I support father's decision: Musharraf's son

ISLAMABAD: While children of the Bhutto family are hogging the limelight, lesser known sons and daughters of famous Pakistani leaders and personalities are holding their own.
   
Heading the list is President Pervez Musharraf's US-based son Bilal who, in an open letter to Sufi-rock band Junoon's singer Salman Ahmed, vehemently defended his dad's decision to impose emergency. Bilal also wrote an article for a website in 1999 when his father ousted former premier Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup.
   
The defence may not have been very convincing, but the son did go the extra mile to pinpoint his dad's good intentions.
   
"Democracy is an essential ideal, but let's look into our souls and understand why it has not taken root. The time has come for introspection for a fundamental change in state and society so democracy can actually blossom," Bilal wrote on the website shortly after Sharif's ouster.
   
"What are the options? Back to a facade of democracy in the existing political structure?" he asked in the article, which has had over a million hits so far.
   
On a more emotional note, the doting son wrote, "My father is a self-made man and I wish to state this up front that he has made a conscious effort to never abuse his influence for personal gain."

Top lawyer and Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan's Harvard-educated son Ali has virtually become his father's spokesman since his detention during the recent emergency.

During an event at the Asia Society in New York, the articulate and eloquent Ali lambasted a three-member Pakistani delegation sent to the US to explain the reasons behind Musharraf's decision to impose emergency.

Kashmala Tariq, one of the members who said Ahsan had links with former premier Nawaz Sharif, bore the brunt of Ali's verbal attack.

"My father is in solitary confinement for doing nothing other than stand up for rule of law and to have these people, including Kashmala whom I have known for 20 years make these innuendos..."

"You folks are just lying -- and Kashmala you should be truly ashamed of yourself. I never thought you would sink that low, but you have."

Amid cheers from the audience, Ali said, "I am here because I care about my country. What I care about is the institutions that are being destroyed...these people are opportunists who will come and go..."

"Musharraf will come and go in three or four of five years or however long he can stay there, but people like me will be left with the judiciary which has been appointed by you of your lackeys and cronies...," he added.

Sacked Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chowdhry's teenaged daughter Palwasha has also taken on the powers-that-be in her own way.

In an open letter to the deposed judges who refused to endorse the emergency and whom she calls "uncles", Palwasha wrote: "We are proud to have elders like you who have made us proud."

The 16-year-old, who was not allowed to step out of her house to even take her exams, wrote, "We may not be allowed to attend our schools or universities, we may have got our mobile phones blocked, we may not be allowed to meet anyone or go out, we may be kept in or homes like prisoners, we might be treated like militants or terrorists, but we don't care, because it's a time for sacrifice and we have to do it."

The letter titled "I am a proud child" added, "This might be one of the crucial times we are facing but we should be proud that Allah chose us to sacrifice for this country.

"Our life is like a tree and judiciary is one of its branch. We have grown up with this branch and we cannot let anybody slice it. If we will not protect it then who else?"

Former Supreme Court Bar Association president Tariq Mahmood's teenaged son and daughter have also been speaking against his detention. On Eid, when their father was not allowed to go for his prayers, both the son and daughter told the media that this was "unfair".