The godfather
After all, the kids (Maryam) and their kids (Junaid Safdar) as well are now all over the place, taking the occasional seat in official meetings with a head of state and almost always accompanying their father and grand-father
Following the Panama Papers debate, Nawaz Sharif’s children Hussain, Hassan and Maryam were separately asked how the properties had been purchased, how the funds were arranged and where the money came from? They all answered as a Corleone; maybe not the storied Michael because he was the youngest, and not Fredo since he was weak and destined to be fired in the manner of those times, but possibly Sonny. Since, all came with a different reply, even the mother Mrs Kalsoom Nawaz had a different answer than the children. Maryam came for the rescue and said “I really think all represented the family”. So spoke the godfather’s son.
I don’t want to overdo this family analogy but I don’t want to ignore it, either. After all, the kids (Maryam) and their kids (Junaid Safdar) as well are now all over the place, taking the occasional seat in official meetings with a head of state and almost always accompanying their father and grand-father as, in the wonderful movie containing all of life’s truths, so-much-so that Maryam was running the day to day affairs of the country and Dar was her aide when Nawaz Sharif was away in London for his treatment, about which the nation is still confused. Confused on both matters, Nawaz’s treatment and also Maryam’s official position.
Now, Maryam’s son seems to be next in the hierarchy because various members of the Nawaz League venture out to Jati-Umra to ask a favour and honour the newest sub God-father, to further request the godfather, the one who heads a nuclear state.
Captain Safdar, our Tom Hagen, who married the PM’s daughter, has lately lost some of his appearance and now his wife Maryam and their son Junaid Safdar can be seen everywhere.
Just as in the movie, we are not sure what business the godfather was in, and the one who is a prime minister of a nuclear power is also unable to explain the business transactions and arrangement of funds. We have never seen his property details, and now, during the traditional expressions of loyalties from his assistants or associates or workers who actually went to the mattresses to fight any one opposing Nawaz, once again vow loyalty and just plain awe.
On the other side, people think that the threats and killings on the eastern border were also for some deal relating to the present political situation. Are there other business interests of the Sharif family elsewhere in the world, other than the UK? Are any in India with huge investments? Are any of them linked to arabs of Saudi or Qatar? Never mind, how could they not be? Because there’s been huge transactions from Pakistan to India, to the tune of $4-5 billion a year during 2013 to 2015; the year when Nawaz Sharif took over the country as its chief executive.
At the press conferences the prime minister’s representatives like Chaudry Nisar, Parvez Rashid and now Maryam Aurangzeb were asked if there was something they could explain about the Panama Papers. Maryam Aurangzaib said she respected the way Nawaz Shareef has ruled this country and raised his children in difficult times, in a Parklane world in which Nawaz is generally loathed, and his kids are considered swans produced by an ugly duckling by the opposition, the reply was not astound but expected. She (Maryam Aurangzeb) was taken with no surprise by the general public as the spokesman of the Sharif family and not state minister for information, government of Pakistan. But people laughed out loudly when she said the kids had inherited and participated in Abba jee’s business, getting the steady promotions and praise duly accorded the progeny of the family. How could they not have picked up Abba jee’s business ethics?
A number of times Nawaz Sharif has addressed the nation and the press conferences about “outrageous” and “dishonest” allegations of money laundering and corruption against his family, but could not justify his stand
On the other side Maryam Safdar is looking after the information desk for Nawaz Sharif. Frankly, I think the nepotism law that may bar Maryam Safdar from working with Nawaz Sharif in the PM House is ridiculous. If Nawaz wants her, he will surely get her. Maybe Maryam can occasionally muster the gumption to stand up to her father and she could not possibly be a worse appointment than the volcanic anti-Imran zealot Parvez Rashid and now Maryam Aurangzeb as national information adviser. But it would be unrealistic to expect Maryam to be anything other than a receptive Nawaz’s daughter.
If Nawaz Sharif were a candid man, if lying were not his usual first response, if he had shown the public his arrangement of funds for the purchase of flats and if had not compiled a record and reputation as a deadbeat, then his position may not have been so exploited by the opposition. But in his head, Nawaz Sharif did not try to win as the leader of the country; He won as the head of a family.
In the present circumstances people feel the fantasy of the normalisation of Nawaz Sharif, the idea that a demagogic prime minister would somehow be transformed into a statesman of poise and deliberation after his day to day victories of holding his office successfully even after so many dharnas, anti-nawaz rallies, processions and public addresses by the opposition specially by “Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf”.
A number of times Nawaz Sharif has addressed the nation and the press conferences about “outrageous” and “dishonest” allegations of money laundering and corruption against his family, but could not justify his stand.
This is where we are. The prime minister does not care. This is who he is, and this is how he will remain running the government for the present tenure and may be again for the next five years. After all, approval of a “Fourth Term” as prime minister requires just a simple majority in the parliament.
