Super-Patriot 2007: Reposted & Updated

Owais Mughal

We had this post originally published in August of 2006. This one is an updated repost. Many of us may know this singer from Pakistan named Shahida Mini. Apparently Ms. Mini gives a statement every year before Independence Day, which Nawaiwaqt dutifully prints every year. The funny part is that the statement remained exactly the same for three years running viz 2004, 2005 and 2006. This year however, the statement got slightly changed and we’ll see below what happened.

Each year, it seemed, she had a big show planned abroad. And then, at the last minute, each year she decided that she was going to cancel her trip abroad because her patriotism couldn’t allow her to be away from Pakistan on Independence Day. In 2007 she has finally managed to fly away and do her shows abroad to celebrate the Independence day.

Year 2007:

Following is the news that appeared for his 2007 Independence day itinerary.

The underlined text above reads as:

Melody Queen of Pakistan, Ms Shahida Mini has left for a very long (1 month) tour of US and Canada. She is the first ever actress of Pakistan who is going to the US for the 3rd time within a single month to perform. She said it is the love of Pakistanis living abroad who send me regular invitations.

Year 2006:

Here is her 2006 statement as published in Nawaiwaqt.

A part of underlined text reads:

“I was going to go abroad these days but because of the love of my country I have postponed my trip for few days so that I can celebrate the Independence Day with my compatriots.

Year 2005 and Year 2004:

Here is what she said in 2004, also published in Nawaiwaqt:

The underlines text reads (59 was a typo in Nawaiwaqt):

“I have postponed my coming tour of US because I wanted to celebrate the Indpendence Day at home. I want to celebrate the 59^th Independence Day with my countrymen (and/or women)

I have misplaced the Nawaiwaqt cutting from 2005 but she had said the same thing then except the country to which she postponed her trip was Norway. Here is an excerpt from her 2005 statement in Roman Urdu:

“is din hameN aazadi ki nemat mili. is liyay ye aham din meiN apnoN se dur nahi mana sakti“

We were blessed by the Independence on this day, therefore I cannot celebrate it away from my people

Reminds me of this sher by Amjad Islam Amjad:

farq hai kuch kiradaaroN meiN
baaqi khel puraana hai