The power of inspiration

It was supposed to be a routine event that we had arranged as part of the Oxford University Pakistan Society lecture series. The guest speaker, who taught Geography at King’s College London, was going to talk about the water/environment crisis in Pakistan, in the wake of floods that had taken place in the country. Obligated to attend the event as a host, I had absolutely no interest in the subject. Moreover, I had other things to worry about, applying for consultancy jobs being one of them.

Just 90 minutes and I will be out of here, I thought to myself as the guest speaker, a rather young, good looking man started off his lecture. To this date, I have no memory of the content of the lecture, I don’t think I retained anything. What I do remember and which completely changed my life, goals and direction is this eloquent speaker, whisking around the lecture hall talking, gesturing with his hands — the passion and charisma that I had not seen in my entire time at the university. While the lecture received a standing ovation, to me, here was this young Pakistani guy from Lahore (my hometown), ex-Aitchisonian and a PhD from the US, with a strong personality and wit, and stories that re-defined what being an academic was. This one man, with a single lecture, destroyed every stereotype that I held about the academic world and teaching. The inspiration was such that I found myself wanting to pursue an academic and teaching life. A year later, after graduating from Cambridge, I chose to return to Pakistan and teach at NUST. And in every lecture that I continue to give to this date, at the back of my head it is Danish Mustafa’s sheer brilliance that has inspired me.

Inspiration, however, comes to those who seek, and it comes often in life, even from places least expected: the PML- N — a political party that I grew up having animosity for because of its right-wing politics and dirty businesses. And yet, it was in this party that I found one of the most inspirational figures in our country.

Arriving back in Pakistan and teaching at NUST, I had little interest in government and politics — and why would I have any? I neither belonged to a political family nor had the right political credentials. Plus, I viewed politics in Pakistan as dirty, and politicians not only corrupt but intellectually disabled. Imran Khan was making leaps, and while others of my age pledged their souls to him, having met Khan twice before, and listening to his views on the Taliban and economic policy, had put me off.

But here was this Wharton graduate in the PML-N, noticeably tall with his sharp looks, immaculate sense of dress and mannerism, shredding apart every PML-N stereotype that was out there. Walking into the PML-N office, this man could have been easily mistaken for a CEO or an investment banker on Wall Street. Yet, he chose to return to Pakistan and work his way up in politics and government to finally become a cabinet minister today. A man who could talk to the World Bank, Americans and British at an intellectual footing no less, to meeting and solving problems of dozens of poor and jobless people from his rural constituency daily, along with his patience, humility and people skills were truly inspirational.

More inspiring, however, was his attitude and approach to life. Never have I ever seen a man more positive in life and committed to his cause — a true fighter in a cut throat world of politics where he and his progressive ideas were alien. Yet he struggled forward. I often wondered what drove him: his strong faith or his passion to change. His taste for intellect and learning, despite being a federal minister, is perhaps what made even Khan label him “Aristotle”. A principled man, respected across the political divide, he once had the chance to support former president General (retd) Pervez  Musharraf after the 1999 coup — instead he chose a hard life. Driven by the motivation to make Pakistan a better place, a hub of intellect and innovation, this man, Ahsan Iqbal, jolted and turned around my opinion of what politics and being a politician really is: a change-maker!

Inspiration, I realised, is a strong feeling — more importantly, a necessary feeling that can help achieve greatness. This country doesn’t lack inspirational people or heroes. What this country lacks are people who can appreciate and get inspired by the stories around us. In the midst of all the negativity prevalent in the country, the ability to see good in people is desperately needed. With a bit of inspiration, we might just change our fate.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2015.

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