Book Review: Glimpses Into The Corridors of Power by Gohar Ayub Khan

Gohar Ayub Khan's book provides an insight to the upper echelons of power in Pakistan. Basically this book serves as an autobiography. Khan provides details of his grandfather and father. He also briefly traces his family history. Ayub Khan's father was a Risaldar Major, and when he passed away Ayub was away from home. When Ayub returned home he opened his father's grave (p. 8). I am not certain if this is still practiced in Pakistan. 

The author also writes about the brothers of Ayub Khan and their appointments. One of Ayub Khan's brother was posted in Chilas. Ayub himself was once posted in Waziristan. Gohar writes that his father Ayub Khan rode a bicycle to office when he was a Major General (p. 40). Gohar also writes that Ayub Khan raised the SSG in Cherat. Ayub had made ZAB the Secretary General of Muslim League (p. 142). Ayub Khan passed away in 1974.

Gohar Ayub went to Burn Hall School Srinagar where English was the only language allowed. Burn Hall was later shifted to Abbottabad in 1947, into the old Abbott Hotel (p. 17). Gohar Ayub also writes about the discrimination faced by Indian cadets at Sandhurst (p. 25). He also mentions about the discriminations faced by East Pakistanis, as they were patronized by the people of West Pakistan. 

The author writes that Iskander Mirza was forced to resign and then he went to London. Gohar Ayub writes that G. Allana was sent by Bhutto to Mumbai to revisit the pandit who had make certain predictions about Bhutto's life (p. 141-42). Chinese wanted to build the KKH to be far from Soviet reach, that is why Kilik was avoided (p. 108). Gohar states that Yahya Khan had a draft constitution ready well before the 1971 war (p. 136).

When Zia was in power he kept Asghar Khan under house arrest for four years (p. 140). Zia allowed the establishment of a cement factory in Islamabad which was against the laws of CDA (p. 192). Gohar Ayub had good relations with Nusrat Bhutto. She expressed her wish to become Ambassador of a European country (p. 213). Gohar helped her in the process and when everything was almost done, Nusrat backtracked, most probably because of Benazir. 

Gohar says that Benazir did everything possible to damage Nawaz Sharif's businesses (p. 207). Nawaz Sharif's father was arrested on the instruction of Benazir (p. 254). In 1997 Pakistan Muslim League won two third of the seats in the National Assembly (p. 264). Nawaz Sharif appointed one of his close friends (a businessman) as the Honorary Counsel General in Washington. Gohar Ayub suggested Nawaz Sharif to keep four things in mind to ensure success- to keep good relations with the President, the Army Chief, the Americans, and make no open declarations of war against India (p. 210). 

Further in the book, there are details about the Gandhara Industries, meeting Zhou Enlai, Yahya Khan's decisions, politics of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Tashkent declaration, relationship with China, testing bombs, economic issues of Pakistan and civil-military relations. A very interesting revelation by Gohar Ayub was that the National Assembly library was used only by 3.5 percent of all the MNAs (p. 235). Another interesting incident is about 13 Chinese nationals who crossed into Pakistan via the Shimshal Pass.

Pakistan gave $10 million each to the Central Asian States in 1992, for development projects (p. 295). Moreover, in the book Gohar also writes that the people and the administration of Northern Areas quote a letter written in 1937, which claims the village of Bhasha to be in Northern Areas (p. 313). In this book Gohar includes his decisions upon his return to Islamabad after visiting the region. This book also includes the events up till the appointment of General Ziauddin Butt as the new Army Chief.

I found this book very interesting as it gives a personal account of various events in Pakistan's political history. 

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Book Review: My Life's Journey: The Early Years (1966-1988) by Altaf Hussain

 

Originally this book was published in Urdu as Safa-e-Zindagi. It was based on lengthy interview of Altaf Hussain, better known as Altaf bhai. In the foreword of the book Matthew A. Cook says that the Urdu speaking population which migrated to Pakistan includes population form Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Bombay. He also says that most Mohajirs were not elites. They were artisans such as shoemakers, carpet weavers from Agra. Or metal workers from Moradabad and lock-makers from Aligarh.

He further says that most provincial refugee rehabilitation ministers were Sindhis rather than Mohajirs. The civil and police control was by the Punjabis and the Pakhtuns controlled the building and transportation sectors. Altaf Hussain writes about his childhood, mentioning the time when Ayub Khan won from Fatima Jinnah. Ayub’s son Gohar Ayub decided to celebrate his father’s victory in Karachi. On that very day Altaf and his mother were in rickshaw and were informed by the Rickshaw driver to get out of the vehicle as Pakhtuns were on the rampage.

