He spoke his mind. From the beginning when he was a student PPP activist, right down to when he was Governor of the countrys largest province. Not for him, navigating through the no-go areas of public discourse, the ones that others have to approach obliquely or euphemistically, if at all. It was a habit that would, in the end, take his life. Though he was the gadfly of many, of late the religious right in particular had taken considerable offence at his public statements against the blasphemy laws. His assailant admitted that it were, indeed, those statements that motivated him to take the life of the very same man he was supposed to be protecting.
Salmaan Taseers life was quite a journey. Having cut his teeth as a political activist by being sent to the infamous Fort, that gulag for the jiyalas and leftists during the draconian Zia regime, he went on to become a prominent businessman, with a diverse line of businesses, many of them spectacularly successful. He always seemed ahead of the curve, investing in high-profile commercial real estate much before it became all the rage, investing in telecommunication infrastructure much before the IT revolution caught full steam. He also went on to attract much criticism from his fellow party members for his perceived closeness to the erstwhile military dictator General Pervez Musharraf, who gave him a berth in the caretaker federal cabinet.
The next phase in his political career started when the newly elected PPP government made him the Governor of the Punjab. As representative of the federation, his barbs against the provincial government riled the latter to the extent of deviation into politics of the gutter, with the Punjab law minister releasing some very personal photographs of the Taseer family. He took it all in his stride, living the same high partying lifestyle that made fashion glossies more interested in him than in film stars. He had an acerbic wit that would cut the luminaries of the provincial government to the quick. His sense of humour was devastating. The PML(N) is against western festivals? Send the CM red roses on Valentines day. A media group is hounding him ceaselessly? Buy air-tickets for another country, leak them to said group and have a press conference when they start running bulletins highlighting how he has fled. Fond memories of a man who never did shy away from saying what he thought.
Bound as we are to protect the good name of our Saviour, Peace Be Upon Him, the blasphemy laws are, nonetheless, man-made. They are open to debate. It is a sad day for democracy, nay, civilisation, when an individual cannot even voice his opinion about the law of the land.
The management and staff of Pakistan Today share the grief of the deceased’s family, friends and party members.
