Category: ATDT in Media

Karachi, Feb 2: Speakers at the launching ceremony of the book titled: “Aboard the Democracy Train: a Journey through Pakistan’s Last Decade of Democracy”, authored by eminent journalist Nafisa Hoodbhoy, called for learning lessons from the derailment of democracy in the country in 1990s. The event was organised by the Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) here on Saturday.

“We should learn lesson from the horrible consequences the country suffered owing to frequent interruptions in the nascent democratic process,” said Nafisa Hoodbhoy while speaking and answering questions from the audience.

“I am not fond of the present government but I do realise that it is also facing extreme difficult situation,” she added. Nafisa asked as to how stable policy and development would take place when the rulers would be concerned that they may be sent home tomorrow. To some extent, she agreed to the questioner that the democratic struggle during 1980s was linked with the struggle for the rights of women, minorities and human rights but “now the democratic question was linked merely with power politics”.

She, however, opined that much part of this blame should go to those forces which interrupted the democratic process from 1988 to 1999 as no regime was allowed to complete its tenure. She believed that the problems, which the country and particularly Karachi was facing today was the result of the war on terror and Pakistan’s role in it.

“There is a great deal of anti-US sentiments in Pakistan but we need to adopt political approach and objectivity towards the US,” suggested Nafisa.

She said that Washington could not be blamed for all the ills being faced by Islamabad. “There is absence of governance and lack of planning and Pakistan needs to blame itself for it,” she added.

About the book and herself, Nafisa said: “This is a book for the people who are interested in the inside story of Pakistan. It is one that I undertook to write because of my front line access to top politicians and exclusive information obtained while working as a political reporter in Karachi in the 1980s.”

She said she was the only woman reporter at a turning point in Pakistan’s history. “The event, still etched in the minds of millions of Pakistanis…Gen. Zia’s plane crash of August 1988… catapulted me to cover Benazir Bhutto’s bid to mobilize the masses,” she said.

“There are five main aspects of the book,” said eminent scholar Dr. Jaffar Ahmed.

Firstly, Nafisa has strong realization that Pakistani society happens to be patriarchic and in such society women have to launch “extra-ordinary struggle” for the rights and make their presence felt.

“She (Nafisa) had developed a longing for Benazir Bhutto because of her (BB’s) extra-ordinary struggle against the despot rule,” said Dr. Ahmed, head of Pakistan Study Centre of Karachi University.

She also realised that if women come out in the field they would find that there was a large number of people who would join their struggle.

“Nafisa broke the taboos and gender bias by working in the field as reporter,” said Prof. Ahmed.

Secondly, Nafisa belonged to what it is believed as “elite class” but despite this she had developed longing for the poor and deprived ones. This was evident from her visits to rural areas of Sindh. She was highly critical of the “classed society” of Sindh and this was very significant thing of her book.

Thirdly, another important aspect of Nafisa’s book was that she has described the ethnic question or ethnic hatred in Sindh objectively. She has stated as to how the “majority was turned into minority” and as to how the failure to manage it resulted in the polarization and fragmentation of society in Sindh.

“Nafisa’s approach is objective and without any bias,” said Prof Ahmed, adding that she has also presented “remedy of this polarization” in her book.

Fourthly, Nafisa loved Benazir Bhutto from the core of her heart and somewhere in her book she appears to be “obsessed” with her but despite this love and longing for the political leader she (Hoodbhoy) did not desist from criticizing the flaws and failures of the BB’s two tenures.

“This shows that she has a commitment with the democracy and not with any political leader,” believed Jaffar, adding that she was not willing to compromise on her democratic principles.

The fifth aspect of the book pertained to Nafisa’s criticism on the Pakistan’s role after 9/11 and geo-strategic situation in the region. Nafisa believed that whatever lawlessness Pakistan was facing today was the result of the country’s unstinted support to the US-led war on terror.

“The basic thing is that Hoodbhoy’s book is politically correct book, which is written from the democratic perspective,” concluded Dr. Jaffar Ahmed.

Journalist and novelist Muhammad Hanif said what struck him was that the book has been written as “first person” and he knew that it was a very difficult task but she managed to strike a balance in personal as well as political history of Pakistan.

He opined that the book was not the political history of Pakistan, instead it was a “reporter’s diary” about the events of last 20 years, which provide “brilliant perspective about today’s life as well”.

“Nafisa, a bright and hard working reporter chased the murder and rape cases and took them to the conclusion,” said Hanif.

He said the book was also partly a love story as Nafisa found her life partner through her journalistic work.

Rights activist Zohra Yousuf said that the book was being launched at an appropriate time as it was the first time that an elected government was completing its tenure without any interruption.

Though the democratic regime was marked by uncertainty and the rights abuses, it was quite an achievement in the history of Pakistan, she said.

