Adil Najam
Just got hold of a list of major media appearances that Gen. Pervez Musharraf will be making as part of his book tour to promote In The Line of Fire: A Memoir. The book is publsihed by Simon and Schuster which will be handing much of the book tour, although it is clear that he will be asked about and will speak about much more than just the book.
(BTW, there is also a White House meeting with President Bush on Friday; so Gen. Musharraf will remain busy).
ATP had alreday written about the general’s appearance on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show, and we have a ccurrently ongoing ATP Poll on Grading Gen. Musharraf’s Performance in office. I am sure there will be other appearances too, but here is a list of the key ones.
Sept. 24: 60 Minutes
Sept. 25: NBC’s Today Show
Sept. 26: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Sept. 27: NPR’s Morning Edition
Oct. 1: NBC’s Meet The Press
Although there are always surprises, those familiar with the US media landscape would agree that one could express the toughest questions on Meet The Press with Tim Russert and The Dialy Show with Jon Stewart. The Today Show and Morning Edition appearances are more likely to focus on the ’softer’ and more personal questions. 60 Minutes can go eitehr way, depending on who is interviewing him, but is likely to be a mix of personal and political issues.
Also heard on the internet that the ghost writer for the book is Humayun Gauhar. I am not at all sure if this is true or not. If this is, in fact, true that would be something. Humayun Gauhar is another ‘PR maven’, and son of Ayub Khan’s media guru, Altaf Gauhar. Reportedly, Ayub Khan’s biography, Friends, Not Masters, was ghost-written by Altaf Gauhar.
If true, the coincidence and the connection would be just a little too perfect. Which is why I remain skeptical about the authenticity of this rumor. Readers, does anyone have a sense if this is true or not?
Video clips (in three parts) of Bush-Musharraf press conference at the White House on Sept. 22:
“..(alluding to the fact that he also has Muhajir roots)..”
PatExpat,
What roots are you talking about? If it is what I eluded to then you are again being derogatory to a racial group. If not then half of pakistan has those roots and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact we were just talking about the mohajirs of punjab in an other thread.
It is quite a belief that you have regarding bb winning the election. What makes you so affirmative? Don’t you think 88 and 93 are distant memories and a repeat even in sindh is unlikely. She has had very little to do with the growth seen in punjab and frontier in the last decade and anyone’s guess is as good as mine as to how she would do there. If your stance throughout has been based on this belief then I think it is sad to say the least. Can you please give us a few links of what good BB did for pakistan as opposed to what harm musharraf caused her? I think it is not fair to use the facade of democracy to sell PPP’s agenda. Because in the end it has been good for nothing not even for roti or kapra or makan.
No matter which side of the argument you are on, I would be very interested in somehow finding out just how many people have - or ever will - actually READ the book. Not read something about the book, but read the book itself. Reading is not exactly something we do very often. Interesting how that never comes in the way of our having an opinion!
Sorry, my earlier comment was not factually correct. I had looked up only the top 25 best selling books on the chart and “In the Line of Fire” was not there. Further search revealed that it has climbed down to number 33. Two days after the launch it was at number 3.
Apologies for bringing in the racial issue but I am the so called Muhajir myself and everybody knows that mostly Muhajirs are anti BB and anti NS even when they are anti MQM. For them is clear (either they will vote for MQM or dont vote at all). Obviously I am generalizing to make a point.
In the earlier post, I was just highlighting the fact that he did not criticize in his book the convicted criminals that are part of Sind government. Why leave them out when you are slinging mud at every other politician?
Regarding Mush himself being a muhajir, he made a speech in Karachi where he repeated quite a few times “mein aap mein say hoon, mein aap jaisa hoon” (alluding to the fact that he also has Muhajir roots).
On my various comments about Benazir becoming PM, its my belief that if fair elections are held, she will become PM not because I want it but because majority of the population will vote for her.
“I am surprised that he left two Quaids out(Quaid-e-Azam and Quaid-e-Tehreek Altaf Hussain. Is it because he himself is a Muhajir or because he has his own ax to grind in Sind)…”
PatExpat, We know you are a PPP supporter who could not wait to see BB in power but I think you went on a stretch here by bringing in ethnicity in this way. This is a potential flamer and would only hurt this blog. ATP also did a poll that inculded BB and NS (your two guardians of democracy); please refer to that and see how many votes they received. To add to MQ’s post a close associate of Gandhi, I believe, once said that had congress had one Jinnah and Muslim League even a dozen Nehrus, pakistan’s existance would have been unlikely.
“… This does not mean that Quaid is not Father of the Nation.”
PatExpat,
Do not quite agree with your analogy. Were there no Jinnah on the scene it was extremely unlikely that Pakistan would have born.
It is not true for the “bum”.
Adil,
Have you noticed that the THE BOOK has already dropped out of the charts? It hasn’t been even a week since the book was launched and it is nowhere to be seen on the Bestsellers list of Amazon.com
MQ,
Pakistan did not come into being in nine months or nine years. The seeds were sown before Quaid was even born or joined Muslim League. There were other politicians, Iqbal’s vision, Aligarh educated Muslims, sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of ordinary muslims that led to the development of Pakistan. This does not mean that Quaid is not Father of the Nation.
From the many interviews, newspaper articles and books that I have read over the years, I have never read that A Q Khan describe himself as father of the bomb. Time and again I have read him giving credit to the extensive support received from Zulfi Bhutto, Zia ul Haq, other politicians, his team of dedicated scientists working in minimal conditions (I have myself heard these praises) and his trusted network of suppliers. But because of instrumental role played by AQ Khan, he has been bestowed a title of Father of the bomb. I don’t think in times of state media (PTV) only, he could have garnered that title without complete support of the government.
And unless the government comes out with proof that he has diverted resources for his well being and gives him a chance to defend himself, I will respect him for giving us the bomb. Why is it that AQKhan can’t defend his dignity because of national security and our president can tour all over the world spilling beans blurting out one half truth after another slinging mud at every civillian politician/ruler. I am surprised that he left two Quaids out(Quaid-e-Azam and Quaid-e-Tehreek Altaf Hussain. Is it because he himself is a Muhajir or because he has his own ax to grind in Sind).
It has been a while since I heard Mush uttering national security or national interest in his speech. Its like he has removed that word from his vocabulary just to promote his book.