Sunday 2 September 2012

Mian Saab Hun Jaan Doo.


It was during the 1996 national election campaign I was only 14 year old alongside my brother who was 12 year old boy. It was great day for us as we were accompanying our elders to the city of Gujrat. The city was going to hold political gathering (Jalsa) from two main stream political parties of Pakistan simultaneously. It was great privilege not just for us two young brothers but also for the whole district of Gujrat to welcome Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto the rulers of our country. We were very happy this was going to be first time that we were going to see at least one of our national Leaders in real and not just on TV at least that was our initial plan. We got ready and were loaded into a yellow cab Van which was gifted to my family during the election campaign. The yellow cabs were hired from the real owners from local PML (Pakistan Muslim League) politicians and were borrowed to local PML political elites such as my family.

The yellow cabs scheme was introduced by the Mr Nawaz Sharif’s government provide jobs to young graduates of country perhaps it was best job that those young graduates could do. I thought that was greatest gift from our beloved leader to young unemployed graduates to become cab drivers and help sustain their economy as well as National economy. The van was fully packed by people mostly our relatives we been two young boy could adjust anywhere in Van. The van reached to city of Gujrat and we park the Van just opposite the Bungalow of Chodharys of Gujrat which is just opposite the famous Muslim Bazaar of Gujrat. The Chodharys have been very powerful political house of Gujrat since 1960’s and were part of PML of Nawaz Sharif that time. It was very congested inside the van and there were so many people once the van reached city and everyone was out of van our uncle helped us two brothers to jump on the roof of Van so we could enjoy clearly and yes it was very clear view from 10 feet above the ground.

We waited and waited and while a lot of youth were hurtling on their motorbikes which had their silencers removed from exhausts and carrying PML flags. They were in hundreds if not thousand and it was very very noisy but emotional place for us to be there. We were there for quite some time and were on the corner so we could not see what was coming but then you could feel that suddenly things starts to happen and everything starts to move. We could feel electrified and knew that our Great leader was going to pass right in front of us (mind you it’s not the images of North Korean TV). Suddenly we saw a battalion of thousands of motorbike passing in front of us and than a long line motorcade with different types of vehicles started to pass by.

I can’t remember how many vehicles passed before there was a chosen 4*4 perhaps a land cruiser and Mian Saab (Nawaz Sharif) was on it waiving his hands like a King to his beloved peasants and I could see his skin colour which was very different to the peasants who normally spend most of their time in fields under burning sun. The Mian Saab’s colure was so red like a tomato (as my uncle referred it later on) well he is a leader and has every right to enjoy the cold air of Air conditioning. (He still enjoys this facility often on his Jalsas).

We stood there with our extreme joy after having seen our leader from so close and the motorcade slowly moved towards the Zahoor Allahi Stadium named after local Politian. So it was our turn to follow them to the stadium so we could listen to the future plans of our Political leader who wanted to make Pakistan an Asian Tiger just like Malaysia had become earlier. We were disappointed because we were told that we were not going to stadium instead we were going home to drop our Grand dad who wasn’t a young man that time and was feeling the heat. Our uncle told us that we will be back before by the time its Mian Saab’s turn to speak. It took some time and when we were back in the city we were struck with bad news that Mian Saab had already left the Jalsa. We were than going to Science college ground (Maidan) to witness PPP’s Jalsa where it was going to be Benazir Bhutto addressing. So we went there and listened to BB but we couldn’t see her as we were far back in the ground.

This happened 16 years ago and now I am a graduate with MSc in IT and living in London also has just stepped into my 30s. My life has changed a lot and many things have happened to me since it has been with a lot of struggles as any life of a human being would be but eventually my good time has begun as eventually happen to all those who wait. Unfortunately that isn’t the case with the Pakistan that poor country is still stuck with the same two political dynasties (Bhutto’s and Sharif). These two families have ruled Pakistan continuously since 1970s having two military men in between (Zia and Musharaf). It’s been almost 42 since if you exclude 20 years of military of Democratic Messiahs had 22 years of Golden democratic age in between. The Bhutto’s has come to power for four times through democratic mechanism while Sharif’s wining elections twice also not to forget that Sharif’s have ruled Punjab which has two third of total Pakistan’s population five time in past 30 years.

The offsprings of these two dynasties enjoy great life all over the world and especially in UK where they have invested heavily. The enjoy lifestyle that only the Arab sheiks can dream of while most of young Pakistani (students) have to go through a lot everywhere they go. We have witness the pictures of Bilawal Bhutto partying while at oxford and also have heard the stories of 500 million pound empire of Hussein Sharif. The young Pakistani graduates are here because they didn’t want to be Cab driver in their own country after having a college degree while the fake degree holders were becoming MPs. I personally have washed dishes at restaurants and cleaned toilets literally here in London while studying at university. I was doing so because my small land owner political family had decided not to become TRADITIONAL political family and we are still paying the price of that decision while the bright children of that holy blood line are preparing for their reign to start.

I decided to write this blog after seen a picture posted on Face book by one of my relative of three sons of three most powerful political families of Pakistan who have been ruling Pakistan since 1960 directly or indirectly. The picture was asking a question “who is your next leader? Moonas Illahi. Hamza Sharif or Bilawal Bhutto”. I was devastated after having seen it. Are we young Pakistanis so stupid that still we want to be ruled by these HOLY bloodlines or is it a divine decree that we are not allowed to choose anybody else except these HOLY COWS. I don’t have exact figure here but I have heard that youth make almost 70% of Pakistan population. We the youth of Pakistan are so stupid that we face all the suffering (not to mention the blame of terrorism) in the world while keep voting for same people who have increase their wealth in million times whereas we are still third class citizen of the global world. A world where Bilawal and Hamza don’t have to face humiliation at Airports all over the world that we young Pakistanis have become accustom to.

Mian Saab Hun Jaan Doo Saddi Wari Aan Doo (Mian Saab let it go and lets our turn come). This sentence was coined by Imran Khan on 30th October last year in a big Jalsa in Lahore while he referred to Mian Saab (Nawaz Sharief). This was first of many big Jalsas to come of Imran Khan Chairman of PTI (the Party for Justice formed by himself 16 years ago) who kind of new kid on the block. It seems like that finally Pakistan has awoken and time has come for change. It sounds very promising only if it is true and is it true? that we Pakistanis have found a way to take our beloved but bleeding country to promise land. I don’t know I am optimistic but on the other hand I know how hard it is to get rid of tyranny. It takes a lot of effort, sincerity and organisation to achieve any personal goal let alone the common goal of a whole nation of 180 million people.

I know it is not easy but being hopeless means losing the war without fighting and we know from history when you lose a war you don’t just loose a war you lose everything, you lose freedom, you lose hope and more than anything you lose the believe that you can be ever a free man again. Can we Young Pakistanis with our most of our life in front of us and almost nothing behind our back afford to lose this war? I don’t think so! Is it not the time to say goodbye to all those Political empires of Pakistan who have cause too much pain to whole of Pakistan in return for ultimate joys and wealth for their families. I know it is becoming cliché but is it not time to say to all the ruling MIAN SAABS of Pakistan that “Mian Saab Hun Jaan Doo Saddi Wari Aan Doo”. Pakistan ZindaBad.