It’s these kind of human things that makes people like Musharraf!
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_5-5-2003_pg7_3
When is your boss coming?’: Musharraf
By A Special Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf asked the acting Indian High Commissioner TCA Raghavan May 4 “when his boss was coming to Pakistan” when the Pakistani president chanced upon him during an unannounced visit to the Serena Hotel for lunch with friends on May 4. Mr Raghavan was chatting at a table with the special correspondent of The Friday Times, Mohammad Shezad, when the incident occured and seemed a bit speechless by the president’s candour.
As General Musharraf swept into the restuarant along with some friends, everyone stood up partly out of surprise and partly out of respect. General Musharraf met the staff of the hotel warmly and chose to sit at a table close to Mr Raghavan after shaking hands with them also. Both the TFT correspondent and the Indian acting High Commissioner introduced themselves. He was very cordial.
After a short while, he sprang another surprise. He walked across to Mr Raghavan’s table, patted the TFT correspondent on his shoulder as though he had known him for a long time (this was his first meeting) and asked: “How’re you?” Before he could speak, he posed another question: “Have you finished or just started?”
“We have just started Sir,” Raghavan and the correspondent replied togther.
“Good!” he said and moved to the buffet table.
He was wearing a dark blue T-Shirt and a pair of dark blue trousers. He looked handsome and charismatic—much younger than his age, thought the reporter.
He returned to Mr Raghavan’s table again and shot the million dollar question: “When is your new boss coming?” (He was referring to the new High Commissioner.) Mr Raghavan was baffled. Regaining his composure quickly, he said: “He is coming soon, Sir.”
“Who?” asked the President. Mr Raghavan quickly replied: “I will convey your message, Sir.”
“Good!” replied the President.
At the dessert table, the TFT correspondent approached him and expressed the desire to interview him for The Friday Times.
“You want to interview me…for The Friday Times?”, he asked, a little surprised.
“Yes Sir, for The Friday Times?”“Why not! Definitely. We will meet soon, Insha Allah.”
The President took the reporter’s visiting card and promised to contact him. When he had finished lunch, he lit a cigar, which made him look rather relaxed and expansive. Meanwhile, he was approached by the Aga Khan Foundation’s chief executive, Dr Shams Kassim Lakha, whom he met smilingly.
After lunch, he had green tea. The TFT correspondent saw Mr Raghavan off and was chatting with a friend in the lobby when General Musharraf came out of the restaurant on his way out. He saw the Mohammad Shezad sitting at a sofa, shook hands with him again and said: “We will definitely meet for the interview. I will contact you.”
Later, when the editor of TFT heard the story from the excited reporter, he mused: “That’s one more Mush fan in the ranks”.
