Liaquat has been exposed on YouTube, but that wont reduce his fan following in any significant way.
ISLAMABAD: This is with reference to George Fulton’s article of August 18 titled “Denial, delusion and ‘Dr’ Liaquat”.
It’s all very simple actually, and there is a reason why its called ‘showbiz’. The job of the people in this industry is to put on a good entertaining show, that is all. And the phenomenon is not unique to Pakistan as Mr Fulton would have us believe.
For example, who doesn’t know that the matches in the WWE are all choreographed and their results are known in advance? And yet millions follow them and cheer on their favourite wrestlers as if the matches were real. Also, such gaffes as that of Aamir Liauqat have been aired for televangelists in the West and they did nothing really to dent their popularity.
So, if today Liaquat has been exposed on YouTube, let’s not fool ourselves into thinking that his fan following will be reduced in any significant way. He is a brilliant actor and a good showman. He does shows lying down inside a grave on Shab-e-Barat and starts reciting a naat in the middle of a conversation. People who tune into his show are the same people who regularly watch dramas and soap operas and for them, this is just another form of entertainment.
As for the religion aspect, we have suicide attacks, sectarian violence and scandals in the Hajj ministry, so religion in this country has already been stripped off its reverence to a considerable extent. Liaquat is nothing more than a supporting actor in this and as long as he keeps performing well, his fans will keep watching him.
Tahir Nadeem
Published in The Express Tribune, August 19th, 2011.
