Daily Times

The Scarlet Pimpernel was the title of a play, later published as a book, written by Baroness Orczy at the turn of the twentieth century, and was a huge success. Set in the period known as The Reign of Terror in France, which followed the French Revolution, it is based on the adventures of a mythical British nobleman who rescues French aristocrats ordered to be executed by the French Revolutionaries.

Sir Percy Blakeney is the British nobleman, who, like a chameleon, can disguise himself and flit in and out of France, making a fool of the French. Pakistan’s unsavoury Grey Pimpernel, the enterprising SSP Rao Anwar, may not be as generously altruistic in his motives, but seems to share the mythical Pimpernel’s chameleon-like abilities to hide in the open, as it were.

Anwar went missing more than eight weeks ago when he was placed under suspicion for the murder of Naqeebullah Mahsud, a handsome young man aspiring to be a male model. A video of Anwar’s last sighting, attempting to board a Dubai bound flight, went viral on the social media many weeks ago, when he was on the ECL. Not only did Anwar escape from there, he apparently stayed successfully hidden in the Rawalpindi-Islamabad area all this while.

When Asim Hussain’s threat to Zardari was real, Zardari flew the coop and, announced his intent to return only after Raheel Sharif’s retirement was confirmed. How can he remain unfazed now, if Anwar is still a genuine threat?

The Supreme Court had been repeatedly extending given deadlines for his arrest and, finally perhaps offered Anwar some incentive because of which he decided to surface. According to media reports, not only was he unashamed, but in fact, swaggered in to court. And the “visibly relieved” Chief Justice (CJ)could not help but comment on how “this was the majesty of the court”. Can any of this truly be considered majestic?

Though refusing him bail, the SC has very kindly, dropped the contempt of court charges against Anwar and unfrozen his accounts, while retaining his status on the ECL. Furthermore, the court has instructed the Mehsud tribe not to do Anwar any harm and Naqeeb’s father has echoed the sentiment. Very magnanimous of the court. But these are all facts; all carried by all media outlets. The real mystery lies in how all this happened.

How, where, and why did Anwar remain successfully hidden for all this time? Who, if anyone, helped him and why? It is nigh impossible to believe that he could stay hidden without help. While help at the grass root level could also suffice but, given the extent and intensity of the search, could even that be possible without powerful political patronage?

If rumour has it correct, Anwar has been a hitman in Karachi for many years. Primarily doing Zardari’s bidding but also working for other members of the PPP. Again if the rumour is correct, Naqeeb’s murder was caused by his successful romance with the wrong girl; whose father decided to have Naqeeb eliminated. Whatever the cause of Naqeeb’s murder, if true, Anwar should, like Dr Asim Hussain and Uzair Baloch, also have tons of information on criminal activities in Karachi; enough for many heads to roll. But, Hussain and Baloch have virtually disappeared from centre-stage and, nether Zardari, nor other PPP members seem worried. Why?

Zardari has again thumbed his nose at all competition in the Senate elections. He has made fools of both, the PML-N and the PTI. Despite the PML-N majority in the upper house, Zardari, not only garnished the support for a Baloch Chairman and his choice from PPP ensconced as the deputy, he also has the leader of the opposition. For a co-chairperson of a party that is said to be disappearing from the political horizon, that is no mean feat.Judging from this, it is unlikely that Anwar could (swaggeringly) surface when he is still a threat to Zardari.

So where does Anwar fit in? The environment doesn’t seem fit for another rapprochement between PPP and PML-N, for a fresh NRO in which Anwar’s safety and silence is ensured. However, numerous mysteries here remain unresolved. It just doesn’t fit in. Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, Sherlock Holmes used to say, “When you eliminate all possibilities, whichever remains, however improbable must be the truth”, or words to that effect.

When Asim Hussain’s threat to Zardari was real, Zardari flew the coop and, announced his intent to return only after Raheel Sharif’s retirement was confirmed. How can he remain unfazed now, if Anwar is still a genuine threat? And, whether with, or without, the help of conspirators, a person who could stay hid in the twin-cities all this while, under the very nose of all our intelligence and policing agencies, has not surrendered on the SC’s exhortations nor in deference to the court’s majesty. There has to be more here than meets the eye. Zardari is not a person to be underestimated.

Could it be possible that Zardari’s future is guaranteed? If it is, Anwar’s sudden decision to surrender would make sense; since his security would be a virtual certainty. If so, what of Naqeeb’s murder? The execution of Nek Muhammed via US drone strike in 2004 triggered an anti-Pakistan revolt by our Pashtun tribals and resulted in creating the TTP; which we are still battling.

Naqeeb’s murder too has created unrest among our ill-used Pashtun brethren and has created the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement. This is by far the more dangerous, since it is peaceful so far but, if not addressed in time the price we pay might be too high.

The writer is a retired brigadier. He is also former vice president and founder of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI)

Published in Daily Times, March 25^th 2018.