take on either his own federal ministers or the inept, corrupt and downright callous PPP government in Sindh. He failed to visit any of the hospitals to ask after the health of hundreds of heatwave victims.
But all is not bleak for Sharif. The PTI is bent upon improving his standing. There are those of us who, without resorting to hero-worship, had hoped that Imran Khan, despite his glaring flaws, will learn to become the kind of leader this country needs. So far he has failed to live up to such expectations. Unsurprisingly then, Nawaz Sharif is one up on the PTI, thanks to 35 punctures.
In contrast, General Raheel Sharif continues to grow tall because of his integrity and professionalism. He has shown remarkable courage in taking and implementing tough decisions under extremely complex circumstances.
He has wisely ordered inquiries to punish the corrupt within the army even as he has vowed to ‘finish all mafias’ in Karachi whose existence is directly beneficial to terrorists.
It is not just his strategic decisions leading to military successes in Fata or his will to challenge the status quo in Karachi or his refusal to revert to failed strategies to counter an immature Modi; it is also his inter-personal leadership qualities that distinguish him from the political elite.
Take the latest example: despite his equally busy schedule he found the time to attend the funeral of those killed in the Gujranwala tragedy, visit the hospital to inquire about the health of the injured and then dash to North Waziristan to be with his troops close to the Pak-Afghan border.
It is quite likely that Nawaz Sharif did not visit hospitals in Karachi to avoid facing angry aggrieved families. In other words he was wary of public opinion. He need not have bothered because the public is too busy entertaining and getting entertained by Ramzan Sharif.
The third Sharif has transformed into something unrecognisable over the years. There are those in this land of the pure who give up on alcohol during Ramzan and revert to it afterwards. One would have thought that Ramzan was not about postponing harmful behaviour but giving it up altogether.
The month used to be about eating less, sleeping less and working as per normal hours. It has gradually turned into an excuse for lethargy and shirking responsibility. Sehri, we were taught, is the time for introspection and contemplation and Iftar is about simplicity. Ramzan Sharif, after all, is about empathising with the less fortunate.
It is amazing how media channels have turned the third Sharif into a deafening cacophony from Sehri to Iftar. So much so that when we are not eating food we are talking about it on cooking shows or watching repetitive commercials that inundate us with opulent Iftar tables.
The various prize-showering shows aired by almost every channel is the cherry on the cake. It is painful to watch outstretched hands trying to snatch an iron or a blender or some other such mundane stuff from a rampaging anchor as if one more juicer or a motorbike will take the audience to the next level of spiritual bliss.
The ‘mullah galore’ on our TV screens makes Ramzan Sharif PR time for the (self) righteous. Well, I have a question for them. I am no expert on religion but bestowing free goodies upon people who do not appear to be needy does not seem quite the right thing to do. Any comment, maulana?
The writer is an academic , currently affiliated with Meliksah University, Turkey.
Email: talatfarooq11@gmail.com
In Pakistan, approximately 17% of jobs, in sectors like customer service, manufacturing, and agriculture, are...
Space technology might be right antidote to the Malthusian spectre of climate-driven food and water scarcity
This draconian framework treated inmates as liabilities to be restrained, rather than individuals capable of redemption
Trump’s frustration with the Pakistan government manifested as economic pressure
It often functions more as a way to manage and balance power within the ruling class
If we are indeed a poor developing nation, the lifestyles of our ruling classes speak in a radically opposite manner