Naveed Qamar Quashes Rumors
of ‘Deal’ at ZAB Celebration in San Francisco
Bay Area
By Z. Qalam
Syed Naveed Qamar Shah |
The California Chapter of the
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) celebrated the 79th birthday
of party Founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto at the Paprika Restaurant
in Antioch, California on Saturday, January 13, 2007. The
Chief Guest at this program, MNA Syed Naveed Qamar Shah, flew
in from Pakistan to deliver Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto’s
special message on her late father’s birthday.
This event came at the tail end of a week-long worldwide celebrations
held by the PPP and its well-wishers to remember Z.A. Bhutto,
who would have been 79 years of age on January 5th.
Almost 28 years after his execution in Pakistan on April 4,
1979, ZAB lives on in the hearts and minds of millions of
Pakistanis, and the party that he founded still possesses
the largest permanent voting bank in that country. From his
home town of Larkana, Pakistan all the way to the San Francisco
Bay Area, groups of people look back to him and his times
with many tender feelings. The possibility of the secular,
democratic Pakistan that he had in mind, like Pakistan ’s
Founder, Quaid-i-Azam M.A. Jinnah has earned ZAB the title
of Quaid-i-Awam (Leader of the People). The PPP feels that
it is still in a position to fulfill that ideal, a fact that
has been realized by many now in Pakistan and even in Western
capitals.
This event in Antioch gathered together possibly four generations
of PPP followers or Jiyalas as they are known along with a
contingent of local representatives of the PML both (N) and
(Q). It started off with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an
and the 200 people present heard speeches from PPP guests
from as far away as Los Angeles and New York .
A prayer was said in memory of Z.A. Bhutto and added to the
prayers was the well-being of Begum Nusrat Bhutto and Mohtarma
Benazir Bhutto.
Young Sultan Bhutto started off the speech segment and initiated
a series of naras (slogans) that has been the hallmark of
the party since its inception.
Syed Naveed Qamar Shah and PPP supporters at the ZAB
birthday celebration in Antioch |
Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Vice Chair
of the PPP called all the way from Islamabad to address the
meeting. His brief telephonic speech highlighted what he called
the destiny of the PPP to lead Pakistan to a brighter future.
He congratulated everyone present for celebrating the Quaid-i-Awam’s
birthday.
The formalities began with the presentation of the Ajrak (a
Sindhi symbol of respect and friendship as well as peace)
to Chief Guest MNA Naveed Qamar by Khuda Bux Bhutto and Najma
Bhutto along with other PPP dignitaries present, including
party senior AbdulQayyum Awan. From then onwards many people
took the opportunity to speak at this event including Najma
Bhutto, Hashim Jafri, Dr. Awan, Tariq Khan, Zahid Saif, Khalid
Awan, Rehana and Sabra Farooq.
PPP (California) President Khuda Bux Bhutto addressing the
gathering said that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto gave the voiceless
poor of Pakistan a voice. He said that today a peasant can
sit on the same table as a landlord in Pakistan, thanks to
the Quaid-i-Awam. He added that he was proud to celebrate
the birthday of his great leader and thanked everyone for
coming. “Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto can complete Z.A.B’s
vision,” he said. “Insahallah it will happen.”
Left): Cake-cutting ceremony. (Right): A group of PPP
supporters |
The Chief Guest and Member of
the National Assembly of Pakistan Naveed Qamar is the scion
of one of Sindh’s well- known political families. He
has established a reputation for himself as an enlightened
moderate voice within the PPP and has remained close to the
vision of the party without compromising on basic principles.
Little known is the fact that Naveed has a background in the
hi-tech industry and there was a time during the 1980’s
when he and his wife Almas were a welcome addition to Silicon
Valley ’s Pakistani-American social life. He has helped
many a student in their FORTRAN Programming classes. The transition
from software to politics has been relatively easy for him.
In his keynote speech delivered in both Urdu and English,
MNA Naveed Qamar began by appreciating the fact that many
women were participating in this event, which was a welcome
sign (and part of the PPP practice of politics if one might
add). Delivering a message from the PPP Chairperson Mohtarma
Benazir Bhutto which highlighted the epic struggle for justice
by her late father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, a call was made to
unite under the banner of democracy and to re-enforce Roti-Kapra-Makaan
(food-clothing-shelter) as a focal point. Benazir Bhutto through
Naveed Qamar highlighted the achievements of ZAB and said
that “The Torch of Freedom,” that was the legacy
of the Quaid-i-Awam is still lit for Pakistan ’s people.
She thanked everyone present for celebrating her father’s
birthday and congratulated PPP followers for holding events
to remember him.
Next Syed Naveed Qamar delivered his own speech. Speaking
from the heart, he said that besides rumors of deals between
the Musharraf Government and the PPP several myths that had
been created by the current government had to be unveiled.
First he said that the current $12 billion dollar foreign
exchange reserve of Pakistan was not a government achievement
generated from within Pakistan but was of overseas origin
especially a symptom of post-9/11 insecurity amongst Pakistanis
living in Europe or North America who transferred money home.
Second he said that the much-touted 7-8% annual growth in
Pakistan ’s economy was mainly from the non-productive
sector such as banking. Last and not least, he said that reports
have come out that Pakistanis are happier today and that their
economic well-being has improved. Naveed Qamar said that things
were looking good to 2% of the people in Pakistan while 98%
were facing increased unemployment, load shedding, price rises
and eroding buying power due to inflation. He said that there
was much criticism of the last PPP government about buying
expensive electricity generation. Today the current rulers
are paying twice that amount. “What is there for the
poor?” he asked. Corruption according to Transparency
International is much worse today in Pakistan than ever before,
he added.
The cake |
Now on the hot topic of the
day, he said several rumors are being forwarded (mostly by
members of the current establishment) about deals between
the PPP and the Government. He said that what is needed is
a re-emphasis on Pakistan ’s Constitution (a legacy
of Z.A. Bhutto). “We need a firm footed democracy,”
he said (not deals). “We need free and fair elections
in Pakistan,” he added. “You (Pakistani-Americans)
need to emphasize that here,” he added. Speaking to
the PPP workers he said that the first step towards that effort
should be unity within the PPP workers. “If you feel
for Pakistan, please give it your time and help us,”
he added. “Those inspired by the memory of Zulfikar
Ali Bhutto need to struggle for democracy in Pakistan,”
he said. He closed his speech with words of thanks to all
in attendance.
Closing the program with the ceremonial cutting of a huge
cake for Z.A. Bhutto’s birthday, many things came to
mind. The PPP still remains the largest democratic force in
the country in spite of the sufferings of its leadership and
workers. Closing in on 30 years since Z.A. Bhutto’s
overthrow (July 5, 1977) and almost 28 years since execution
(April 4, 1979) his memory lives on as an inspiration for
a secular democratic Pakistan. The question is: will the progressive
forces in Pakistan come together to save its founder’s
vision of it or will it be the people who once opposed its
creation who will lead it into more dangerous waters?
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