LETTER TO EDITOR

November 17th, 2016

Kulsoom Nawaz Rs 2,500,000 Yves St Laurent Purse

First Lady

During the meeting between Mrs. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan  (the visiting First Lady of Turkey) and Mrs. Kalsoom Nawaz, with a Rs 2,500,000 Yves St Laurent Purse; the later was also being referred to as the First Lady (of Pakistan).  This became rather conspicuous when during the meeting with the wife of the Pakistan president, she was just referred to as Mrs. Mamnoon only. As per the universal protocol the First Lady is the wife of the Head of the State (President) and not that of the Head of the Government. However, Pakistan is the only country in the world where it is the other way around. This strange practice owes it birth to ZAB who while stepping down from the presidency to the premiership in 1972 brought all the presidential (Head of the State) protocol with him to the PM House.  It included flying of Pakistan Flag on his car, playing of the National Anthem on his official appearances, a Brigadier/Major General  Military Secretary, a couple of ADCs (grammatically AsDC) and similar some other presidential perks and privileges of course not forgetting the First Lady. In no other democratic country of the world including India the PM is entitled to any such privileges. But the Pakistan is Pakistan.

Incidentally, what if the wife happens to be the PM like Benazir Bhutto ?  Was AAZ called as the First Gentleman ?!

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)

Pakistan

E.mail: [email protected]

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