Writing about his activism during student days, he mentions mobilizing students for B. Pharmacy admissions. They were initially denied admissions because by the time their result came out the admissions had closed. But finally, after constant struggle they succeeded in getting admissions.

The author says that Mohajir civil servants were sacked during Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Bhutto’s time. After his association with PNA he realized that the Mohajirs were considered third class citizens and no respect was shown for their lives. On 11 June 1978, the All-Pakistan Mohajir Students’ Organization (APMSO) was formed. It faced string resistance from Islami Jamiat-e-Taluba. Finances were a serious issue for the newly founded organization and Altaf donated the income he earned from tuitions. Altaf Hussain says: ‘I can never forget that 50 cc motorbike of mine which proved to be more faithful than many humans.’ Furthermore, he says that when he was building up the organization, he would often be hungry with other fellows. To satisfy their stomachs they would each have a samosa followed by several glasses of water.  

In 1984, Mohajir Quami Movement (MQM) was launched. It faced serious opposition. He was jailed three times. He was tortured and later the beatings resulted in kidney problems. Altaf Hussain says that he subordinated all his desires and interest to his mission MQM. He further states that his family had a very positive attitude that provided courage to him. Altaf stresses on the relation between class and politics. He says MQM is a friend of the poor, whether they are from Punjab, Sindh, NWFP or Baluchistan.

This autobiographical account covers the period from 1966 to 1988. This book provides a story of Altaf Hussian- how an individual rose to become Altaf bhai.

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Book Review: That Untraveled World by Eric Shipton

 

The Untraveled World is the autobiography of a famous mountaineer and explorer named Eric Shipton. Shipton was born in 1907 in Ceylon, where his father was a tea planter. The author shares his experience from East Africa. In Kenya he arrives in 1928, where his first job was an apprenticeship on a large coffee farm at Nyeri. Further in the book he discusses his visit to Himalaya and Karakoram mountains. It was during the rule of Muhammad Nazim Khan that Shipton visited Hunza.

In 1940 Government of India offered the post of British consul-general in Kashgar to Shipton. Shipton says that Kashgar post was founded in 1888 by Younghusband. The first incumbent George MacCartney held the appointment for twenty-five years.  Personally for me, the chapter on Kashgar is very interesting as it gives insight to the political and social environment prevalent at that time. Shipton accepted another position of consul-general at Kunming in Yunna. Shipton also shares his experience of treks to Everest. In the concluding chapters the author discusses competition in the mountaineering field and wildlife. He believes that Karakoram, Kuen Lun, Alaska, Southern Andes are the field of fresh endeavor even for the traditional mountaineer.

Shipton says: “The springs of enchantment lie within ourselves: they arise from our sense of wonder, that most precious of gifts, the birthright of every child. Lose it and life becomes flat and colorless...”

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Truth, Love & a Little Malice by Khushwant Singh

One of the most interesting works of Khushwant Singh is his autobiography Truth, love and a little malice. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Living in pre-partition Punjab which has now become Pakistan Singh recalls his childhood memories. He talks about his village life, his grandmother, family and his surroundings.

Starting from his primary education Singh narrates how he moved to Dehli for his college. Later in Lahore he attended Government College. The interesting story of how he was inducted into the college is presented in detail. The student groupings, biases, antagonisms at Government Collage are also mentioned by the author.

After completing his education in Lahore Singh moved to London to start his Law degree at Kings College. His experiences at London are really worth reading. Starting his journey from India and traveling to England on ship with other Indian students was a new experience for him. The complexities, observing new things, encounter with other students and the time spent in England are well narrated. Singh befriended many people in England. He writes in detail about Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and the British who lived in London back in those days.In a chapter Singh writes about the loot and plunder that took place in 1947 when the partition took place. He adds that the environment was very tense and hostile. Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims were all involved in the massacre.

Khushwant Singh served an appointment at the Indian High commission London. He writes extensively about the politics within the Indian staff present there. Moreover, in the book the author also covers his travel and work experiences. His affiliation with the UN is also reflected. Singh also moved to Canada where he had other experiences. The author of this now started developing an interest in Sikh religion and history. He got a grant and sponsor went to London to do some serious work in this regard. From writing to publishing he writes about all the difficulty, opponents and criticism he faced. Singh was contacted by many leading universities of the world. He lectured at universities and joined the academia.

After his return to India Khushwant Singh joined journalism. During this phase he also got into the Raja Sabha. The Sikh population was massacred during this time period as Mrs Gandhi used strong measures against them. In this affair thousands of people including women and children were killed. Singh’s close affiliation with Indira Gandhi’s family and later his distance from them are explained in detail. Khushwant Singh writes a separate chapter on Pakistan which is also very interesting. Singh’s thinking towards major religions and his own agnosticism are also explained in great detail. After that the author writes about the art of writing and his interaction with different writers. His own inspiration in the field of writing are also included by him.