Zohra opined that the democracy should not be taken in narrow sense and stressed for debating the quality of the democratic regime, specially its poor governance. At the same time, she also underlined the importance of assessing the role of what she called two big brothers namely the “army and now judiciary” under which, this government worked.

“The book starts with the transition in 1988 i.e. after the death of Gen. Zia in plane crash and it resonates with us and make us realize its tragic aftermath in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto,” said Zohra who also worked as journalist in 1980s.

Referring to perpetual act of sabotage in the shape of destruction of democracy thrice by the ambitious military generals, Ms Yousuf believed that lately the militancy was posing serious challenge to democracy.

“We did not exactly know who killed BB but at least officially it was said that the militants assassinated her,” she said, adding that the latest victim of the militancy was ANP leader Bashir Bilour.

About the book and its author, Zohra said that Nafisa’s approach was journalistic and not academic, and it makes very easy to read it.

“She (Nafisa) brings back memories and regrets such as things would have been much better today if the democracy had not been derailed,” said Zohra.

She also highlighted the “sordid events” which determined the democracy today.

“Though Ms Hoodbhoy had been close to the people in power, she is objective and she narrates democracy honestly and in straightforward and engaging manner,” she added.

Nafisa described the compromises through which the democracy was brought back such as NRO and departure of Gen. Pervez Musharraf that were not considered as happy developments.

She (Nafisa) also believed that Asif Zardari was the most unlikely person to lead the present democratic setup.

At the end of her speech, Zohra suggested Nafisa to “revisit the train to democracy”.

Eminent columnist Zubaida Mustafa, who chaired the book launching ceremony, recalled that she was inspired to see the determination and courage of Nafisa when she chose to become reporter of Dawn in Karachi in 1980s, as there were only two or three women journalists at that time.

Nafisa was humbled when Zubaida said that not only young generation but old generation like her learnt a lot from her reports. She said those were the difficult times for the reporters to collect news and bring truth to the readers. Zubaida also recalled the adverse situation which Nafisa faced while covering events in Karachi.

Editor Jang Nazir Leghari recalled the era of censorship and curbs on freedom of media during the military regime of Gen. Zia to the extent that reporters working in the head offices of the newspapers were not allowed covering the political gatherings of the MRD in other districts.

He also named such political personalities who were closed to the military ruler in 1980s but now their sons have become champions of democracy in both the PML-N and the PPP.

President ACP Muhammad Ahmed Shah and Dr. Ayub Sheikh also expressed their views at the largely attended ceremony.

The audience gave standing ovation to both Nafisa Hoodbhoy and Zubaida Mustafa for their work.

Earlier, one minute silence was observed for the departed soul of former editor, novelist and lawyer Siraj-ul-Haq Memon who passed away in the city on Friday night.

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-157778-Call-for-learning-lessons-from-derailment-of-democracy

The first edition of Aboard the Democracy Train in Pakistan will be launched at the Arts Council Karachi on Feb 2 at 6 pm (sharp).

Speakers include Syed Jaffer Ahmed, Director Pakistan Study Center, Karachi University, Mohammed Hanif, journalist and author, Nazir Leghari, editor daily Jang newspaper and Zohra Yusuf, chairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Introduction  by Zubeida Mustafa, former assistant editor of Dawn newspaper.

Published by Paramount Publishing Enterprise in a new hard cover design – the Pakistan edition of ATDT will be available for purchase and book signing by the author.

Aboard the Democracy Train was first published in the UK and USA in 2011 by Anthem Press, London. It was reprinted in India in October 2012. The world’s largest online bookseller, Amazon regularly lists it within the category of the 100 top selling books on `Pakistan history.’ The book has also reached that distinction, off and on, in the categories of `Indian History’ and `Democracy.’

Paramount Publishing Enterprise now owns the copyrights of Aboard the Democracy Train in Pakistan. The book may be purchased online from http://www.paramountbooks.com.pk  and will shortly be available at Paramount’s book stores in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Peshawar and Abbotabad.

Nafisa Hoodbhoy’s book “Aboard the Democracy Train – A Journey through Pakistan’s Last Decade of Democracy” is a gripping account of the two-terms each of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif during 1988 to 1999. Both ascended the Prime Minister’s office through elections and both were sacked by the President of the time on charges of corruption.

Nafisa serving as the only female reporter with the premier English daily of Pakistan, Dawn, for sixteen eventful years, 1984-2000, had the advantage of covering for her paper all major developments of that period and taking mental notes to be incorporated in a book after the turmoil settled down and admitted of an objective evaluation of the events that continue to cast their shadow even to this day. Objectivity of a news reporter, particularly of a staid and sober paper like Dawn, has remained her forte even after a decade of departure from the paper.

