The footage of Asad Umar and Shah Mehmood Qureshi walking very fast; well, running; after they had been refused bail by an Islamabad sessions court, and used a discreet route to Qureshi’s car, showed that neither was really ready for life in the PTI after May 9.
Last year, the PTI was in office, and Asad Umar and Qureshi were important ministers. After the government fell, they were still important office bearers. Then May 9 happened, and the PTI became very hot indeed. Asad Umar resigned as Secretary-General, and remained within the party. Shah Mahmood remained as Vice Chairman, and though arrested, was designated by Imran Khan to lead the party if he was arrested again.
When he asked Imran to put up or shut up, it appears, that there was some unpleasantness at his meeting. So both Asad and Shah Mehmood are both still in the PTI, though perhaps neither enjoy the sun of royal favour. Both are aspirants to the PTI legacy. But neither showed at this court appearance the reassuring signs that they can take on the responsibility. Neither of them has a nole, for example, a huge growth that should have thick wiry hair sprouting, preferably at the tip of the nose. Neither wears a freight wig, which would merge their head hair and their eyebrows.
They’re not dressed for court either, which is why they must have been refused bail. Defendants wearing trousers should not expect any. Now if they had been in dhotis, with yellow kurtas with huge blue polka dots, it would have been another matter. Another fatal flaw in their bail applications was the absence of a good nickname. Now if Makhdooom Shah had claimed to be also known as Mooda Chura, or Asad Umar to be called Asad Blade, no judge would have denied them.
Asad Qaiser was denied bail, even though he looked a fit case. His mistake was probably telling the judge he was ex-Speaker of the National Assembly, instead of saying that he roasted corn cobs for a living.
I suppose it was a sign of the times that Murad Ras was also summoned by an Anti-Terrorism Court. Now I wonder if being a member of the Tehrik Istihkam Party is not supposed to be protection against arrest. If it isn’t, then what did Murad Raas join it for? To have Ch Fawad Hussain shouting outside the court (while vigorously pumping his fist in the air) the ominous slogan, “Murad tere khoon sey inqilab ayega” (Murad, your blood will bring the Revolution)? That’s when Murad Raas finds out he’s on trial for a capital offence.
I see that the military has moved on.It’s now looking at its participation in the Special Investment Facilitation Council with some anxiety. It also reflects the desire of the new COAS to get what was denied his predecessor: the Nobel Prize for Economics. General Bajwa tried hard, with his meeting with the country’s businessmen, followed by his putting geoeconomics ahead of geopolitics, not to mention the National Security Plan, which said that the economic performance of the country was part of national security.
Of course, we must also remember that the military is the only institution left in the country. The economy needs fixing, so when retailers hear someone tell them in a paradeground bark to keep prices down, They will have no choice but to obey.
Well, the Army is focused on the economy, but the nation has had to deal with two tragedies that seem to have more to do with the Navy. There was the sinking of a ship off the Greek coast, with hundreds of illegal immigrants on board, a lot of them Pakistani, trying to get from Libya to Italy. I wonder whether they had burnt their passports already, or whether they would do so in Italy.
And then there was the submersible that went down while trying to view the remains of the Titanic. A prominent businessman, Hussain Dawood, lost not just his son but also his grandson. It is the will of the Creator, but no one should ever go through that experience.Both tragedies have meant that a lot of families will not have a very happy Eid, so I won’t wish my readers (both of them) a happy Eid, but ask them to remember all the affected families in their prayers.
