Daily Times

Blisses of not being a political analyst in these debilitating times were hardly known to me until I sat about writing this piece.

I had originally wanted to shed light on a totally apolitical and lesser known dimension of the person who has been at center stage (for good or bad, depending upon your political inclinations) during political mayhem of recent weeks. Mr Nawaz Sharif, not the ex-Prime Minister but MNS, the ardent, unlikely disciple of Mother Nature.

It all started almost three decades back in Lahore of mid-eighties. In those early college days, I was learning jungle lore from that legendary hunter — late Tahawar Ali Khan — of Man-Eaters of Sunderban fame. Mr. Tahawar in those days was passing a retired life as I would go to his residence in the erstwhile, elegant Gulberg to talk about jungles and tigers for hours on end. Mr. Khan during those lazy sittings would often make reference to another enthusiast hunter-cum jungle lover who also happened to be the then chief Minister of Punjab — or Mian saheb as Mr Tahawar would like to call him. “Not a particularly good shot but nonetheless imbued with unending patience and perseverance to rough it out in the bush” was how Sunderban hunter summarised MNS.

As luck would have it, I was selected as a Forest Officer and joy of Mr Tahawar was beyond description as his disciple had finally made it to the top. He straight away offered me a meeting with MNS, the then CM to whom he had introduced me as the best Forest Officer, the world would ever know. But then came a snag; provincial government in those days had made some direct recruitments to some provincial service positions for which I — a total non-entity from streets — held responsible the then CM. A hearty laughter ensued from Tahawar Ali Kahn as I declined to see MNS; angry young man with Dervish-Devil Dilemma was how the great hunter put it. He later informed that on hearing about my refusal to see him and also the reasons, MNS only smiled and the matter ended.

Many years afterwards, two and a half score to be exact, I narrated this event to MNS as he attended a briefing in Lala Sohanra National Park, Bahawalpur as sitting Prime Minister (I was then working as a nature journalist, having left my government job). A hearty laughter ensued as MNS in turn shared some hilarious stories from hunting expeditions in Bela forests of Ravi in company of the legendary Tahawar Ali Khan. I could sense manifestation of the phenomenon of One-Upmanship or a jovial sort of rivalry, which is a common trait among all old-styled hunters. MNS was no exception as his nostalgic, friendly, tongue in cheek jibes at his old jungle friend revealed. My Dervish-Devil dilemma only deepened on that hazy, tranquil evening in mysterious Cholistan.

It was not late after that evening in Lal Sohanra when I had a detailed meeting with MNS in his awe-inspiring office. He wanted me to lead climate change reform initiatives and I kept hedging, jealously guarding my newly-won liberty from shackles of the government. Thrice he asked and thrice (with due respect) I refused. To his credit, he repeated a fourth time and then a gentle nudge on my foot by a very senior colleague saw me acquiescing.

The only condition, I put was that I will be free to do my activism (leading public rallies against cutting of trees in Lahore or soiling of views of Chauburji) and that my work will be clinically apolitical. MNS very kindly agreed to both, further deepening Dervish-Devil Dilemma.

Over the next twelve months, he kept his promise. Government funding flows in forestry and wild life sector saw unprecedented hikes — and on totally apolitical grounds. Each province got its laid down share — KP and Sindh included. I made it a point to start all my briefings and media interviews by first acknowledging good work that KP and Sindh Governments had done on Billion Tsunami and Coastal Mangroves respectively — and MNS never even remotely frowned. I remember one sitting with MNS along with his very senior cabinet colleagues, when I made reference to a “serious congenital flaw” in Billion Tree Tsunami of IK that only professional foresters could spot.

His cabinet colleagues wanted to immediately highlight the mistake in media to which I vociferously disagreed. Rather than picking faults, we needed to focus on our green sector reforms was my argument to which MNS wholeheartedly agreed. Never again, the issue was raised.

Fewer Prime Ministers in Pakistan would have cared for brown bears, snow leopards, trophy hunting, the institutional revival of green sector departments — none of this would catch you more votes but MNS had the passion and audacity of according utmost priority to these themes and ideas

Many good things followed, through direct interest of MNS and complete free hand for us. Green Pakistan Program, Migratory Birds Endowment Fund, National Bio-Diversity Plan, Paris Agreement Ratification, INDC’s approval (much to the chagrin of ‘polluting’ ministries), revival of green sector institutions including Zoological Survey and National Conservation Council — nearly everything for green sector accorded ‘fastest track and unconditional approval’ in a meticulously apolitical manner.

Even my pro-green idiosyncrasies were complied with — including scrapping of half century old protocols on tree planting ceremonies as MNS would only plant now forgotten Amaltas, Sukh Chens and Kachnar during stately tree planting events. My Dervish-Devil Dilemma further compounded.

Our last interaction happened, of all the places, near Chilas on KKH road where I was headed to release a rescued pair of young brown bears. MNS got inkling of this release hence a long, long phone call on my mobile. “Have we made ample arrangements for post-release safety of brown bears? How to ensure no harm from locals? Any plans of supplemental feed during early weeks of release? Any contingency plan to save accidental encounter with resident brown bear population? — An unending spree of questions was posed and disappointment expressed as inclement weather did not allow MNS to travel to far off valleys around Deosai.

Fewer Prime Ministers in Pakistan would have cared for brown bears, snow leopards, trophy hunting, NDCs, Paris Agreement, Bi-Diversity Action Plans, institutional revival of green sector departments — none of this would catch you more votes but MNS had the passion and audacity of according utmost priority to these themes and ideas — notwithstanding idiosyncratic ramblings of a nature-lover- turned forester-turned civil servant-turned journalist alike me. My Dervish-Devil Dilemma.

MNS is no more the Prime Minister just as I am no more the “Climate Change Advisor of Sorts” that I once was. But I can assure that some brown bears, some snow leopards, some clumps of indigenous trees and some coveys of migratory birds ‘here and there in Pakistan’ can now look forward to brighter times.

With more free time on his hands and alleviated of his officialdom, I am hoping to see more of MNS by way of accompanying me on my next forays in the wild — bird watchers’ trail in Kallar Kahar; brown bear hideouts around Rama Lake or snow leopard caves in Chitral Gol — And that great hunter Tahawar Ali Khan, winking at me form his happy hunting grounds. My Dervish-Devil Dilemma laid to rest — finally.

Writer is a public policy and environmental expert. He can be reached at syedrizwanmehboob@gmail.com

Published in Daily Times, August 9^th 2017.