On landing in Lahore after a long and forced exile in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan’s former prime minister Nawaz Sharif proclaimed that his objectives were to “rid the country of military rule and to strengthen democracy”. But how? General Musharraf continues to have the full backing of the US administration…But Sharif may like to cash on the friendship he may have developed with the Saudi King and others while enjoying the Arabian hospitality during his eight-year-long exile in the rich Arabian kingdom.
BBC Pakistan correspondent Barbara Plett says Sharif remains opposed to Gen Musharraf, but that he no longer poses a direct threat because the military leader has recently secured another presidential term by declaring an emergency.
AFP reports that a special plane lent by Saudi King Abdullah touched down at Lahore airport carrying Sharif, family members and some of his closest aides at 6:25 pm (1325 GMT).
One of the first important visits Sharif is scheduled to undertake on reaching Lahore would be to the dargah of Abul Hassan Ali Ibn Usman al-Jullabi al-Hajweri al-Ghaznawi or Abul Hassan Ali Hajweri (sometimes spelled Hujwiri), also known as Data Ganj Bakhsh or Data Sahib, who was a Persian Sufi and scholar during the 11th century. He significantly contributed to the spreading of Islam in South Asia.
My earlier post on Sharif here…
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.