On 18th August 2018 two things happened. Legendary Imran Khan took oath of his office as 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan and Javed Mehmood, Chief Editor of Corporate Ambassador held 14th awards distribution ceremony.
First ceremony was held in the President House at Islamabad and second one was held at Karachi in Beach Luxury Hotel. Both had one message. Hope for the future.
Whether it would be a start for new Pakistan, time is going to be the best judge for that. Imran Khan with tears in his eyes and smile on his face was officially handed the reins of power in a ceremony at the President of Pakistan House in Islamabad on 18th August.
It marked only the second time in Pakistan’s 71-year history that there has been a peaceful democratic transition from one civilian government to another. And it brought an end to decades of rotating leadership between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party, punctuated by establishment rule.
A tearful Mr. Khan, dressed in a traditional black sherwani, promised to bear true faith and allegiance”, and to “discharge duties and functions honestly, to the best of his ability… and always in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity, well-being and prosperity of Pakistan”.
The 65-year-old – who became a national hero after captaining Pakistan to world cup victory in 1992 – had already won a confidence vote in the National Assembly.
Tehreek-e-Insaf party promises to end corruption and build an “Islamic welfare state”.
In ceremony, he was joined by the members of that world cup winning team, including fast bowler Wasim Akram, another cricketer-turned-politician, India’s Navjot Singh Sidhu. He was seen warmly embracing Pakistan’s army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Mr. Khan’s third wife Bushra Bibi — formerly known as Bushra Maneka – was also present, making her first public appearance since the couple married earlier this year. She was covered from head to toe in a white abaya. His first wife, the London heiress Jemima Goldsmith – with whom he maintains a good relationship – was not in present at the oth-taking. Khan’s two sons also did not participated in this auspicious ceremony. “The boys really wanted to be there but their father told them not to come,” Ms. Goldsmith tweeted.
After the swearing in ceremony, the new leader went to the prime minister’s house in the capital, where he was given guard of honor.
But the challenges now facing Mr. Khan are myriad. No prime minister of Pakistan has ever completed a full five-year term, and he will have to contend with the same issue as many of his predecessors: how to maintain a power balance in civil-military relations.
Dealing with militant extremism, water shortages, a rapidly growing population and a potential looming economic crisis are among the immediate issues awaiting Mr. Khan.
There also remains strong opposition to his rule across the country. Many still claim his election victory was down to the military tilting the playing field in his favor with persistent accusations of vote rigging and intimidation – both of which Mr. Khan deny.
In a speech to parliament on 17th August, he said: “I am here after 22 years of struggle. No dictator has taken care of me. I am standing here in this parliament on my own feet.”
Here one may quote an incident. Winston Churchill once went to a mental hospital in London and found one person sitting on the entrance. The sitting person asked the Churchill that who he was. Churchill said that he is the Prime Minister of the country. At this the person said: “I am also saying for the last six months but nobody believes me”.
We want Imran Khan to act like Churchill who won the 2nd world war. But on the other side we have seen Abraham Lincoln, Regan, Newton, and Socrates who were not mentally fit, but they changed the history in favor of their country.
Immediately after appointment, new cabinet was announced with 90% ministers remaining part of Musharraf government with Dawood and Ishrat Husain. Let us see how they perform this time with their poor performance during 2000-2008 periods. Even Ishrat Husain considered being the best economist had allowed foreign Exchange to flow outside Pakistan though consumer financing and bringing inflation at peak in 2005 even when he was not governor of SBP. This is a country of poor’s and these all figures belong to elites. Let us see how they perform differently this time.
Now coming to corporate Awards they were held at Jasmine Hall, Beach Luxury Hotel Karachi. An honest can bring a big achievement, and to prove it well Javed Mehmmod a well-known Journalist has always tried to recognize those people who can make history with the work.
Here we may Congratulate Javed Mehmood and jury members of Ambassador Award for their efforts.
The center of the awards was Rozina Jallal an astrologer with her get up and gestures. Manzar Naqvi, Mubesher Mir of Editors Club were also prominent
Other prominent attendees were Mr. Shaukat Mahmmood, Group Chief from NBP and one doctor, Dr Sikandar Ali Shaikh, who recited a poem on worth of women as a Mother. Dr Murtuza Mughal also shared his views.
As for last words, we must not think entering in to government and getting awards like entering in to a grave yard. Mostly people ask that why that graveyard is so popular? Because People have always been dying to get in. Apart from this we all need to make this country prosperous and by acknowledging achievements of others and rewarding them with awards and appreciation in the society with the aim to evolve a new Pakistan.
Chairman Centre of Advisory Services for Islamic Banking and Finance (CAIF), former Head of FSCD SBP, former Head of Research Arif Habib Investments and Member IFSB Task Force for development of Islamic Money Market, former Member of Access to Justice Fund Supreme Court of Pakistan.