I think it is highly commendable that Ahmad Quraishi has been chipping away at the feet of the democratically elected government of Pakistan via his website. Even more commendable is his ability to manipulate and create fiction without asserting the facts. Quraishi’s article Pakistan’s Founder Jinnah Has No Place In His Homeland is a very intriguing read. The way in which this author captivates his readers and entices them towards his articles is surely an art. In regards to this particular article, Quraishi has very proudly (with a sharpie!) pointed out the portraits of the Bhutto family and uses this as the basis of his argument, exclaiming how the father of the nation has no place. Quraishi further legitimizes his argument by referencing the law (for which he has given no source) where it states it is mandatory to display a portrait of the Quaid. In no disrespect whatsoever to Mr. Jinnah, I ask Quraishi, is it mandatory to hang a portrait on every wall in every room of the Presidency? I find it highly amusing that a journalist of Quraishi’s stature has the time to stare at pictures and point out such minute discrepancies. Granted, it is the media’s job to hold their politicians accountable, but have we become such a nation where we bicker over the hanging of portraits?
Quraishi seems to be on an agenda of blaming everything that occurs in Pakistan on the United States or the United Kingdom. Although clearly the topic of the article is in reference to Jinnah, the fourth line of his article states “the current democracy in Pakistan was installed by the United States”. Can someone please explain to me how the speculated role of the US in the current democracy in Pakistan is related to Jinnah’s portrait in the presidency? Must we always blame others? This behavior of blaming others is not new to the Muslims of this region. We had the same attitude towards the British during the 19th Century. Thankfully, we found a leader in Sir Syed Ahmad Khan who was able to knock some sense into us by making us realize our true potential by imparting education through his Aligarh Movement.
We as a nation need to stop being so short-sighted and look at our long term goals. By focusing on the Quaid’s portrait and arguing as to why it is not being hung on a particular wall in the presidency is not something that we should be focusing our energy on. Ahmad Quraishi needs to quit this tabloid style of journalism if he wants to retain his credibility in the media world.