Overall this is a very interesting autobiography which not only tells us about the life of Khushwant Singh but explores the intricacies of recent history which Singh saw through his own eyes. Every person living in the Indian sub-continent should read this book.

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Book Review: Pakistan- A Personal History by Imran Khan

This very book written by Imran Khan is a mix of Pakistan’s history and his own autobiography. Khan takes a start from his childhood at Zaman Park. Moving on he covers his days at Oxford, his cricket life, establishment of Shaukat Khanum hospital and his entry into politics.

The author relates about his close connection with his mother. Her practice of Islam had strong Sufi influences which later in life was adopted by Imran. Furthermore Imran states that at Aitchison College boys caught speaking in Urdu were fined. The author views British to have exploited India. He quotes GDP of India in 1700s as 25 percent of world economy. Imran believes that British colonialism has had adverse effects on the society in Pakistan. He severely criticizes the elite in Pakistani politics.

Imran’s spiritual mentor Mian Bashir closely guided him in spiritual matters. In addition to that Imran considers Allama Iqbal as his inspiration and philosophical guide. Despite being good friends with Benazir Bhutto at Oxford, Imran disagreed with her on issues. Imran quotes her as acting “royal”. Imran also criticizes her father as he failed to deliver because of his feudal mindset. Moreover the author mentions about the bomb blast at Shaukat Khanum and also critiques the establishment for engineering past elections in the country.

Further in the book Khan discusses the rule of Pervez Musharraf, American pressure on Zardari for initiating operation in Bajaur and the rise of Taliban in Swat valley.

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Book Review: Benazir Bhutto Daughter of the East

Benazir Bhutto’s autobiography starts with the chapter named ‘The assassination of my father’. In this chapter she narrates her father’s case, visits to his jail and the deplorable living conditions of the jail where he was kept. Moving forward Benazir reminisces her childhood and talks about her family life. She took her O level exams at Vatican embassy in Pakistan. Later on Benazir went to Harvard University to pursue higher education. Benazir is of the view that, by studying at Harvard she began to understand more about Pakistan than she had been while living in Pakistan. 

When her father visited US for attending the UN sessions he would direct Benazir to be part of those sessions as an observer. In addition to that Benazir remembers her father telling her: “One of the fundamentals of diplomacy is to create doubt”. Later when Benazir went to Oxford she also served as the President of Oxford Union, for three months. Tariq Ali, a leftist had also remained president of the Oxford Union. In the book Benazir Bhutto presents her father’s case before the reader and argues that Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had made adequate reforms in Pakistan which were in accordance with Islam.  After attending Harvard, Benazir went to Oxford. At Oxford University, Benazir also owned a personal car. On her return she intended to join Pakistan’s Foreign Service. When Benazir returned to Pakistan she had an Urdu tutor and her father would always tell her to improve her Urdu. In this book frequent mention of Zia-ul-Haq is made by Benazir. Benazir believes her father was judicially murdered by Zia and his cronies. Zia who had passed over six generals kept harassing Benazir and her family. She was kept in Sukkur jail, Karachi Central jail and was numerous times under house arrest. Benazir at one point in her book also mentions that both she and her mother were allowed to keep servants in jail. 

Adding on to that Benazir was later permitted by Zia to go abroad on medical grounds. There she travelled between London and Paris. She continued her political engagements for her party and also got involved in highlighting the perils of Zia’s rule in Pakistan by engaging with the western media. When she was in France, her younger brother Shah Nawaz died under mysterious circumstances. Shah Nawaz used to train guerilla fighters in Afghanistan and is said to have mentioned Zia’s threat to his life, prior to this incident. Moreover in the book Benazir unveils about her marriage with Asif Zardari, who was also from a feudal background. Benazir believes that under US pressure Zia held the elections of 1985. She further narrates events till the day of Zia’s plane crash in Bahawalpur. Benazir concludes by hoping to cast her vote in 1988 elections and believes that one day Pakistan would become a democratic and progressive country.

