Mirror, mirror on the wall, Who’s the ugghliest of them all?

PTH has been lucky to get new writers. Niaz Murtaza, a distinguished scholar is now our regular here. Please welcome him and also enjoy reading his latest piece exclusively written for this blogzine. Raza Rumi

Pakistan has suffered such an amazing array of villainous leaders for its short history, found otherwise only in Bollywood action-thrillers, that it becomes difficult to identify the lead-villain and to answer the million dollar question of who gets the million lashes award for costing the most millions to Pakistan.I muse about this issue frequently and deeply. Unable to figure out for myself, in frustration, during along sojourn in the quiet room, I turned to the mirror on the wall for the answer.

After much agonizing, my mirror flashed the image of Yahya—3rd President and proud recipient of Sitara-e-Pakistan and Hilal-e-Pakistan. Even though his rule was shorter than other dictators’, he boasts the unparalleled legacy of presiding over dismemberment and bloodshed in East Pakistan. Busy pursuing wine and women (mercifully not wealth), he barely governed. According to his Wikipedia entry, he died from “alcohol over-indulgence”. For these follies, my mirror ranks him highest in the hall of shame.