Published
in The News on September 9, 2000
This refers to the article ‘Figment
of imagination’ by Mr Anees Jillani (The News: September 5, 2000), in which he
had referred to me by name and has implied that I am not in touch with reality.
Let’s begin with his article “Owner
going abroad” (The News: August 29). He wrote, “One of my friends helps one of
the western embassies in processing applications by verifying their accuracy.
Upon visiting a residence in Gujar Khan, the applicant left my friend alone
with his sister in the small drawing room, who offered herself to the guy in
return for clearing her brother’s papers. Ironically, the papers were accurate
but the applicant and his family were willing to go to any lengths to leave
Pakistan and take no risks.”
If the papers were accurate, why
was it necessary for the friend to visit the applicant’s house? But this is not
all. The writer’s friend has this experience of a woman offering to sleep with
him (for obtaining a visa for her brother, not for herself!) and of the all
people, he goes and tells about it to a journalist! A true journalist would
have immediately contacted the embassy concerned to find out if the story was
true. But not Mr Anees Jillani, who prefers to use words like "one of my friends"
and "one of the western embassies." And he expects us to believe him!
The reason why Pakistan has such a
bad image abroad is because writers like Mr Jillani have nothing good to say
about it. "Repeat a lie often enough and people will believe it," as
Goebbels put it. One of the advantages of being an industrialist is that one
frequently comes in contact with foreigners. Over the years, my friends and i
have persuaded many to visit Pakistan, despite their initial refusals. But all
those who came here are simply amazed that Pakistan is much better than they
expected. Every year, more violent crimes are committed in New York than in the
whole of Pakistan, but it is Pakistan that is considered unsafe.
If an Indian sells his daughter for
five rupees (this was reported in the international press a few years back),
Pakistan-bashers take no notice, but people like Mr Anees Jillani shout from
the roof top that all Pakistanis want to leave the country if the US Embassy
receives more visa applications than normal. Recently, a brouhaha was raised
because nine Pakistanis of a music group disappeared in the US. But a few days
later, when 23 Indians also did the same thing, Indian writers did not cry
themselves hoarse that their country was turning into a living hell (which it
is, by the way). When I wrote that either the woman in question was probably the
type who does this kind of thing out of habit (fortunately I don't have any
friends who come across such women) or the incident was a figment of the
writer's imagination, all hell broke loose. His reaction was that of a man
who's been accused of rape. In his next column "Figment of
Imagination" (The News September 5, 2000), he devoted a lot of space to
hit out at me, as a result of which I have been constrained to write this
piece.
Claiming to be a lawyer (I shouldn't
mention here that some people pronounce the word as "liar" but I
can't help it), he makes the incredible statement, "Many strangers called
and some even waved to stop my car to thank me for the article."
Really? Since when did strangers
get into the habit of waving to other strangers? As any lawyer knows (or should
know, unless he happens to be Mr Anees Jillani), the only time strangers want
to stop someone's car (if they are not beggars) is when they want to sell
something (not necessarily their souls to get visas to western countries) or
for any other valid reason, but certainly not for the reason given by Mr.
Jillani.
By the way, how did these strangers
know that the man they were waving to was the one who wrote "Owner going
abroad"? Did the writer wear a sign around his neck describing himself as
such, or did he have a huge banner on his car saying who he was? For crying out
loud, does he think we readers of The News are morons? The few "strangers"
I summed up courage to speak to, were unanimous that this was all a figment of
an unhealthy imagination, a person who has been deprived of his normal share
of healthy male activities!
He writes, "let me assure Mr
Lakhani that I am a lawyer and...I would not make a factually incorrect
statement." Oh yeah? What about the statement about strangers waving at
him to stop his car? He states, "Mr Lakhani is obviously living in a
protected environment....." I heartily agree. Living in a protected
environment obviously means that I don't have friends who meet women who are
ready to jump into bed every time they want their brothers to get a visa to any
western country.
To try to prove me wrong, he
assumes that I have obviously not read the Hamoodur Rahman Report. He evidently
thinks that he is one of the selected few who have access to it (or what is
purportedly the HR Report). I would advise him to carefully read my letter in
The News of September 2 again. I said "either the woman was the type who
does this sort of thing habitually or the incident is a figment of his
imagination." The incidents he was quoted involve women of the streets
(bazaari aurats, as they are called in Urdu), as no normal woman would ever
sleep with an Army officer (unless he happened to be her husband) or be
entertained by one in a bunker while shells were being fired all around.
By the way, that incident, if true,
should qualify for an entry in Ripley's "Believe it or not". However,
I have serious doubts that this incident (like that of the woman in Mr Anees
Jillani's column) ever happened. According to the HRC's Repor, "..an
enquiry is also necessary into the allegation made against Brig Hayatullah that
he entertained some women in his bunker...on the night of the December 11 or
12, 1971), when Indian shells were falling on his troops. The allegation was
contained in an anonymous letter....and supported in evidence before us... by
Major Munawwar Khan."
Being a lawyer, Mr. Anees Jillani
should know that an anonymous allegation does not necessarily convict anyone,
and I strongly doubt if only one man's allegation is sufficient to prove anyone
guilty (if it were, the whole of Pakistan would have to be converted into a
gaol). Were they, too, ordinary women who wanted to emigrate to Singapore?
Thank God, Mr Anees Jillani is not my lawyer!
