Unfair Zardari bashing

There is a general tendency to blame President Asif Ali Zardari for every thing under the sun: he is responsible for the price hike, for non-revival of top judiciary, for non implementation of the 'Niazam-e-Adl in Swat, for the drone attacks and for the falling standards of education and for the downward trend in estate market and even the stock market.

I wonder how one man could be held answerable for so many things; he has to be a giant or super natural being. He is not. President Zardari is an ordinary person with extraordinary qualities. AAZ suffered because of this 'friendship' tag and I fail to figure out how long he will be made to suffer as it is not possible for him to abandon his 'friendship' route.

As Pakistan faces a make-or-break scenario all eyes are focused on him and he is doing his best.

He is in a precarious situation. If he strikes a deal with the militants in Swat, the US raises its eyebrows and if he doesn't he buys the anger of all those who favour a safe and peaceful Swat. Is it easy to clean up the mess created by Pervez Musharraf?

It was the responsibility of AAZ to steer this country out of Musharraf presidency and he played this inning admirably. Even Nawaz Sharif tends to agree it was no easy task to drive Musharraf out of the presidency. It was Asif Ali Zardari who raised the slogan 'Go Musharraf go' and within weeks, out he went disgraced and injured with his ego he primed the most.

In the post-Musharraf scenario it was not easy to pick up the pieces and build institutions. It is hard to disagree with the fact that Mr Zardari has proved himself to be the real son of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed. Musharraf was a hard nut to crack but Mr Zardari dismantled him within no time and now he is lecturing on national security in India almost playing a 'Pakistani Gorbachev' in Armani suits. Musharraf was well dressed but was not well prepared for Zardari's onslaught that took him by surprise and forced his to surrender the presidency.

We must not to forget that President Zardari despite his weaknesses is a national leader. He can never sell one rupee roti in Larkana; Bhutto's home town and deprive others who buy it in five rupees. He has to take care of all even the poor miner in Baluchistan to a farmer in Multan to a school girl in Swat.

He cherishes national ethos of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed. He once rightly declared: "I am Bhuttos's son in law, not of any 'natho khera'." Times and tides have proved that AAZ was so right. This man who is a father of two daughters and one son needs a break.

He deserves some mercy, some passion, and some consideration. He has hurt nobody, he is wounded and hurt, his children Bilawal, Bakhtawar and Asifa are wounded and hurt. The country of Benazir Bhutto's children deserves mercy in a ruthless society.