Shahbaz admits political dialogue with Brig Niaz By Rauf Klasra Friday, January 18, 2008

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=12368

LONDON: PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif has confirmed that during his meeting with the trusted friend of President Pervez Musharraf, Brig (retd) Niaz, shortly before his arrival in Britain, both had discussed “important political matters” of Pakistan, but no secret message was delivered to him from the presidency.

In an exclusive interview with The News after his arrival in London, Shahbaz said he had visited the residence of Brig Niaz, as he was not only their family friend but a well-wisher too. Explaining the nature of his meeting which triggered reports that perhaps once again Brig Niaz was out to bridge the gap between his common friends, the Sharif brothers and Musharraf, Shahbaz said he had visited his house to pay a courtesy call.

He said since he went to Pakistan in November last year, he had not met Brig Niaz, who was respected and admired in his family. He said he had come to know that Brig Niaz was ill and he went to inquire about his health.

When asked whether Brig Niaz had delivered any message of Musharraf in the changed situation, Shahbaz denied it outright and said no such message was given to him. To another question if he had discussed the current political situation with Brig Niaz, Shahbaz said, “Definitely, the political situation was discussed during the meeting and we both exchanged our political views on all the issues confronting Pakistan.”

“Of course, when we meet, like common Pakistanis, we also discuss the current political situation. It was very natural to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country,” said Shahbaz while defending his conversation on political issues with the trusted friend of General Musharraf.

Asked whether being an elder and old friend, Brig Niaz gave him any political advice about the political course the Sharif brothers should take now, Shahbaz replied that he always gave them advice that we all should work for the betterment of Pakistan. “I hope, Brig Niaz was giving similar advice to his friend General Musharraf, too,” Shahbaz said.

When told that his meeting with Brig Niaz had given currency to reports that finally the PML-N was bridging its gap with Musharraf, Shahbaz rejected this widely-perceived notion and wondered how one could draw such kind of wild conclusions.

He argued that one could have common friends and it did not mean that there was any new deal or arrangements in the making with Musharraf. To support his argument, Shahbaz said: “Now PPP senator Farooq Naik happened to be the brother-in-law of PML-N leader Khawaja Mohammad Asif. Does it mean that we should dismiss Khawaja Asif from our party, as he is related to a senator of PPP?”

Asked whether there was any possibility of his meeting with Musharraf in London, Shahbaz said: “Absolutely not”. When told that Brig Niaz was reaching London and whether he would meet him during his stay here, Shahbaz replied he had no idea whether Brig Niaz was also in London.

When asked whether the PML-N would become a part of a national government after the general elections in the country as proposed by Asif Zardari, Shahbaz said it was too early to comment on what would be the response of his party.

However, he said both the political parties had a working relationship and both had signed the Charter of Democracy in London, which might become the basis of cooperation in the future. He reiterated the demand that a neutral and independent government should hold free and fair elections in the country and the Election Commission should be strengthened to ensure transparency of polls. Shahbaz said by visiting the General Hospital Rawalpindi to mourn the killing of Benazir Bhutto on December 27 followed by his visit to Naudero, Nawaz Sharif had saved the federation.

Shahbaz meets president’s aide today By Muhammad Saleh Zaafir
Saturday, January 12, 2008

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=12238

ISLAMABAD: In a significant political development President Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahbaz Sharif will have an important meeting with President Pervez Musharraf’s close aide and former instructor Brigadier (retd) Niaz Ahmad here in Islamabad today (Saturday).

Brigadier Niaz Ahmad had been playing the role of envoy to President Pervez Musharraf in interacting with the Sharif brothers in recent months first in London and lately in Saudi Arabia. The PML-N president has come to the federal capital for the purpose and the meeting is expected to help reduce tension between the presidential camp and its arch critic, the PML-N leadership.

It would be Shahbaz Sharif’s third meeting with the brigadier after the Sharif family returned home from exile. The brigadier had been playing the role of go between former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Pervez Musharraf.

Political observers are not ruling out a breakthrough between President Pervez Musharraf and Shahbaz Sharif within a day or two sequel to the meeting. Nawaz Sharif had expressed his willingness to meet the president conditionally early this week. He put the restoration of superior judiciary as the lone condition for such a meeting.

Highly placed sources told The News Friday evening that PML-N is inclined to play a positive role in reducing the prevailing tension in the country so that polls could be held in a free atmosphere where the president would not feel any hesitation to hand over power to any party that could win the majority vote.

The meeting would be a landmark occasion in view of the upcoming elections which are less than five weeks away. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has already softened its tone towards the administration to smoothen the atmosphere and concentrating on electioneering, the sources pointed out. It appears that all the stakeholders are in a reconciliation mood in the interest of holding the polls in a peaceful manner.

