, 12-Apr-2012 at 03:30 PM (984 Views)

Kim Barker was formerly the South Asian correspondent for the Chicago Tribune who resided in New Delhi and covered India, Pakistan and Afghanistan political affairs. She is also a writer and a speaker about issues she covers in her journalistic assignments. Currently she is the Edward R. Murrow fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and does freelance work at various reputable publications. She can be contacted here.

After the Mumbai Attacks in 2008, she wanted to go to Faridkot. For the exact location of which Faridkot (there are three in Pakistan named the same) she should check to get further information on Ajmal Kasab, she contacted the premier leader of Punjab and the current President of the PML-N, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif himself. She was shocked with the experience she went through when during the interview instead of answering her questions properly he asked certain personal questions from her, including whether she currently has any “boy-friend”. To this she replied that she had one earlier, but currently she is not in a relationship. Since she was requested to turn off the tape-recorder she had, her words are the only source to cling to this story and considering the track-record of both of these concerned people, anyone should not step back in siding with Kim Barker on this.

Nawaz offered to hook her up with either of the two people he thought she might get interested in. Then it turned out he was trying to place himself in the spot for her. He also tried to give her an iPhone to remain in constant immediate contact with her personally. She declined accepting it because she knew what it all meant and did not want any further trouble being a professional journalist. She shared this entire experience in her 302 page-book “The Taliban Shuffle – Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan” which was published by Doubleday and was in bookstores on March 14, 2011. But this book mysteriously got missing in Pakistan according to Mubashir Luqman, the host on Express News, who covered the case in one of his programmes.

To prove that this whole incident has been made up, the only option that Nawaz thought of availing was never to address the issue. No journalist could have dared ask him directly this question, because everyone who appears in front of him in press conferences or during interviews has been warned not to put him in a tough light since he will fail as a ‘hero’ he pretends to be. Even if he were to be approached to clear himself on the matter, he will straightly deny it. He is comfortable in his political diatribe only.

First of all, Kim Barker being an established journalist does not need to lie about such an incident to make money or to gain fame as she clearly is secured in both of these aspects in her life. Secondly, she does not need to make up any of the stories to defame Nawaz Sharif, because as a professional, she knows how important it is not to take side and be neutral. Her credentials speak for her more than anything else. Also, she was never sued for revealing the incident hence this speaks volumes in itself.

You can see the entire interview on YouTube, click here.

Hence, the happenings of the case being true, it is in fact, proven that Nawaz Sharif, being an ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan, someone who had been elected twice to the highest office of the Pakistani government, will not keep in mind the culture of the country he so very much wants to rule just so that he can fill his foreign bank accounts further. Keeping no bounds in sight, he even put at risk the security of Pakistan when he went into those pathetic personal conversations rather than sticking to the subject of how both India and Pakistan are victims of terrorism in their own ways.

The bravery that Kim Barker has shown knowing the risk she is putting herself under while revealing these details in her book is applauding. Had she not done that, no one would have known that Nawaz Sharif, who calls himself a true leader of the Punjabis and of the entire Pakistan, is hallow of any decent character. The people of Punjab need to open their eyes to realize that they have been deceived so many times and it is about time that they get rid of these leeches. Nawaz and his cronies are not worthy of being politicians of this land. Even incarcerating them is of no good and for them self-exile is a better luxury. He has been also known for ruining the marriage of Naeem Bokhari maintaining contacts with Tahira Syed. He has also been linked with Dilshad Begum, an Indian singer and the sister of Feroz Khan.

Behaving in such a lewd manner with a lady of foreign origin means that he not only put at risk his own image which he cherishes so much and protects going to extreme levels, but he jeopardized the honour of the Pakistani nation. Such people who bring shame to the country and its people ought to be thrown out of any public service and public office and should be declared ineligible for life to hold any office in the government and certainly not the highest seat of the country’s leadership. The politics of PLM-N led by the Sharif brothers has been known to be anti-other parties and politicians. They tend to stand against what others are doing rather than stand for anything. The issues they claim to support are just to deliver speeches without any honesty in fulfilling their words. Especially targeting PTI’s Imran Khan on his conduct of character, the Sharif brothers and their party goons have forgotten what their own personal history behind closed doors has been.

Acting in such an irresponsible way without thinking about the consequences is an evidence of the corrupt power they enjoy. They know no one can harm them despite their wrongdoings, because for the past three decades, no one has succeeded in putting them behind bars. Knowing that he can get away, Nawaz did what was in his nature and character to do. Kim Barker exposed the real Nawaz once and for all. This incident should not be forgotten and especially remembered while casting the vote.

This message especially goes to our brothers in Punjab for whom the Sharif brothers claim to be representative. Think of Pakistan and Pakistani nation first as responsible nationals. Do not carry the burden of immoral acts by the self-interested politicians who can only loot the resources and in a way defile the country and its land only. Not curbing out crimes against women in Pakistan has consequences in the politicians also indulging in mistreatment of women.