Resignations, not impeachments

Can there be a sadder day for any true patriot than August 18? When our elected representatives’ own lack of willingness to listen to the subedars meant that a retired officer had to resign from a government job carrying an official residence and official transport, just to prevent an impeachment. This was almost as bad as December 16, which not only lost Pakistan over half the country, but more important, meant the loss of a President who was a serving officer and his replacement by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Now we would get the replacement in the shape of Bhutto’s elder son-in-law, and the son of Bhutto’s friend, Hakim Ali, none other than Asif Ali Zardari. That alone should be accepted and acknowledged as the fruit of democracy, and should be seen as sweet. No one is telling, but the PPP had enough trouble getting its women to admit to being 25, and thus eligible to be MNAs, that the party was certain that it would not find any woman admitting to the age of 45, which is essential for a Pakistani President. On the other hand, Asif has little choice. If, like him, you admitted to 30, for a Senate election in 1991 (and 30 a must for Senators), then there is a very short step to conceding a casual 45-plus in 2008 (actually he was 35 when he married Benazir Bhutto back in 1987, so now he must be about 56, which is very ,very 45-plus.
Still, we have to wonder how the son of the builder of Bambino Cinema in Karachi is about to become our President. No wonder the Cinema Owners Association will welcome the move, even if cinemas are no longer a great business, unless you can convert them into something or the other. Dare one say that Altaf’s MQM’s support is because of the cinema? No, we daren’t, not unless we want to answer awkward questions. It doesn’t matter that Asif is going to become President because he is a son-in-law. What matters is that he is going to be President. And why not? He does belong to a small province, yet he has been to a cadet college. The Navy must be pretty proud of him, because he went to their cadet college, at Petaro, which should make him accepted as the appointing authority for the service chiefs.