“Hakeem” Zaid Hamid

 By Yasser Latif Hamdani

Zaid Hamid is a name thrown about quite a bit these days.  Who is he and what does he want?  Well I am sorry to disappoint his fans and supporters but Zaid Hamid is a small time nutcase and an Afghan war veteran who has probably been picked up some foolish schemer in the ISI to strengthen right-wing pro-Islamic ultra-nationalist sentiments described by them as “Deeni Ghairat”.

Somewhere towards the end of the Musharraf regime, when it was being vociferously challenged by the people’s movement,  Musharraf sought to create a new constituency for himself.  A “Musharraf lovers” body was formed and another group started agitating for Musharraf’s picture on the currency.   During this time entered onto stage one Ahmad Quraishi and one Zaid Hamid.  Former was an opinionated super-nationalist Musharraf lover and the latter presented himself as a defense and economic security analyst who in general promoted military rule over civilian rule.  Of these two the odd-looking Zaid Hamid with his red beret, small beard and rabble rousing style clearly won the day.