The "Dirty" Khan

Ever since Imran Khan pulled the crowd to his October 30 rally, it seems that everyone is taking sides. While taking sides, his critics are trying to be critical at everything. Everything from his party to the family has come under the spotlight. His scandalous past along with his marriage and present family life is questioned. While one half of the critics criticize his aloofness with his party affairs, there is an another half which hellbent to show Khan in bad light.

Indeed, Khan has nothing but been scandalous in his youth, but is it too hard to accept that to err is human and one grows up over the years. It is about time that we separate the wheat from the chaff. Khan's frivolity during the epitome of his youth is not something that would disturb the matters of governance. It should be taken as a blessing that everything about Khan is almost black and white.

The matter that gets the most eyebrows raised is Jemima's association with Imran Khan. For this, let us travel back to 1995 when Khan married Jemima. Jemima was (and perhaps, still is) a Muslim when she married Khan. She readily moved to Pakistan and lived here for almost a decade. During her almost decade long stay in Pakistan, she tried her best to adjust into the society. In her public appearances, she was usually seen in Shalwar Kameez. She actively participated in the activities for Shaukut Khanum Memorial Hospital. Due to her efforts, Diana the Princess of Wales visited Pakistan twice. With Khan, she bore two sons: Sulaiman Isa and Kasim, both are now in London with their mother. During the 2010 floods, she took an active part in gathering funds from all over Europe. On various occasions, she has spoken against the American drone attacks. The sudden divorce in 2004 did raise some controversy, but for a woman who considers Pakistan her second home, we should all think before we speak.

Over the years, due to her philanthropic and journalistic work for different organizations, Jemima has garnered the respect of the British media. She had been the Associate Editor for The Independent, and currently is the Editor-at-Large for the European Vogue and the Associate Editor for the New Statesman. In 2008, she was given the right to interview former president General Pervez Musharraf on the eve of the elections. Her recent visit to Pakistan was perhaps more of a professional nature. It should not to be taken in different light.

One more matter that is always raised is about Khan's children who unlike their father live in Britain. It should be noted that sometimes a leader has to make sacrifices in to make headway for his followers. The divorce between Khan and Jemima occurred because Khan did not have enough time for the family. He wanted to focus on his political career. It is better for the children that they stay with their mom. Jemima being a British woman preferred her home country over Pakistan after her divorce. As Khan thought the boys would do better with their mom, he let them go. But be assured that Khan's boys would be far better than some of the other foreign living descendants of our famous political families. Furthermore, I do not see that Khan would let his boys have it easy. He would make his boys work if they wish to become anything popular like himself. Furthermore, he regularly visits them especially in the presence of their mom. Jemima, on the other hand, is upbringing the boys as Muslim (as far as I know).

Khan and his family is not your average political dynasty and the chances of them become into one is fairly less. Playing around on these cards would not benefit anyone. Only time would tell when the great Khan will get his turn but his critics, especially those who are politically backed, should speak with a note of caution. Criticizing him on these trivial lines only makes them look immature.

With Nusrat Bhutto dies the People's Party

Nusrat Bhutto, former First Lady and mother of Benazir Bhutto, died yesterday in Dubai at the age of 82.

Like Zardari, Nusrat had to step into politics when her spouse died, but unlike him, she kept the party together. For almost a decade, she kept the legacy of Zulfikar Bhutto going in letter and spirit. Though her life with Zulfikar was not a bed of roses, she stayed behind her man and kept her appearances. She hid her emotional scars—as well as the ones she received from her abusive husband—gracefully. She held so many tears back.

After the death of Zulfikar Bhutto, she took the reins of the party and prepared it as a potent democratic power. Born in Iran, it could have been easier for her to leave but she stayed. She stayed because she knew that the ideology that her husband gave was a sacred trust for the people of his country. She feared less and strives harder. She marched along against the military dictator, General Zia-ul-Haq. She got both the leftists and rightists talking about democracy. She became a force to be reckoned with. Sadly, she got nothing but grief. In her life, she witnessed four deaths; one difficult than the other. Till this very day, the murders of her son, Murtaza and her daughter, Benazir, have not been arrested. She was almost forgotten too till the very afternoon when she died. The actual Bhutto family received the information from the television reports.

The party she handed over to her daughter was her blood, sweat, and tears. Sadly, her hard work is now going to waste. The People's Party where it stands today was not the one she aspired to be. She was known for her close relation with her workers. She used to bread bread with them. The present situation is far bleak; the party is getting distant from the good influences of her time.

Later today, her body will be flown to Larkana. She will get buried in Ghari Khuda Baksh. However, with her body, the People's Party—of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto—will also be laid to rest.

September 11: Ten Years Later

It was a usual September evening; hot and humid. My mother and sisters were getting ready to visit a book-fair, and I was going with them. Around 0530pm, I saw the ad of the New York Stock Exchange,and thought life never stops there. Rain or shine, the city of New York just continues. I wondered if I would ever see it in my lifetime unless something awful happens there like an airplane crash.

Minutes later, the BBC interupted its regular programming for a developing story. The news anchor said that an airplane crashed into the World Trade Center. My mother sat down with me to watch the news. And, our trip to the book-fair was called off. My mother did not have the heart to go. The event that unfolded before our eyes was simply dreadful.

Ten years forward, I work for a company associated with that book-fair. A lot has changed, but yet a lot is not fixed.

ZulfiLeaks: Pot, Kettle, Ghairat!

Whatever Zulfiqar Mirza said today was almost similar to something that I said to a friend who is an ardent MQM supporter, some days back. However, trusting Zulfiqar Mirza's word on this would not be a smart move.

Courtesy: pyfpakistan on YouTube

In the video, the anchor Naseem Zehra reads a excerpt from one of Zulfiqar Mirza's speech. In the excerpt, it is said:

"We wanted to break Pakistan, we were against Pakistan. ... If Mr. Asif Ali Zardari would have not chanted the slogan of Pakistan Khappay (Stays), then we would have left Naudero and would have chanted the slogan of Pakistan Na-Khappay (Stays Not)..."

Upon which Mirza replies that his quote is taken out of context, and he apologizes. This kind of reasoning is nothing new, especially for Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leaders.