Being an ardent feminist herself, she admired the courage, confidence and leadership qualities of Benazir Bhutto; yet, she has not swept under the carpet Benazir’s arrogance, obstinacy and several other weaknesses. Nawaz Sharif has received scant attention of Nafisa despite the fact that he was one of the two PMs who ruled during the period covered by her. One may regard the book as a narrative of Benazir’s struggle to nurture the seedling of democracy she had planted in the country.

The author has revealed her unique experiences while covering the major shifts on the political landscape and her interest in uncovering the elements behind the ethnic violence in Karachi, the city of her birth, the gradual usurpation of women’s basic rights, freedom of the media, and the unfortunate travel of the society from a pluralistic and tolerant group to an ideologically driven, radical community intolerant of any change or progress. It has thus become a static, stagnant community.

By any measure, Nafisa’s book is a valuable addition to the existing literature on Pakistan. It is not a work of scholarship, like the books of Ayesha Jalal, but it is a worthwhile reference book on the events of the crucial period covered by it. Its outstanding feature is its frontline account by a person known for her objectivity in reporting. Her account is racy, piquant and riveting. The reader finds himself disinclined to put the book down till he has finished it. Being a repertoire of anecdotes and quotable quotes, it holds the attention of the reader till the very end – like a work of fiction.

Nafisa’s investigative reports on the notorious Sindh Chief Minister, Jam Sadiq Ali and the hordes of dacoits he patronized make interesting reading.

Nafisa is the younger sister of Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, the famous nuclear scientist who teaches at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and is known for his bold and forthright views often expressed through articles in leading Pakistani papers. She was born in an eminent Ismaili family of Karachi and after schooling at premier educational institutions of Pakistan, reached the US and got her master’s degree in history at an American university. On return to Karachi, she joined the widely read and prestigious English daily, Dawn, and served it as a reporter for 16 years. She is married and has lived in the US since 2,000. Aboard the Democracy Train is her first book in which she has tried to provide an insider view of the complex history and politics of her homeland. Based in the US after 2,000, she has used her vintage point to focus on American involvement in Afghanistan, its impact on Pakistan and the unique features of a war that seems to have no winners.

In her Introduction to the book, she has given highlights of her personal and family life in Karachi and the impact of the Western education on her thought process. “While the public space for women in Pakistan had shrunk, I had returned from the US with a greater taste for freedom.”

She has also mentioned how the coming into existence of Pakistan had brought waves after waves of Indian Muslim migrants to Karachi changing permanently the socio-cultural complexion of the sleepy town, turning it into a metropolis and the center of the commercial hustle and bustle of the newly formed state.

Nafisa’s distaste for military rule became more intense with Gen. Zia sending Bhutto to the gallows in a controversial case. And, her admiration for Benazir increased in a similar proportion once she wiped her tears over the “judicial murder” of her father and donned the mantel of a political gladiator to wrestle against the military might. The more her success in that direction, the more became the admiration of Nafisa for her. Her book thus strikes as a combination of the history of the tumultuous decade and an account of Benazir’s Herculean success in gaining access to power. “Seeing my enthusiasm for a woman Prime Minister, the editor of the newspaper bypassed senior male reporters and nominated me, the only female reporter of Dawn, to cover Benazir Bhutto.” She had thus to travel with Benazir on the Democracy Train through the desert of Sindh and witness the unprecedented welcome accorded to her by villagers who had walked for miles on foot to get a glimpse of the courageous daughter of their great leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

During the rule of Jam Sadiq Ali, Chief Minister, Sindh was terrorized by gangs of dacoits said to be under the patronage of the Chief Minister. Nafisa, an unusually bold person, offered to do a story about them. Her visit to Matiari brought her in contact with people affected by Mohib Shidi in Matiari. She exposed the nexus between crime and politics in the province. The big landlords, Pir Pagara among them, were behind the dacoits while the small landowners, the main supporters of PPP, were punished in several ways for their support of PPP.

Covering the ethnic violence that erupted in Karachi in Aug-Sept, 1988, she discovered that the non-party election of Zia were at the root of the turmoil, since ethnicity became the binding factor in the absence of party affiliation. The MQM came into existence in 1985 shortly after Zia’s non-party elections.

She has given a vivid account of the threat of an attack on her by knife-wielding young men on September 23, 1991, within a day or so of the attack on Kamran Khan of the News, Karachi. That did in no way diminish her zeal to personally cover all such violent incidents and the mobilization of media protests against them.

A good portion of the book is devoted to the on-going struggle of enlightened women of Pakistan for their inalienable rights to freedoms denied to them on one pretext or another.

Nafisa Hoodbhoy has indeed produced a highly informative and readable book for Pakistanis at home and abroad.

arifsyedhussaini@Gmail.com

http://pakistanlink.org/hussaini.htm