Zardari is 'innocent'

By: Gowhar Geelani

After going through the recent interview Mr Asif Zardari had with the 'Wall Street Journal'-- in which he referred to the armed resistance groups operating in Kashmir as "terrorists"-- I was reminded of presentations featuring Inzamam-ul-Haq. The former skipper of the Pakistani cricket team, as we all know, was quite an entertainment when it came to the presentation ceremonies. Die-hard fans of Pakistan cricket and the national team would pray for the team's victory, but always resisted temptations wishing Man of the Match (MoM) awards going captain's way.
Fearing embarrassment because of Inzamam's poor comprehension of the English language, Pakistani cricket fans would close their eyes while Inzy would speak starting with the famous line: "Bismillah…Sab Say Pehlay Allah Ta'allah Ka Shukr……". The lazy elegance, as he would do more often than not--once played a gem of an innings on a very slow and an uneven track; which turned, gripped and offered help to the slow and spin bowlers. Inzy was adjudged player of the match. And during the presentation ceremony was asked how he managed to play such a fine innings when all other batters struggled, the pitch was not conducive for batting and the ball didn't come on to the bat. " Bismillah….Sab Say Pehlay Allah Ta'allah Ka Shukr; yes, the pitch was fast, I first single, double, and then big hit." Poor Inzy.
What a great batsman Inzy was? He has to be judged by what he did with the bat, and without a whisker of a doubt-- he let his bat do all the talking. One can't blame him for the interviews he gave in a language he was not familiar with or good at.
The case in point is the recent statement of Mr Asif Zardari. Asif Ali Zardari, the newly elected President of Pakistan, the widower of assassinated Benazir Bhutto and the one whom people know more as "Mr 10 per cent", is being quoted by the 'Wall Street Journal' to have referred to the armed resistance groups in Kashmir as 'terrorists'. The online edition of 'The Wall Street Journal' writes: "He speaks of the militant Islamic groups operating in Kashmir as "terrorists" -- former President Musharraf would more likely have called them "freedom fighters" -- and allows that he has no objection to the India-US nuclear cooperation pact, so long as Pakistan is treated "at par." "
Let's not be too harsh with Mr Ten Percent. From A to Z Asif Zardari has made a mark in his own uncanny style. Now we don't really know what has made him say what he has said in an interview. Did he say "terrorists" and meant "tourists"? Has his statement something to do with the poor English comprehension or has he really gone a long way, may be from Ten Percent ao Twenty Percent for agreeing to a Volte-face vis-à-vis Pakistan's historical, fundamental, and traditional stance on Kashmir. Striking deals--be it in the dingy stables or in the cozy hotels of Washington—Mr. Zardari is doing what he knows best. Whatever the case may be, in my view; he is innocent.
And in India I guess the leaders of Bhartiya Janata Party and the Congress are celebrating the statement of Mr Zardari a little too hastily, you never know what he is going to say the next morning, the next week, the next month—depending upon the strength and size of the deals or the comprehension. In terms of issuing controversial statements he has been infected with 'diarrhoea of ideas syndrome' like his predecessor Retired General Pervez Musharraff. And just 24-hours after the interview, didn't his government say Mr Zardari has been misunderstood and that there was no change in Pakistan's Kashmir policy. All said and done, I maintain, Mr Zardari is innocent!
The author is a Kashmiri journalist based in Bonn, Germany; working as an Editor with Deutsche Welle (Voice of Germany).