I am perhaps the only die-hard fan of Ch. Nisar Ali Khan of Chakri in Pakistan. Some say my interest in him is of a professional nature; others accuse me of being excessively affectionate towards Rajputs. Whatever you may choose to believe, I am fascinated by his personality — 70s hairstyle, choice of attire, rare but ravishing smile, secretive behaviour, sensitive disposition, army-like discipline, keeping friends and enemies at an arm’s length, a childlike commitment to Pakistan (and Islam), and a super-inflated ego. There really is no one like him in politics.
We have eaten together, lived in adjacent rooms, shared a helicopter ride, and visited public figures together. But I have never ‘met’ Ch. Nisar. He said that he would call me (and never has) and a friend who promised to organise a meeting refers the matter to Shehbaz Sharif now. I know people who could ask him to see me and he would come running,but he loves his protocol and I respect his ego. I finally gave up on him last week when he (or his son) misinformed us about his schedule in London.
Despite his trivial character flaws, Ch. Nisar has no equal in Pakistani politics in terms of his intellect, management skills, and political acumen. However, he gets bad press on social media. Some of it is understandable in view of his snobbish nature, but the rest is no secret either. Ch. Nisar was the architect and an unwavering champion of unleashing the Rangers’ Action of 2014, in Karachi. Where this brought peace and security, it also demolished Muthidda Qoumi Movement and hurt Pakistan Peoples Party’sinterests though extraneous actions. Both parties and their supporters would never forgive him for this — for the right or wrong reasons. This action has also wounded some international players who have since made sure that he gets suitably punished.
To understand Ch. Nisar, you need to appreciate his background. He was born and brought up in Chakri village near Rawalpindi. He studied at Burn Hall and Aitchison College (captained Imran Khan at cricket). He hails from the Alpial clan of Rajputs who settled in this area in the thirteenth century. They were known to be industrious, handsome, and brave but rowdy. Ch Sher Khan (great-great-grandfather of Ch. Nisar) harnessed them by working closely with the British establishment. He was loyal to the British in 1857, and fought against the nationalists to earn several rewards in cash and kind. Ch. Nisar’s grandfather, Ch. Sultan Khan, also provided 100 soldiers and then fought and died along the Allied Forces during WW-I in July, 1918.
His father, Ch Fateh Khan, finished Aitchison College in 1925, and joined the Indian Army as a Jamadar. He was later recruited to the Dera Doon Military Academyand passed with honours in 1935. After serving as a Lieutenant for one year, he was accepted as the Chief of local Rajputs and awarded seven Marabba land. Other members of his family also served in the Army, took early retirements, and received local administrative jobs e.g., Zaildar. Ch. Nisar’s brother retired as Lt. General in the late 1990s. Members of his extended family continue to serve in the Pakistan Army. His own nuclear family are US Nationals: wife taught at a school in Islamabad, sonlives in Los Angeles and his daughter has graduated in Law from England.
By the Colonial standards, Ch Nisar is a Punjab Chief through his family pedigree. His astuteness, integrity, hard work, and loyalty could have earned him the slot of Chief Minister in the British Raj. Had he joined the Pakistan Army, no one could stop him from becoming a General like his brother
By the Colonial standards, Ch. Nisar is a Punjab Chief through his family pedigree. His astuteness, integrity, hard work, and loyalty could have earned him the slot of Chief Minister in the British Raj. Had he joined the Pakistan Army, no one could stop him from becoming a General like his brother. Popular politics, however, is a different beast in Pakistan. People like him could still aim for the top slot until General Zia invented and Nawaz Sharif refined the art of wealth-based politics in the 1980s. He joined this bandwagon which broke the stranglehold of landed gentry on power politics. He benefited from this initially before the pendulum swung too far and no space at the top is left except through dynastical politics.
Naya Pakistan was made for Ch. Nisar. He was invited more than once to join it. Despite making irritating statements and standing against his own party in the recent elections, his so-called loyalty to Muslim League has kept him sitting on the fence. He did not rebel against his leadership on democratic principles though. This could be about his health or age; but most probably is due to his circumspect character. You need a final leap of faith to assume the leadership in politics. He has had a mixed history: ditched Junejo (bad decision) and refused to join General Musharraf (good decision). His party has left him for dead now. If his politics is about public service, he needs to stand up, move on or just wither away.
Some of us proposed that he should be the Chief Minister of Punjab after recent elections. He could have been a unity candidate to deliver a national agenda for the sake of Pakistan. The idea was put on hold (not abandoned!) due to his health, unexpected resistance from certain quarters, and his ambitious nature. My fear is that due to his uneasy persona, we will never find out what this great character is capable of delivering. His son and daughter are not in politics. Would he be remembered as just another Interior Minister with nicknames, Wiki Leaks disclosure and misjudged visits to the US Embassy in London and PC Bourban? Is this the best Alpials can offer after generations of public service? I better go and watch the recently released film “Johnny English Strikes again”.
The writer is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Visiting Professor. He tweets @AamerSarfarz
Published in Daily Times, October 23rd 2018.