What is it that brand ambassadors, drama actors and legal minds like Babar Awan have in common? They don’t have to believe a single word that they are saying during the course of their professional duties. Yet, the spin they put on during their stage performances and the theatrics that they use make them compelling viewership material.
We are now informed that Doctor Babar Awan, recently, resigned as Federal Law Minister and master of theatrics to boot, will be defending ZAB when the case for his retrial opens in the Supreme Court. In the doctor’s own words: “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto will be speaking through me.” Those of us, old enough to recall the magic, sophistication, and charisma of ZAB, feel this is the unkindest cut because they are also old enough to remember what Awan’s publicly stated opinion on Bhutto was at that time!
The feeling in the pit of the most authentic jiyala stomachs is that of revulsion too. It really has given a new meaning to the phrase, “from one end of the pendulum to another!” The fact remains that Awan is the chosen person by his party leadership for the role of defending ZAB. He has been able to give many successful performances of his loyalty to them by going many extra miles, with not a thought for morality or such like. On a personal level, I have always remained confused about his abilities of political U-turns and of giving Quranic dars (lesson) simultaneously, remaining at peace with himself.
The opinion that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s trial was a travesty of justice and his hanging a judicial murder is held by a large number of Pakistanis, and the retrial is not going to add to this nor can it bring him back. The retrial, however, will divert the nation’s attention from so many other life-threatening issues that plague it. That, I guess, is Pakistani politics at its best. Diffuse, divert and buy time seems to be the general policy of the current government. It will also play on the PPP supporter feelings that its leadership has always been treated unfairly.
We are now informed that Doctor Babar Awan, recently, resigned as Federal Law Minister and master of theatrics to boot, will be defending ZAB when the case for his retrial opens in the Supreme Court. In the doctor’s own words: “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto will be speaking through me.” Those of us, old enough to recall the magic, sophistication, and charisma of ZAB, feel this is the unkindest cut because they are also old enough to remember what Awan’s publicly stated opinion on Bhutto was at that time!
The feeling in the pit of the most authentic jiyala stomachs is that of revulsion too. It really has given a new meaning to the phrase, “from one end of the pendulum to another!” The fact remains that Awan is the chosen person by his party leadership for the role of defending ZAB. He has been able to give many successful performances of his loyalty to them by going many extra miles, with not a thought for morality or such like. On a personal level, I have always remained confused about his abilities of political U-turns and of giving Quranic dars (lesson) simultaneously, remaining at peace with himself.
The opinion that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s trial was a travesty of justice and his hanging a judicial murder is held by a large number of Pakistanis, and the retrial is not going to add to this nor can it bring him back. The retrial, however, will divert the nation’s attention from so many other life-threatening issues that plague it. That, I guess, is Pakistani politics at its best. Diffuse, divert and buy time seems to be the general policy of the current government. It will also play on the PPP supporter feelings that its leadership has always been treated unfairly.
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