02-10-2007, 08:47 PM
<b>The General's Labyrinth</b>
We constantly carp at the inconvenience we are put through each time a VVIP passes by or attends a function. But the security for President Musharraf is something else. The army, police and intelligence wings took over the Alhamra complex by 9.30 pm the day before the festivalâs inauguration. All access was denied, to everyone. On the day, <b>we had to be in our seats at the open-air auditorium by 6.30 pm for the function scheduled for 7 pm</b>. And then began what seemed like the longest, most uncomfortable wait of our lives! The air became nippy and moist, the backsides sore and hunger overpowering, but all exits except to one loo were barred. The restive janta began whistling and hooting but to no avail. <b>Finally, at 8.30 pm he arrived with an entourage of family, friends and officials, and settled down to enjoy the evening with an endless supply of soft drinks, kebabs, canapes and desserts served ceremoniously by waiters in âturredarâ turbans, while the aam aadmi continued to fulminate!</b> True, there have been seven assassination attempts on Musharraf but this did seem rather excessive. After The Line of Fire, Musharrafâs stock amongst the cognoscenti has dropped to an all-time low. Drawing rooms in Lahore and Islamabad are embarrassed by the authorâs vanity and angered at his blatant attempt to paper over the many failuresâUS relations, Kargil, the NWFP, Balochistan and yes, corruption. Are all those brave statements in the Indian media a rearguard action by a beleaguered general?
We constantly carp at the inconvenience we are put through each time a VVIP passes by or attends a function. But the security for President Musharraf is something else. The army, police and intelligence wings took over the Alhamra complex by 9.30 pm the day before the festivalâs inauguration. All access was denied, to everyone. On the day, <b>we had to be in our seats at the open-air auditorium by 6.30 pm for the function scheduled for 7 pm</b>. And then began what seemed like the longest, most uncomfortable wait of our lives! The air became nippy and moist, the backsides sore and hunger overpowering, but all exits except to one loo were barred. The restive janta began whistling and hooting but to no avail. <b>Finally, at 8.30 pm he arrived with an entourage of family, friends and officials, and settled down to enjoy the evening with an endless supply of soft drinks, kebabs, canapes and desserts served ceremoniously by waiters in âturredarâ turbans, while the aam aadmi continued to fulminate!</b> True, there have been seven assassination attempts on Musharraf but this did seem rather excessive. After The Line of Fire, Musharrafâs stock amongst the cognoscenti has dropped to an all-time low. Drawing rooms in Lahore and Islamabad are embarrassed by the authorâs vanity and angered at his blatant attempt to paper over the many failuresâUS relations, Kargil, the NWFP, Balochistan and yes, corruption. Are all those brave statements in the Indian media a rearguard action by a beleaguered general?