Who Are You?

This is translation done by me of an Urdu column which was published in the Jang Newspaper on 6th April, 2010. It is written by Amr Jaleel. I really loved the article and decided to translate it though I admit despite my all efforts, I failed to bring the beauty and feeling that was in original Urdu article. Nevertheless I have tried my best and hope you`ll like it. I`ll advice to read the original article as well. It can be found at : http://jang.com.pk/jang/apr2010-daily/06-04-2010/col6.htm

A few days ago, someone asked me “Had Benazir Bhutto been alive today, where would Asif Zardari have been?”

“Well, don’t you know? Back then, he wasn’t able to walk and travel much”

“Really?” 

“He was ill. He had a back ache and he was getting treatment for that in Dubai and New York”

“And as soon as Benazir died, he suddenly became healthy again, right?” Came another question, this time with a mischievous smile

“Look, you are accusing a person who is constitutionally elected! “ 

“Don’t get emotional, I am just asking you that had Benazir Bhutto been alive today, what would have been Asif Zardari’s status in Pakistani’ politics?”

I, the faithful support of Zardari, fainted. I woke up in a government hospital, where a nurse was standing next to me; she smiled at me when she found me awake. I got the encouragement I needed; I asked her “Had Benazir Bhutto been alive today, where would Asif Zardari have been?”

The nurse looked at me for a moment and trembled and hit the floor hard as she fainted too. Two three doctors and ward boys stormed into the room. They were shocked after watching the scene in the room. One of those asked “What happened to the sister?”

“I just asked her a question and as soon as she heard the question, she fainted and fell on the floor”, I promptly replied

“What did you ask the sister?” I heard another inquiring voice asking

The doctors and ward boys looked at me with stunned looks. I asked the surprised group “So, can you people tell me that had Benazir Bhutto been alive today, where Asif Zardari would have been?”

The doctors and ward boys all looked at me, then fainted and hit the floor hard. After this, every single person I asked this question fainted the moment the heard this question. 

In the search of answer to this tricky question, I turned towards every saint and magician I could get hold off but with no return. Finally one day I was sitting alone under a tree when I heard the voice. It said “Go to Garhi Khuda Baksh and put this question to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto!!”

I was stunned and looked around. Hence the voice the voice again “What are you thinking. Go to Garhi Khuda Baksh and ask Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto the same question you’ve been asking everyone. He is father in law of Asif Ali Zardari and the founder of the party Zardari leads today. He will answer your question”

I decided that I need to go to Garhi Khuda Baksh to find the answer to my question. I had never seen Larkana before nor had I been to Nodero. Before Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was buried there, nobody had ever heard of Garhi Khuda Baksh but today everyone in Pakistan knows about it. 

I reached Nodero easily from Larkana but it seemed almost impossible to reach Garhi Khuda Baksh as every inch was covered by Rangers and Police. I was really surprised to see all this, as months after Benazir Bhutto burial there were hundred of people on the road leading to Garhi Khuda Baksh which included people from all age groups. 

Holding automatics rifles and revolvers, the rangers were efficient as ever, not letting anyone pass without proper and detailed checking. I finally managed to get hold of an old man sitting there with his tea-stall “Is it so crowded everyday here?”

“No” he replied, “Today is the anniversary of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Saein Zardari is coming to pay his homage”

It looked impossible for me to cross the barrier set by rangers as they weren’t letting anyone cross who didn’t have an identity card. I didn’t have one. Only those hold identity cards that have some identity. I have no identity. I am a homeless in my own homeland. I took the muddy way in the dark bushes as I wanted to reach the tomb of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. I wanted to ask him that had Benazir Bhutto been alive today, where Asif Zardari would have been. Would he still been a politician and leading this country? Only he could give me the answer to the question to which everyone else fainted. 

As I moved deeper into the bushes suddenly I fell over someone. A very old man was sitting with his head down. He looked very familiar, I felt like I knew him, because I had seen him before but couldn’t remember when and where. I sat next to him and asked “Are you going to the tomb of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto too?”

He looked up to me and replied “No”

“So you are not going to Garhi Khuda Baksh?” 

He put his head down again and replied “The security has kicked me out of Garhi Khuda Baksh”

“But Why?” 

He looked at me and a faint smile came to his sad face. He replied “the security people are sure that I will kill Zardari if he comes near me”

I was simply shocked. I gathered the courage to ask “But who are you?”

He gave me that weak smile of his again and replied “Who am I? I am Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto!!”