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Book Review: Boy by Roald Dahl

Boy is certainly not Roald Dahl’s autobiography but definitely a reflection of his early phase of life. Roald Dahl’s father hailed from a small town near Oslo. His father had married twice and died when Dahl was young. In his childhood, Dahl was a naughty kid. In this book he narrates an anecdote from his childhood where he along with his friends placed a dead mouse into a box containing sweets. The seller of those sweets was a lady who complained to Dahl’s school head. They all got caught and were punished badly. Furthermore Dahl mentions his admission into a boarding school. There he suffered from homesickness and also faced the wrath of his school teachers and seniors. In addition to that he had secretly kept a bicycle which he would often ride after sneaking out from his dormitory. Adding on to that, he mentions about his different teachers; their behavior towards students and the beating which they got from them. One day he was really missing home and wanted to go back. This only became possible when he pretended to be sick. He also explains the physical pain which he underwent after getting his adenoid removed without anesthesia. Dahl’s naughtiness once made him mix goat’s dropping into the pipe of his sister’s fiancé. After high school Dahl did not wish to study at a university and instead opted to work. He got inducted into Shell Oil Company. Later on he also became an RAF pilot fighting against the Germans in Second World War. Dahl was passionate about photography and got a Bronze medal from the Egyptian photography Society in Cairo. Throughout the book Dahl shares his childhood experiences, school life and his family trips. He believes that some events have made an ever lasting impact on his life. As Roald Dahl states ‘Throughout my young days at school and just afterwards a number of things happened to me… Some are funny. Some are painful. Some are unpleasant…All are true’.

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Book Review: Truth Always Prevails by Sadruddin Hashwani

Truth Always Prevails is a memoir of Sadruddin Hashwani, a renowned businessman of Pakistan and also the chairman of the Hashoo group.  In this book he has mentioned major events in his life which led him to become one of the most prominent businessmen in Pakistan. Dedicating this work to the youth of Pakistan, he believes that his enterprise development is the enemy of dictatorship. Marking this as the reason he further mentions about his own struggle against corrupt politicians and dictators who were busy creating problems for him too.

In the initial pages of the book Hashwani talks about his early life and about his origins which he claims to be from Iran. He emphasizes on his early business adventures and the profits he earned through his business. He further talks about his love for cricket, when he used to play at Aga Khan Gymkhana Karachi and was a well known fast bowler at that time.

Throughout the book at various instances he has pointed out the business conditions of the political regimes from Ayub Khan to Zardari. Furthermore he has also discussed the military regimes of dictators in Pakistan. Under these different regimes the problems faced by him and the threats to his life have been discussed in considerable depth.

During the Zardari regime, Hashwani had to shift abroad as he felt that there was a threat to his life. The start of the clash between Zardari and Hashwani has been discussed in great detail. In addition he has also shared the stories which inspired him to create hotel Zaver Pearl Continental and Pearl continental Bhurban. Zaver PC was created in the memory of his late mother and the idea of PC Bhurban came into existence when Hashwani was on a trip with his daughters to Bhurban hill station.

Today Hashwani also heads the Hashoo Foundation, which works in the field of social development. On the other hand the Hashoo Group has large business interests ranging from property development, real estate, industries and oil and gas exploration and production.

Sadruddin Hashwani considers himself a true patriot and says that Faith, Truth and Honesty are the greatest human legacies which his forefathers have left for him to follow. 

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Book Review: The Autobiography of Malcolm X

The Autobiography of Malcolm X introduces the reader to the Black Nationalist leader of America. Malcolm X fought for the rights of black people in America when they were being persecuted on racial grounds. He himself was an example of the poor socio-economic conditions of the black population. 

Events have been reflected upon, leading from his early childhood when he lost his father through the hands of Ku Klux Klan, to his performing the Hajj ritual in Kindom of Saudi Arabia. In his childhood, he lost his father and his mother went to a mental hospital. Dropped out from school he sold drugs, started gambling, drinking and got involved in all sorts of wrongdoings, in which most of the black population got involved in those days. He even had started doing armed robberies.Finally he was caught by the police. According to him his life in prison was the turning point of his life. 

Despite his troubled life he started studying English and Latin, and even joined the prison debate team. He came to know Elijah Muhammad, to whom he wrote many letters. Inspired by Elijah Muhammad’s personality he became one of his trusted disciples. After completion of his jail sentence, he worked with Elijah Muhammad under the umbrella of nation of Islam, the organization founded by Elijah Muhammad. Due to his hardwork and commitemet Malcolm X was promoted to the rank of national minister by Elijah Muhammad. Some events showed Malcolm X the true face of Elijah Muhammad and differences bteween them became permanent.Later on he formed his own organization, Muslim Mosque, Inc. After performing Hajj, an Islamic ritual, and travelling to Middle East and Africa Malcolm discovered what true Islam was. Malcolm X believed that Islam was the only religion which could foster international brotherhood among communities, and put an end to racial prejudice. He was assassinated in 1965 by a group of black assassins.

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