Daily Times

Most Pakistanis are Muslims by faith and spiritual by default. To the uninitiated superstition appears as spiritualism. The conceptual uniqueness of unity in Islam, however, is different.

Many Pakistanis ascribe the creation of Pakistan to a higher spiritual purpose. Jinnah, settled in London, “was ordered by the Prophet (peace be upon him) to proceed to India to lead the struggle for an independent Pakistan.” The story was narrated after Jinnah’s demise and has been attributed to Allama Shabbir Ahmed Usmani and Dr Allan Keislar. That he single-handedly stood against a stubborn Hindu majority, thoroughly spoilt by the departing British, lent credence to the divine purpose explanation for the creation of Pakistan.

Those, both in Pakistan and Bangladesh, who were intimately involved in the 1971 trauma, have noted that all the major actors of 1971 tragedy suffered a violent end.

ZA Bhutto, considered the most popular leader after Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, had an unenviable end.

Mujib, the most popular Bengali leader of his time, lay murdered at the entrance to his once revered residence. Indira Gandhi, the daughter of India’s founding father, Nehru, was assassinated, apparently for atrocities against Sikhs, leaving behind a simmering trail of Hindu-Sikh antagonism. One can also add the Balkanization of Soviet Union to the list.

Those with a different world view might dismiss this narrative as a stretch or religious occasionalism, but seen from a particular lens, the horrific aftermath of 1971 does look like nature’s warnings akin to the “terrible plagues of Egypt, a river of blood, many frogs and the death of the firstborn sons,” clear signs that were sent to the obstinate Pharaoh who refused to allow Israelites to leave his empire with Moses. As he persisted in his defiance, he was punished and made a horrifying example of what arrogance and oppression can lead to.

Today, in Pakistan, Imran Khan is seen by many as harbinger of a promised change

Since the recent change of government in Pakistan, the social media has been abuzz with prophecies and predictions. The prophecies attributed to Noorud Din, Naimat Ullah Shah Wali, comprehensively covered by the print and electronic media, are amazing in detail, clear and precise – more so than the better-known Nostradamus.

Naimat Wali is attributed with many prophesies, spelling out names with astonishing accuracy of people who came centuries after his demise. He had predicted, it is said, the creation of Pakistan as well as its break-up. It is now being pointed out that he had also pointed to an “era of corrupt rulers” before a change for the better.

I happened by chance to meet M Irfan Ullah, an Indian-Pakistani, now an American who seemed to know much more about partition, Jinnah, and many important Hindu, Muslim and Sikh leaders of the day. He promised to get my book from Amazon but knew much more than I had covered in the book. He surprised me with his optimism about the future of Pakistan and the promise of its destiny.

A few years ago, his spiritual mentor in India had personally reassured Irfan who was utterly dismayed with the prevailing conditions in Pakistan. “Just watch for a while,” he was told. “In days to come, Pakistan is going to be the leading light of the Muslim World.”

Today, in Pakistan, Imran Khan is seen by many as the harbinger of a promised change. New to government, he has committed many an avoidable blunder, as pointed out by the opposition. He and his party have shown an abysmal lack of what passes for political acumen in Pakistan. One of his biggest mistakes was promising revolutionary changes through an evolutionary process. The limited support he enjoys in the parliament limits his options. He is a known fighter.

His slogan for change seems infectious.

One can see a change in the body language of the government leaders in Balochistan. In Sindh, the Pakistan Peoples Party appears to be doing better than it has done in the past. Imran’s sincerity and humility have earned him the respect of his friends. His earnestness inspires credibility.

The incorrigible persist in their stubbornness. History does not tell us what to do in a particular situation. It definitely does tell us what not to do, that is, not to repeat the mistakes of the past. It is high time for the incorrigibly corrupt to submit to the will of the Almighty, repent their sins and stop being a stumbling block in front of a deluge that is more Divine than a mere human doing.

The governess is more a matter of attitude than aptitude. The sincere are bound to learn on the job. If they stick to the truth, they will flourish.

The writer, a former major general in Pakistan Army, is the author of the book Pakistan in Search of a Messiah