Thank you LUMS, a university which has created a name for itself in terms of quality learning and introduced new higher benchmarks in Pakistan’s academia. Thank you Law and Politics Society, especially its patron Uzair Kayani and president Zarak Asad Khan. My colleague at ISSI Arhama Siddiqa, a proud alumnus of the LUMS, has also helped with the event.
I am grateful to you Dr. Rasul Baksh Rais sahib for agreeing to moderate this session. You are one of my predecessors in the ISSI, and thus enjoy special esteem in my heart. Some of the experts you brought into the ISSI like Arhama Siddiqa have done real well and hold tremendous potential in creating her mark in the field of research and dialogue. I am honored with the presence of such tall personalities as Dr. Pavez Hassan, who was instrumental in creating the Sheikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law at the LUMS. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to interact with Parvez sahib over a dinner, and I instantly noticed a sharp mind imbibed with the spirit to contribute to the society that has given him all what he has achieved. Thank you, Sir, for gracing the event.
Mr. Fakir Aijazuddin is another towering personality whom I have come to respect profoundly. He was my directing staff at the National School of Public Policy or the Staff College as old timers like to call it. He is not only an accounting guru, but also a man of versatile talent. His articles in the daily Dawn reflect the breadth of his observations and forthright critique on all issues of interest to our country and our society. Thank you, Sir, for honoring me by being here.
Dr. Sikandar Shah is an illustrious academic with intricate legal insights. For a while, he was the Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that’s where I met him in 2012 on return from Holland. Every once in a while, I read his articles, and learn from his perspectives. I am honored with your presence here Sir.
My circle of friends is being represented here by my close friend Khurshid Anwar, a businessman who is as well read as he is successful in his business.
I am delighted to see many students in this hall today. Let me share with you a private thought. I enjoy much more, and learn manifold when I am interacting with youngsters like you. The reason is that listening to the uninhibited views of youngsters is a breath of fresh air for pragmatists like me. So, please allow me to make you all today, our youth, our future, as the primary audience of my talk, which I hope will also be the primary readership of my book.
To the youth, I would recommend reading the first three chapters of the book: Early life, Becoming a Sargodhian, and Turbulence. At this stage of life, you would relate to this part of the book more than other chapters, mainly because you would discover that we all go through the phases of uncertainty in choosing one’s career, and the turbulence in making that happen. I went to PAF College Sargodha, thinking I would be a fighter pilot, but got deflected to UET, and finally settled in the Foreign Service. Could have I predicted that trajectory. Not really. As you read those and subsequent chapters, you would discover that what makes the life move in the right direction amidst all that turbulence are the PRINCIPLES on which one has chosen to base one’s life.
Let me elaborate. We all make choices, and each choice has its own consequences. Sometimes, our choices, our decisions work, sometimes they don’t. The human weakness is to blame the circumstances or environment if consequences of our decisions go bad, and we cleverly take the credit if my decisions produce favorable consequences. Important thing to remember is that the consequences are not a result of your circumstances, good or bad, or your genes, or the social environment along. Consequences primarily follow from the choices we make, the decisions we take. When you pick one end of the stick, you automatically pick the other end.
Sorry for going a bit philosophical. But the point I am making is that there is a direct correlation between Principles, Choices, and Consequences. The choices we make depend on the principles or values that would guide our life. A Greek philosopher said “Character is destiny”. As Iqbal said, khudi ko kar buland itna ke her taqdeer se pehle, khuda bande se khud pooche bata teri raza kaya hei. I don’t know if you have focused on this verse and how it explains such a fabulous balance between our choices and our destiny. Now, let me relate this little lesson in philosophy of life to this book. In my case, you would discover that the principles or values that underpin my life were picked up by me during my education phase, just like you all are going through now. I learned that one has to persevere no matter how challenging the situation was. I learned that I must honor my words and my commitments, if I want those around me treat me as a man of integrity. I learned that I must aim high, and not be deterred by the hurdles, as Iqbal said tundiye baad e mukhalif se no ghabra aie uqaab. Ye to chalti hai tujhe ooncha uraane ke liye. I learned that hardwork pays and no knowledge would ever go waste. I learned that man gets what he strives for. Laisa lil insane illa masaa. I learned that I must stand up for my companions and cherish the team work, for working together is far more productive than a solo performance.
And I learned that a life constructed on principles is far superior to the one lived through deceit, lies, and expediencies.
As you move along the book, you would discover that this is not just my story. It is also the story of Pakistan that each one of you can relate to:
For instance, when 9/11 happened in 2001, you would recall what your family was doing at that time while thousands of miles away, a dynamic was unleashing that would change Pakistan, perhaps for ever.
Likewise, when Mumbai terrorist attacks occurred in November 2008, why this turned out to be such a big challenge for the peace process between India and Pakistan. You would discover how Pakistan’s life as a nation has been impacted by its successive rulers, from Ayub Khan to Bhutto to Zia to Nawaz Sharif and Benazir, and Musharraf. I think you all can relate to this story of our country and evaluate whether your own judgements align with mine or are different.
In either case, I hope you would enjoy reading the story of Pakistan as I saw it, and its foreign policy as I lived through it.
In the epilogue, I have raised a large number of questions, that I have come across during the course of my service from the Middle East to America to Europe – questions that many of you must have also pondered over: what is the very purpose behind the creation of Pakistan, and whether we have lived up to it. the political system by which we are governing our national life; has it served us well? why is Pakistan such a misunderstood country, why our image is worse than our reality, where is the country headed, and what can bring it back to the vision of its founding father, the Quaid.
Answers to many of these questions run throughout the book, but have been discussed more explicitly in the epilogue. I hope you would read all that and make your own judgements.
Now why did I write this book? One writer who has inspired me is Steven Covey. He says that life should cover all four phases: To live, to learn, to serve, and to leave a legacy. It is this last phase of life cycle that my book was intended to achieve. I want to be remembered not by how many houses I built, or cars I possessed, or watches I wore. I want to be remembered by my book Diplomatic Footprints.
I owe it to future generations to share my experiences and how my values-based, principles-based approach helped me sail through life so smoothly. I am happy to learn from some universities that the descriptions of my book are now being cited by students in their MPhil or Phd thesis as a primary source.
Finally, let me state that Pakistan and our society is what we have made it to be. My generation does not seem to have lived up to the high expectations of us. However, I am sure that future belongs to you. Please contribute in every way that you can for the betterment of our society. Create a niche, just like these men of high accomplishment have done. Stand up and be counted. Not for any political party or leader. But for the principles and values that underpin your life. May you all achieve what you have set out to do.
I look forward to discussions today. And once again, thank you LUMS, and Politics and Law Society.