The emanating threats to the country’s nuclear programme and increasing suicide bombings that has hurt the social and economic fibre of the country are proving the source of motivation for the major political parties to help lower political temperature so that the enemy does not take advantage of the situation.

President Pervez Musharraf is also following the path of reconciliation and his Thursday interview with a Singapore newspaper to hint at resigning if an impeachment motion was moved against him in the Parliament after the polls, is believed to be an expression of change of his mind.

Brigadier Niaz Ahmad is the one who worked out details for return of the Sharif family to Pakistan in November last year. He assisted the team of the Presidential camp first in London and then in Jeddah for making their return smooth, the sources said.

The president’s former Chief of Staff General Hamid Javed led the Presidential team in the initial talks. The sources said that President Pervez Musharraf had marathon meetings with Brigadier Niaz Ahmad in Rawalpindi this week where vital national interests, especially the precarious security situation came up for discussion.

The brigadier is widely respected in the army as he has taught almost every general currently sitting at the helm of affairs in the GHQ. He is in his late 80s and has unblemished record during the service of armed forces of Pakistan. He resigned on April 10, 1977 in Lahore when he was commanding the troops and martial law was imposed. He was ordered to fire at the people protesting against the government but instead of shooting at the innocent people he opted to resign there and then.

In an exclusive chat with The News, Brigadier Niaz Ahmad said Friday evening that he has received a call from Shahbaz Sharif, who will be visiting him on Saturday. “I have no political ambition. I wish to serve my country that need healing handling. Every one of us must play our role at this critical juncture,” the brigadier said in a sentimental tone.

Brigadier Niaz has planned to leave for London tomorrow on a private visit. If there is any follow up meeting at a different level, it would take place before his departure for the UK, the sources opined.

Interestingly, Nawaz Sharif is also in the proximity of the federal capital and Shahbaz will report to him immediately after the meeting. The Sharif brothers will evolve some strategy after the meeting today. They will also have consultations with their political allies and party leaders for any further action, the sources added.

Saudi factor in Sharif’s banishment By Karamatullah K. Ghori

The writer is a former ambassador.

September 15, 2007 [Dawn Encounter]

THE high drama informing the two-term former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s short-lived return to the Pakistani soil, on September 10, had all the essential ingredients of a Hollywood thriller. In the end it played out to the script that had been polished and fine-tuned in Islamabad’s cloistered halls of power in the preceding few days.

It’s hard to think that Nawaz Sharif didn’t have doubts in his mind about Islamabad as his final
destination that fateful day as he winged his way to Pakistan on board flight PK 786. His belief in the numerological blessings of 786 notwithstanding, he must have had premonitions aplenty to take the last-minute decision at London’s Heathrow to leave his younger brother, Shehbaz Sharif, behind so he may watch the family and party ramparts while he, himself, embarked on an uncertain journey. His sixth sense served him better, at least in this instance.

There is good reason to believe that the visit of the head of the Saudi intelligence to Islamabad, a couple of days earlier, must have rung the alarm bells in the Nawaz camp in London. It was, by any standard, an extraordinary visit. It was highly unusual for him to come rushing down to Islamabad and weigh into the ongoing war of nerves between Nawaz and the Pakistani establishment.

Why did he come to Islamabad was no mystery. He came because General Musharraf was running out of cards in his hand and sought help from quarters few Pakistanis had any conception of. The apex court had administered another punch in his face by ruling that Nawaz Sharif
had “an inalienable right,” like any other Pakistani, to come and stay in his own country. The court made small work of the much-touted ‘agreement’ as per the official version but according to the Nawaz camp only an ‘understanding.’ Whatever it was, fish or fowl, it was worthless in the context of the constitutional right of a citizen of Pakistan to come back to his mother country at will.

So the Saudi prince said all that General Musharraf wanted him to. In another unusual departure from the norm, he also addressed a press conference. What he said may well have been music to the general’s ears but sounded jarringly arrogant to ordinary Pakistanis. He brushed aside the Supreme Court’s verdict by saying that the ‘agreement’ came before the court’s decision in favour of Nawaz. So, according to his logic, the so-called agreement should take precedent over the
court award. Twisted logic as it may sound to many, his words meant exactly that in spirit, too, to him because there’s scant concept of the independence of the judiciary in his system.

The Saudi was entitled to his mindset and his interpretation of law. The question is why were his
Pakistani hosts so readily inclined to swallow his reflexive denigration of the rule of law in Pakistan? Did they not need to remind him that in Pakistan the judiciary is on a footing of equality with the state executive? This fact shouldn’t have needed a reminder given the experience of the past six months or so to which every Pakistani is a witness.

