The two exiled former Prime Ministers of Pakistan seem to be vigorously working to promote their chances of returning to their country to participate in the General Elections promised by President General Pervez Musharraf in 2007-2008.
Benazir Bhutto has announced her determination to return to Pakistan ‘by the end of this year whether Mr Musharraf would like it or…not’ but sent the clearest signal yet that she expects to cut a deal with the military regime and become prime minister for a third time, reports The Times of India.
“Even as she continued to snipe at General Musharraf, Bhutto finally confirmed persistent speculation she would be prepared to work with her chief rival with the military ruler taking the president’s post and Bhutto that of prime minister.
“In a notionally fluffy yet significantly hard-edged interview to The Times London’s lifestyle correspondent, Bhutto said from her home in self-exile in Dubai that ‘a good working relationship between him (Musharraf) and me would be a necessity for Pakistan’.”
Meanwhile former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday urged army generals to choose between Pakistan and Gen Pervez Musharraf who, he alleged, was bent upon destroying the army as an institution, reports Pakistan’s Dawn.
“He said Gen Musharraf had committed an unpardonable offence because of which a deal with him was ‘unthinkable’. He said the country needed leaders, not dealers at this juncture. He said he would never cooperate with those who had violated the Constitution and people’s mandate (by overthrowing an elected government).”
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.