A man is known by his manners. This adage is more valid for politicians since they represent the public. In Pakistan, however, a deepening culture of hooliganism and rampant rowdyism by both the government and opposition seems to have replaced good manners and civility that was once the hallmark of the country’s political culture. Captain (R) Safdar Awan, who is the son-in-law of Pakistan’s three times elected prime minister Nawaz Sharif, is the most recent example of this deplorable trend. The Opposition alliance PDM hosted a rally in Karachi as a part of their on-going anti-government protests. Hours before the rally, Safdar Awan, along with his wife Maryam Nawaz, a leading face of the PML-N, and some 200 party workers visited the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the nation, to offer fateha and pay homage to him. But all of a sudden, Mr. Awan jumped over the fenced area surrounding the founder’s resting place and started shouting slogans against the incumbent Imran Khan-led government. The act was totally against accepted moral, social and religious norms as well as a sheer violation of the Quaid-i-Azam’s Mazar (Protection and Maintenance) Ordinance, 1971.

This was a matter of shame for Capt. Safdar Awan as well as for the entire PML-N leadership that stooped to the level of moral bankruptcy to speak their hearts out at the cost of playing with the sanctity of the Quaid’s mausoleum. Subsequently, a huge drama unfolded with regard to Safdar’s due arrest which deflected everyone’s attention for a while from his carefree disregard to both moral sensitivity and political ethics. Whether he was arrested late in the night on the orders of the Sindh Government or under the pressure of Rangers is not the key question. However, what Capt. Safdar did in broad daylight and that too in the presence of media at the Quaid’s Mausoleum is of real concern. Safdar is not an ordinary political worker but someone who has been a senator and is also the son-in-law of a former prime minister. Above all, as a former army officer, he is always supposed to maintain a high level of decency and propriety in public. For that reason, he should have acted proactively by making a public apology.

As one would expect, the PTI leadership spared no effort to condemn the incident. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Though public memory often tends to be short and fickle, the track record of the PTI since its emergence on the political scene has been more tainted and shameful, particularly in relation to political manners and respect for the rest of the political forces in the country. Not so long ago, the PTI leaders were seen waving the party flag and chanting the slogan ‘Go Nawaz Go’ inside the Haram al-Sharif in Mecca. This was not considered enough as some PTI stalwarts went to the extent of chalking anti-Nawaz slogans on the walls of the Ghar-e-Hira at Jabal al-Nour, the holy mountain near Mecca. Not anyone else but the PTI head honcho, Prime Minister Imran Khan deserves the credit for such morally rebellious and reprehensible acts committed in the guise of political campaigning. He once described some foreign players of the Pakistan Super League as phateecher (ragamuffins) and relu kattay. As the elected head of government, he was seen calling Bilawal Bhutto as Bilawal Sahiba. He is also known to have minted distasteful catchphrases like Zardari sab se bari bimari, or portraying opposition leaders as rang baaz (cunning), choohay (rats), geedar (jackals), etc. Most political figures in Pakistan need to be taught the basic sense of ethics and morality, let alone political manners and diplomatic etiquette. However, this is not to digress from the impropriety that Safdar Awan committed at the Quaid’s Mazar – and all because of the loyalty he wanted to show to his leader – the convicted prime minister.

Syed Jawaid Iqbal
President & Editor in Chief