A large number of the photographs in the F.E. Chaudhry Collection are of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto during the time of the Bhutto Primiership. None are more riveting for those interested in Pakistan’s history than the one of Mr. Bhutto’s trial in the Lahore High Court during 1978.
In the last installment from the F.E. Choudhry Gallery we brought you scenes of public agitation from outside the Lahore High Court where Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s trial was proceeding. Today we bring you some amazing photographs from inside the Lahore High Court.
These pictures are amazing indeed. If you did not know of the context you would never guess that the smartly dressed, confident, self-assured man in all of them is the “accused” being led by his captives to court. It truly reminds one of Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s immortal verse:
jiss dhajj say koee maqtal meiN gaya
woh shaan salamat rehti hai,
Yeh jaan tou aani jaani hai
iss jaan ki koee baat nahiN
If one did not know of the context one could easily assume that this is a confident Prime Minister, walking with his head held high, accompanied by his security detail. Instead, what it actually is a deposed Prime Minister being taken to court for a mock trial by the dictator who disposed him and surrounded by his captors and guards. He walks elegantly and confidently in and out of the court while police escorts follows keeping a respectful distance as if led by Mr. Bhutto into a state function.
These four photographs attest to Mr. Bhutto’s sense of dress and decorum, but even more to his sense of history. Each one rivals the others in terms of Bhutto’s formal attire. Of course, Mr. Bhutto knew the fate that awaited him and in some ways he dressed not just for that moment, but for that fate. His sense of defiance was reflected through his choice of clothes and his calm, confident and self-assured appearance.
All these photographs from chacha F.E. Chaudhry, but especially this next one, also demonstrate what leadership really is. It comes not just from the office but from the person. It is the police that is supposed to be “leading” Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto to court, and he who is supposed to be “following” them. Instead, it is very clear for all to see who is “leading” whom. Those with the guns and batons are “following” the dictates of a dictator. Those whose spirit they are meant to break, a man of many faults no doubts, walks with his head held high because he “leads” with his conscience.
Click here for the evolving F.E. Choudhry Gallery at ATP.
I grew up not liking Bhutto because my family did not like him for some reason. But I must confess that everyone after him (including his daughter and now son-in-law) had convinced me that he was indeed am amazing leader. He made the country feel proud of itself and seeing these pictures I can see why.
Zechetti mian,
I suppose when all Muslim men would be hafiz-e-Quran and all women will wear the hijab, Pakistan would become the land of milk and honey eh?
You guys are a waste. Pakistan already has a disproportionately large number of mosques etc but people like you would rather build mosques than schools.
The idea being planted by “Boston Tea Party” in ISI style that “woh shaan salamat rehti hai” is about the fall of Dhaka only shows that the commenter has no idea of Faiz Ahmed Faiz as a poet and in intellectual or the context of his poetry. First you guys twist the sayings of Jinnah to mean things that were never intended and now you do the same to Faiz. Same type of people misrepresent the Quran too. Kuch sharam karo, yaar.
In my point of view, Gen. Zia-ul-Haq was a great leader. This is because he enjoined the Haq and forbade the Batil, just as the Holy Qur’an instructs us to do so.
How many madrassas are there thanks to Gen Zia? How many Hafiz Qur’ans are there thanks to Zia? Without his influence and his legacy, Pakistan today would be far far away from Islam and there would be all kinds of fassaad in the land (even though there already is a lot of it, but without Gen Zia it would be far worse).
So Alhamdulillah.
May Allah bless his soul and grant him Jannatul Firdous, ameen.
I am disgusted by the manner in which Bhutto and his “baqiat” are being eulogised and lionised on this popular web-site by Adil Najam.
“Woh shaan salamat….” is for those millions of innocents who lost their lives after Bhutto’s military friends surrendered to India in Paltan Maidan Dhaka…
Are you too, Adil Najam , an opportunist like Gerneral Gulzar Pervert Kiyani?