interact twice again with the Strongman—both times as Editor of Daily Mashriq Karachi in 1967.
It has been a long life for me in the world of journalism and advertising—both the branches of what I regard the Mother Tree—the Mass Communications. 48 years constitute virtually a lifetime. I don’t remember a period in my life when I was at peace with myself. Or with my environments. The society I was a part of. I certainly have a lot to write—about a lot of people—a lot of events—-a lot of painful experiences— and a lot of history that I have personally witnessed being made—not just as a mere spectator in some cases—-
I have worked with Air Marshal Asghar Khan in an era when he came close to be regarded as a potential threat to the status quo. I have worked for Mian Nawaz Sharif at a time when he was in the process of launching his political career. And most importantly I enjoyed almost complete trust of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto in her first three electoral campaigns. But for her interest in my survival in the world of advertising, I would have called it a day 15 years back. She came to my rescue on more than two occasions. And I am where I am because of her. Before I come to state why I am writing all this today, I deem it necessary to acknowledge here that just as Iqbal Jinnah and Bhutto have been my inspirations, atleast five other persons have been of central importance in making me move in the directions I have moved. They are: the Late Nasim Hijazi—the Late Enayatullah Air Marshal Asghar Khan, Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and my own ‘self’. And they all happen to belong to very different worlds.
And the reason I happen to be writing all this is that I have come across certain persons in my life whom for one or the other reasons I can’t help liking. They are all around me. And they are friends. Though I don’t happen to meet them often. Whom should I mention first.? Imran Khan? Mushahid Hussain? Raza Rabbani? Safdar Abbasi? Javed Hashmi? Raja Zafar ul Haque or General (r ) Hamid Gul ?
There certainly are some others too. But these come instantly to my mind. And they happen to be belonging to different parties. Even different schools of thought. What is common in them? They inspire confidence in me. They make me feel that there is certainly light at the end of the tunnel.
For a while I want to be crazy. I want to believe that I am Aristotle. And Alexander has asked me to advise him which cabinet to form to energize his resolve to embark upon a journey of conquests.
I will not think twice. I will mention all the names I have mentioned. Some others too—-though less enthusiastically.
The problem is that I don’t find any Alexander in sight. Nor am I Aristotle.
I just am a compulsive dreamer—whose dreams even at the age of seventy are very young.
Did I mention my friend General Hamid Gul above? He is the one who believes that we are still young enough to atleast think of launching a revolution.
(This Column was first published on 12-09-2009)
