Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, the self-styled son of Rawalpindi, as expected, suddenly came out from wherever he was for the last 40 days and also gave an interview like other PTI turncoats, shedding light on the events that led to the 9th May incident and the developments afterwards.
However, unlike others he cleverly avoided directly blaming Imran Khan and naming other characters who played a part in the events that unfolded during that period but did admit that the ant-establishment stance of the party was wrong; the long march among other objectives also was aimed at preventing the appointment of Gen Asim Munir as COAS; that he had advised Imran Khan several times to avoid taking on the establishment and hurling flak on serving military officers which was uncalled for.
Regarding his disappearance from the scene he said that he was on meditation for 40 days and everybody cooperated and comforted him. Like a cunning fox he avoided telling the truth but did impliedly suggest that he was in custody during which he had ample time to reflect on the situation besides admitting that he always has been a man of the establishment.
There is a lot to read between the lines in regards to what Sheikh Rasheed has said. For me it was yet another somersault by a political freeloader whose political life is a ranting testimony of going with the wind and changing colours. I happen to know him from school days when he was known as a person with dubious character. He has maintained that trait throughout his political life.
Although most of our politicians, MNAs and MPAs, are political freeloaders doing politics to build their own fortunes through corruption which is in-built in the archaic colonial system of governance, but none can be compared to Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed widely known as ‘Sheeda Tulli’. Whoever conferred this epithet on him was right on money to describe his real character. He is uncouth, loud-mouth and devious.
These traits surely helped him to build relations with politicians who needed somebody for character assassination of their opponents. This he did first of all for Chaudhry Zahoor Elahi who used him against the PPP leadership in exchange for financial dole-outs. Then he switched over to the PPP which also used him for similar purposes. That was the time when he gained access to Gate No Four of GHQ which also needed a town-crier like him to drum up support for their unconstitutional pursuits. That explains the reason why he has been a federal minister 16 times. It also puts into perspective his voyage from rags to riches.
People are also amazed at his audacity to make tall claims about his political character and morals, knowing well that he is a politician who has adopted a myriad of hues during his political journey.
If my memory serves me right I heard Ghulam Mustaf Khar giving him a shut-up call on the floor of Parliament and shaming him for having received money from him when he was Governor Punjab. He was also snubbed by Moonis Elahi when as interior minister in the PTI government he took a swipe at the PML(Q) leadership saying that he was standing with Imran Khan like a rock and was not like those who had only five seats and were blackmailing Imran Khan for the Punjab Chief Ministership. Moonis reminded him that during his student life he used to take money from the leaders of the same party and that he was the same Sheikh Rasheed whom Imran Khan insulted in a live TV programme, and at a public rally castigated his politics, remarking that he would not take him even as his peon.
In the 1993 and 1997 general elections Sheikh Rasheed returned to the National Assembly on a PML(N) ticket and during that time he never tired of showering praise on Nawaz Sharif as a great leader and his political mentor. He paraded a live lion on Murree Road Rawalpindi during one of the election campaigns. After becoming an ally of PTI in spite of the bitterness that existed between him and Imran Khan, he acted as more loyal than the king in portraying him as a saviour and great reformer.
In the USA and UK some political slurs are used to describe characters like Sheikh Rasheed. Flap-doodler is a commonly used slur for a politician, a speaker of portentous but empty words best described as a demagogue. The term ‘Flip-Flopper’ is used for a politician who is in the habit of changing his or her opinion or taking a position on a particular issue. ‘Pollywog’ denotes a politician who is considered untrustworthy because of his ever shifting position on the issues at hand and whose track record corroborates the epithet.
Another political slur that is often used to denigrate a politician is ‘Rent-a-Quote’. It is someone who might be relied upon by the media to provide a comment, especially one expressing a strong or contentious opinion either in any circumstances or when a particular issue is being discussed. ‘Snollygoster’ is used to describe a politician who is unprincipled and engages in politics of self-aggrandizement rather than serving national interests. Another epithet given to a politician who discusses and debates issues but fails to act is ‘Tirekicker’.
All these political slurs fit Sheikh Rasheed, though most of our politicians and the so-called electables also can be safely included in that category. It is because of such politicians that the country stands where it is today. They have been conniving with anti-democratic forces to destabilize democracy and democratic institutions for their personal gains; have been changing their political loyalties to swell their fortunes and have been selling their souls to the devil to remain in the corridors of power.
The media as a representative of the society is supposed to defend and promote democracy which is also imperative for its own freedom but regrettably it is also infected by the polarization that exists in the political domain. It has no sense of proportion.
It is amazing that a political free-loader like Sheikh Rasheed on whom all the political slurs mentioned above apply and who has only one seat in the parliament which he earned courtesy another party, is engaged by almost all the TV channels for his outlandish comments and some channels even extend the courtesy of hour-long exclusive interactions with him.
People are also amazed at his audacity to make tall claims about his political character and morals, knowing well that he is a politician who has adopted a myriad of hues during his political journey.
