Hard landing of our “Soft image”
The bunch of whiz kids at the power corridors also tried their skills at other legendary myths of the “Brand Pakistan” variety, but the “Soft Image of Pakistan” was outlandishly out-of-this-world.
Right from its fabrication, our soft image limped on for months, propped up by the soft-faced and soft-spoken female models, who toured the world to put in Pakistan’s share to the global softness pool. In the beginning, everything at least appeared to be going soft and well.
Trouble started when others took the brainy official strategy and modified it to their own advantage.
Cheered by the idea that the world hears softer voices clearer and understands them better, the black burqa brigade came heckling into the open, in middle of the capital of the enlightened moderates, to take all things soft head on. They didn’t spare even our para-jumper tourism minister and the all-favorite Chinese masseuses.
Within days, our soft façade got cracked.
In chorus came another image-shattering extravaganza, as hard hitting as the former. While we anticipated jovial goras all over the place in the “Visit Pakistan Year 2007,” the former Chief Justice decided to implement his own version of Visit Pakistan. Riding on the shoulders of his black coat brigade, he went every corner worth a peek, and painted the remaining of our image in black. If there was anything left of our soft image, the 12th of May and the wide array of suicide bombings after and before it, above all the tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto, took it once and for all.
Now, that he is freer than ever, will someone tell our President-cum-Opposition Leader that image is not only how you want others to see you; it is how you actually look. For a soft image, we need a softer reality.
As a first step, he must go.
