Defending the indefensible

There goes a saying that a conscience that is dead for too long begins to rot. It bears reminding to the jiyala parliamentarians who were busy defending some of President Zardari's indefensible remarks during his maiden visit to the US. Messrs Baber Awan and Qamar Zaman Kaira were the exceptions. Perhaps they are too reasonable to behave unreasonably.

But then on the other side of the spectrum there were those who were seen bending over backwards to commend Mr Zardari for having pleaded before the international community Pakistan's case more effectively than all the former presidents put together. Pity the poor folks. Either they did not hear their leader's address in the General Assembly or they relied too much on copies of the speech he was supposed to deliver but probably decided at the last moment to take the opportunity to launch his martyred wife's doctrine.

Some glimpses from the speech: "I come before you today in the name of my late wife, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, as a victim of terrorism representing a nation that is a victim of terrorism....It has been eleven months since the first attack on my wife on October 18, 2007, was followed by a UN resolution calling for an inquiry in that crime against humanity. That UN resolution has so far been ineffective. After her assassination on December 27, the international community demanded an independent inquiry - a demand supported by resolutions in Pakistan's parliament and four provincial legislatures."