Daily Times

Salmaan Taseer was not afraid of controversy, nor did he let it prevent him from taking a bold stand on Pakistan’s issues. He definitely had his share of notoriety and this made his acts all the more courageous. SalmaanTaseer was one of those brave individuals who was not afraid to fight for what he believed was right. Moreover, he was one of the few who raised their voice in a world in where no one dared speak. Taseer showed the nation that it is possible for an individual to fight against bigotry and intolerance. And this martyr sure did prove his mettle to the entire nation.

Mr Taseer did not come from a very privileged background at the death of his father, M.D. Taseer, when he was only six years old, made him live in relatively limited means. However, this did not stop Taseer from changing his fate as he went on to become a highly successful businessman. Taseer started his career as an accountant, after he completed his accountancy education from England in the 1960s. It did not take long for him to make a mark in his profession, as early on in his career he managed to set up two chartered accountancy and management consultancy firms in the UAE and Pakistan.

Infused with the drive to do more, Taseer did not stop there, as he established the First Capital Securities Corporation Limited (FCSC), while also establishing companies in other sectors. His notable entrepreneurial achievements include founding the telecommunication giant, WorldCall, and the retail chain, Pace. In the business world Taseer showed that he had the acumen and the brilliance to steer towards success in any project that he initiated.

Taseer’s political career, however, does not paint such an enviable success story as he initially struggled to make his mark on the country’s political landscape. He was an active and enthusiastic activist in the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy in the 1980s. His zeal for restoring democracy to the country remained strong as he was jailed, and even tortured several times during the reign of General Zia-ul-Haq. His electoral success came in 1988 when he was elected as a member of the Punjab assembly on the ticket of the Pakistan People’s Party. However, this was to be his only electoral success as he lost the elections in 1990, 1993, and 1997, all of which he tried to contest for a seat in the National Assembly.

This did not deter Taseer from leaving politics, and his hard work bore fruit when he was asked to become a federal minister for commerce and industry in the caretaker government of Muhammad Mian Soomro in 2007. This was not the apex of Taseer’s career, as he became the governor of Punjab under the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government from 2008 to 2011 (when he was assassinated). As a governor, Taseer did not adhere to the tradition of relative conservatism that governors usually conform to. Rather he was very vocal and outspoken, and did not shy away from taking on his opponents. This was no easy task as Punjab at that time was under the government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the rivalry between the PPP and PML-N was also played out between the governor and the provincial government.

Taseer’s legacy survives not because he was a successful businessman or a successful politician but because he spoke for the rights of those people who had no voice. His empathy knew no bounds and this combined with his courage made him into a messiah for the oppressed. Taseer was loud and decisive and he always said what he thought was right. He was completely different from those politicians who were either a mouthpiece for their party or mince their words without stating their actual position. Taseer, on the other hand, did not indulge in prevarication. He was direct-blunt even. He would call a spade a spade without worrying about its consequences. Such courage and disregard for one’s life can only come with the conviction that what one is fighting for is indeed right. And Taseer had that conviction in him. His actions, when he was in power, show that he did not join politics to benefit his own self. Rather, he was there to fight for the rights of the oppressed. And as he gallantly fought and gave his life to make Pakistan a better place for minorities, the only fitting tribute to this great man would be continuing the fight and not letting intolerance and bigotry win.