imo, Zardari’s character assassination is one of the most successful smear campaigns the world has ever seen. I’m not saying that he is an angel. he clearly isn’t. but the way politicians (not just Zardari) were publicly ridiculed and humiliated in the 90s is something to behold. the names of Zardari, BB and NS were made synonymous with corruption to the point where now when the public even subconsciously links corruption with Zardari/politicans. even if you ask an ABCD kid who knows nothing about Pakistan… he/she will know that Zardari is not only corrupt but the devil himself. I remember growing up in the 90s and the kind of stories that were circulated about BB were absolutely fantastical and ridiculous. a couple of years ago, I ran into a Karachiite who said that BB (a mother of 3) made money by selling the organs of kids in Karachi. a national leader, chairman of the largest political party in the country (that stands for human rights and freedom) and a mother 3 was making money by selling the organs of kids. wow… and I won’t even get into how all the newspapers established that she was a traitor to the country and a security hazard etc. well in the end, she was the one who came back to the country despite threats and gave her life bravely for the country. not like our rangeen mizaaj commando Musharraf who ran away licking his own balls. these hermaphrodite generals wish they had the courage, bravery, integrity and self respect of Bhutto, BB, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, the Bilours, etc.
if you think about Zardari, the way he is hated you would think he was Mir Jaffar and Mir Sadiq in one… it’s like everything calamity that befell Pakistan was directly due to him. so, lets see. did he break the country? no, the generals did that. did he start Kargil that resulted in international humiliation for the country? no, the generals did that. did Zardari drag us into terrorism mess and make us a poodle of the US all over again? no, the generals did that. did Zardari murder a prime minister of this country? no, the generals did that. did Zardari send a twice elected prime minister of the country into exile by manufacturing false cases? no, the generals did that. did Zardari give not so veiled threats to BB about the need for her cooperation in exchange for her life? no, one of the generals did that. did Zardari order Hammad Raza murdered? no, the generals did that. did Zardari protect the rapists of Dr. Shazia in Balochistan? no, the generals did that. did Zardari order Baloch men and women be picked up and confined illegally? no, the generals did that.
really makes you think about the fact that the Pak generals might not be very successful in their day jobs… but if there is one thing it knows, it is how to play politicians like violins. all its takes is a well timed nudge to the editor of some third class paper like Jang/The News or some journalist for hire like Ansar Abbasi, etc and you can get them to write for or against anyone.
similarly, the Pakistani press ought to be embarrassed of how it has conducted itself over the years and how it plays into the hands of the establishment. when the winds change, so does the slant of our newspapers. for example, just read the bakwaas they write every time a general is being promoted. they write about Kayani as if he is the second coming of Alexander the great. these people have no conscience… they are for rent. pay them enough and they will two opposite things in the same day on the same channel. just look at daaaktar Shahid Mossad. the man is an amoeba. will crawl into any hole and assume its shape.
and lastly, our politicians need to stop being so naive. when you get accused of something, don’t just ignore it and pretend that you’re taking the high road… take the idiot to court where either you are convicted or the “journalist” is. you can’t have it both ways.