@MarianaBaabar Well here goes, with deep respect to you my good, dear, and old friend, the totally honest Mariana: So it happened that I found myself as her Press Secretary, in the grand hall of Hotel Schehrezade aka the F.O. of Pakistan where the PM had been invited for the 2/
2/ yearly briefing given at the F.O. to the top brass of the Pakistan Army (NOT please note, the Pakistan Airforce OR the Pakistan Navy top brass) when the yearly Corps Commanders Conference was held at GHQ, Rawalpindi. So there we were, the PM's Staff, only her ADC and one or 3/
3/ two others, EXCLUDING her Principal Secretary, Isani something or other, a Sindhi CSP (who was always working against the PM at the behest of the awful Mr. GIK). The other Bloody Civilian Ministers/Advisors were Aitzaz Ahsan (Interior); Mr. Iqbal Akhund, Foreign Affairs, 4/
4/ and WA Jafri, her Economic Affairs advisor. So, while the Advisors were giving their presentations, I saw clearly that Aslam Beg, then COAS, was exchanging glances with Hameed Gul and other generals there. So the Generals asked questions of the briefers particularly Aitzaz 5/
5/ Ahsan as to why Sindh was NOT being handed over the Army to set up Military Courts for the trial of the 'dacoits' and Iqbal Akhund (Hameed Gul) as to why we were not taking a more aggressive stance on Kashmir. I saw Benazir taking furious notes during this and also took my 6/
6/ own feedback to her every so often (I have to note here that every time I slipped her a note she whispered 'thank you' proving what a great and kind person she was!). So it came, that Foreign Minister, Lt. Gen. Nawabzada Yaqoob Ali Khan, without mouthing a word in defence 7/
7/ of the government he was serving, minced his way to the PM and said, 'Prime Minister, lunch is served'. She said, 'Thank you, Foreign Minister, I want to speak'! To say that Yaqub Khan was shocked is to understate it! There was a hushed silence as Benazir took the podium! 8/
8/ And she started: 'Officers! (Looking directly at Aslam Beg and then at Hameed Gul, 'I have heard all you have said! You think I will hand over Sindh or any part of my country to you to judge after all these years of freeing the country from you? As for Kashmir, you are 9/
9/ my Generals. Come now to the PM's House and tell me the plan to liberate Kashmir! I am with you! Only you know the costs of a Lost War'!! She looked around! There was not a squeak out of the Generals. So we went to lunch: and as she passed me, I said, with tears in my 10/
10/ eyes: 'I am so proud of you'! I will never forget the victorious smile in her eyes...She was booted out 3 months later by the mendacious Mr. GIK and the #Disgraceful Aslam Beg!! So goes the tragedy of this good land.........
@threader_app Compile
