Pretty soon half of Washington will be wearing Pakistan’s highest civil award if President Zardari and his Washington office boy Husain Haqqani have their way.
Pakistan has many gracious American friends and we must show them our appreciation. We also need to help ordinary Americans cut through the anti-Pakistan propaganda that some US officials and government agencies are indulging in.
But installing a pop-an-award coin machine in Islamabad is not the way to do it. Especially when Mr. Zardari and Mr. Haqqani are using the award to appease those in Washington who brought the odd couple to power. The people in Washington are not stupid. They can see through the actions of Mr. Zardari and Mr. Haqqani.
Why should the good name of Pakistan’s highest civil award and the Quaid-e-Azam be muddied by Pakistan’s versions of Billy the Kid and Butch Cassidy?
US Congressman Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, is probably the fourth American citizen in less than a year to receive The Crescent Of The Great Leader [Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam]. And as in all previous cases, Mr. Haqqani recommended the awards and Zardari ordered them.
The joke in Islamabad these days is that Mr. Zardari has amended the rules to state that US citizenship and connections in Washington are now prerequisites to qualify for the prestigious award. Pakistan’s Independence Day, 14 August, used to be the occasion to announce these awards for those who have done exceptional service to the nation.
President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani have amended the rules to allow the president to confer the award anytime he pleases. In the good old days before Pakistan turned into an American protectorate with a US-installed government, civil awards used to be announced once a year on August 14, the Pakistan Independence Day, for investiture on the next Pakistan Day on March 23.
But those were the good old days. To look at it from one angle, it’s good that Pakistan is hitting rock bottom under the stewardship of this exceptional leadership. This will teach our people a valuable lesson in identifying future charlatans.
hopefully the valuable lesson will not be learned too late
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