Unrequited respect: Sonu the bull meant only for Nawaz’s palate

Shafique says local PML-N leadership preventing him from meeting the party chief.

RAWALPINDI: Muhammad Shafique has been called many things. Some say he is passionate, committed, a true patriot, while others say he is deranged, a fool. But that is what people say.

The 50-year-old shepherd’s love for Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif led him to raise a bull that he hoped to gift him one day.

The bull, Sonu, now in his prime, was only two months old when Shafique bought him. After spending more than five years feeding and taking care of the animal, Shafique has been denied the chance to fulfil his “most cherished dream”.

“I reared Sono with affection just to present it to my leader as a gift, but the local leadership of PML-N are hindering my attempts to meet him,” said Shafique. He said he took the animal to almost all political gatherings of PML-N in the twin cities, including the June 2009 long march for restoration of judiciary. He said that the party representatives “know the degree of my support for Nawaz Sharif and the affection I have for the bull,” but are still not letting him meet Sharif.

Shafique lives in a two-bed rented house in a narrow lane of Waris Khan. Sonu sleeps outside, leashed to his bedroom door. The poor cattle bearer said he spent Rs500 daily on the bull to keep him healthy for the past five years. He said he sold his wife’s jewellery and a shop where he used to sell chickens just to meet the bull’s expenses. “My wife is not happy with me over the expenses,” he said.

Shafique said he is losing hope and will sell the animal as he cannot afford it any further. Though dejected, he said he “still believes that the top leaders of PML-N will meet me as soon as they learn about my love for them”. He blamed the local representatives for not forwarding his requests to the party’s leaders.

Meanwhile, Shafique’s neighbours said he is “deranged as he has no child and has been under stress for the last many years.” Rasheed Ahmed who lives in the same street, says that “He takes interest in rearing animals and birds at his house.” He concluded that non-responsive leadership and childlessness has led Shafique to mental distress and despair.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7^th,  2011.