Democracy vs dictatorship


Saif M June 10, 2010

NEW YORK: This is with reference to Javed Chaudhry’s article ‘Democracy vs dictatorship’ (June 10) and in particular where he says the following: “As for Zia, when he died, the eyes of the entire nation were full of tears on his death.”

I don’t know what Mr Chaudhry means by “the entire nation”, but I distinctly remember the day when Zia died. I was in Abu Dhabi watching a squash game in the sports club of the Hilton hotel. There were 30-40 people in the club, some watching the games, others gossiping and sipping their drinks. A large number of them were Pakistani. A waiter whispered the news of Zia’s death in a Pakistani’s ear. The Pakistani announced the news to the room. Another Pakistani shouted to the bartender: “A round of drinks for everybody in the room. On me!”
If ever I saw a group of people openly rejoicing on any one’s death, it was there that evening.

Mr Chaudhry’s stories sounds like they are made up to draw the conclusions he wants to draw and propagate.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 11th, 2010.

COMMENTS (1)

Haris | 13 years ago | Reply Funny this anecdote is mentioned. No real harm done, but one may wonder what general reactions might be if someone somewhere audaciously narrated similar episodes concerning Zulfi & Benazir Bhutto's respective and similarly unfortunate ends 3 decades apart...? Political perception and viewpoint is one thing, inhumanely rejoicing a death is another, and perhaps shows the negatives of human nature, and in this case, our Pakistani nation, for the whole world to read. Even in war real soldiers bury and offer salute to the fallen enemy soldiers overpowered after fierce fighting.
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