Amidst Disaster Zardari Visits His Chateau
By Dr Ghulam M. Haniff
St. Cloud , Minnesota
"Let them eat cake" is what Marie Antoinette said of her starving subjects when she heard of their protests at the lack of bread. All they wanted was some food, although there was neither freedom nor equality nor dignity for the malnourished peasants.
In an analogous situation, Asif Ali Zardari, the President of the Islamic Republic, showed callus-disregard to the flood-ravaged Pakistanis by arranging a visit to Europe at the time of their greatest need.
In France the uprising was not long in coming. It was a bloody and gruesome affair. The gates of Bastille were pried open to free the prisoners from degradation not dissimilar to that of the peasants. Needless to say, there were no royalty or nobility or feudal among those incarcerated.
The furious peasants lost no time in sacking the palace and chopping-off the head of Marie Antoinette. She was guillotined together with her husband, King Louis XVIth, by the starving subjects.
Injustice exacted its revenge.
All of Europe trembled. Rulers everywhere took notice of the drastic lesson from history, except the ones in Pakistan.
Least of all, Asif Ali Zardari, the most despised man currently in the country. The people of Pakistan are paralyzed by the scope of the disaster to be able to do anything.
As millions became destitute by the relentless rain and disastrous flooding, the worst in the history of the country, Zardari, the President, was busy visiting his fabulous chateau near Paris. His priority was of course his wealth, not the people of Pakistan who elected him to look after them.
France is where the revolution began that ended feudalism in the kingdom and made it into a republic. It is the revolution that inspired Lenin and Mao and even Ho Chi Minh. For a good number of years Ho Chi Minh served as a cook in a French restaurant during the 1920s before returning to Vietnam to take up the struggle against colonialism.
It turns out that the major purpose of Zardari's visit to Europe was to check out his chateau and that the meeting with British Prime Minister was simply a convenient excuse. He could have scheduled the meeting with Cameron some other time.
After all, the Chief of ISI refused to go to London and it is quite likely that London may come to him.
The other purpose of Zardari's visit was to launch his son's, Bilawal's, political career at a gathering in Birmingham with the son giving a speech having the father stand at his side. The objection to this spectacle was so fierce that Bilawal was forced to cancel the commitment although he resisted until the last moment. As a feudal he is entitled to lord over his subjects.
Zardari for his part was greeted by having shoes thrown at him at the Convention Centre. For showing this "breaking news" the television channel, Geo News, was forced-off the air.
In Birmingham, the shoe-thrower was pounced upon by the PPP goon-squad. He was delivered to the authorities but they released him in a short while. The message to the feudal son, Bilawal, is clear: politics may not be his future.
Britain is not Pakistan where people are held captives under the guise of democracy. People there are free to watch the treatment given to their leaders. Television will not be shut down.
In the disaster afflicted Pakistan many expected to see Asif Ali Zardari, Raza Gillani and others leaders, with their sleeves rolled up, helping the unfortunate victims. That was not to be so. The leaders stayed in the comfort of their mansions apparently enjoying biryani.
Even in America, President Obama showed up several times on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, to clean up the mess. He mobilized all the resources to combat the oil disaster.
Not so the leaders of the Islamic Republic even as the masses gave thanks on the anniversary of the birth of the nation.
On the worst possible day of the unstoppable rain and spreading floodwaters, drowning hundreds, Zardari took advantage of a photo opportunity shaking PM David Cameron's hand in London, sporting an ear-to-ear grin.
The photo appeared in the front pages of several newspapers and was circulated widely.
His message to the world: "Let them eat cake."