Going by the comments of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain— Musharraf’s most trusted confidant among the politicos—the general was forced to cast the die in favour of Nawaz’ deportation after being persuaded by the moral ‘pressure’ of the Saudi intelligence chief. Bravo. General Musharraf was persuaded by Colin Powell’s one telephone call, in the wake of 9/11, and relented with dispatch to become a front-line soldier in Bush’s ‘war on terror.’ Here, in this case, the
Saudi intelligence chief unnerved him to do what he did, otherwise, as Shujaat argued, he was initially swayed by his (Shujaat’s) reasoning that Nawaz should be allowed to prove his mettle at the polls. Interestingly, the Saudi Ambassador in Islamabad is denying that any pressure was applied from his government’s side. So, who’s not telling the truth in this bizarre affair?

The argument that Nawaz should have been allowed a free hand has resonance with most reasonable men. This newspaper said the same thing, editorially, on the heels of his unceremonious and undignified banishment to Jeddah. Heavens wouldn’t have fallen if Nawaz were given the freedom to make a show of his return to active politics. Benazir, upon her return from exile in 1986, was accorded that facility and heavens didn’t tumble over the ‘land of the pure’ as a consequence of that.

General Ziaul Haq had more guile and tact in being flexible than Musharraf’s inert rigidity. He was also, no doubt, a lot more confident of his position. Musharraf has his back to the wall and, with the gut instinct of a trained commando, feels that the best tactic is to attack his adversary with full force. It’s, basically, a question of survival to him.

But didn’t anyone among his legions of advisers and confidants point out to him that his readiness to oblige his Saudi mentors, and send Nawaz to them as a Ramadhan present, carried the seeds of another round of confrontation with the apex court of Pakistan in its womb, something he can ill afford in his embattled position? Or is it that those close to him are deliberately leading him down that path, knowing full well its spillover?

Be it doesn’t answer the question why should the Saudis be so keen to meddle in Pakistan’s domestic affairs and that too so conspicuously, and so contrary to their style? What was the compulsion for them, other than their on-exhibition regard for the verbal and /or written undertaking of Nawaz Sharif given, seven years ago, when he was under terrible mental and
physical pressure? Any commitment made under duress is shady in the eyes of law.

That’s where sceptics and cynics come up with a fairly persuasive logic informing the Saudi legwork in support of Musharraf.

It can’t be dismissed as run-of-the-mill or ‘bazaar-logic’ that the Saudis and Saad Hariri, scion
of Lebanon’s slain Rafiq Hariri—who was a protégé of the Saudis—flew into action to buttress an American game plan that seemed under threat if Nawaz Sharif was allowed to become an active player on Pakistan’s current political turf. Washington has a lot of assets riding on Musharraf, whose continuity in power, with a new equation in which Benazir Bhutto is perceived as
an essential partner, is the key to the longevity of the war on terror, especially in the Afghan theatre.
The ‘deal’ is central to the American plan to forge a new political face of Pakistan in which Musharraf’s ‘enlightened moderation’ is wedded to Benazir’s social liberalism. Benazir is agog at the prospect of such a marriage of convenience with Musharraf, in which Washington is the match-maker. There’s no place in such a script for Nawaz, who earned Washington’s ire by refusing to keep Pakistan’s nuclear ambition on hold in 1998. His recent pronouncements, in support of the war on terror are helpful, but not quite. He’s in favour of a national consensus on the war on terror, in which the parliament would be an active player and catalyst. That doesn’t appeal to Washington, which prefers dealing with one or two individuals rather than a 350-strong parliament with a cacophony of voices and opinions.

The Saudis are anxious to wash away the stains of the guilt associated with them in the American minds in the context of 9/11. They have been tilting at all windmills to oblige their allies in Washington. Theirs is, after all, a camaraderie going back more than sixty years. The Saudi moral bearings on Pakistan are reverential and awe-inspiring, especially since the Zia era. The Saudis may not have that much faith in Musharraf as they did in Zia but when the chips were down they couldn’t say no to their American allies.

It’s for Nawaz Sharif to decide if his Saudi mentors are still friends to him or have they shifted gears and turned towards Musharraf’s direction under the dictates of a new ball game envisioned for Pakistan. Is Nawaz being consigned to the comforts of a gilded cage, a world-apart from the rough and tumble of Pakistani politics? Only time would tell.

But the most important and relevant imponderable is the reaction of the Supreme Court which may still have the last word in the episode. General Musharraf may have won this battle at Islamabad Airport—a pyrrhic victory, at best—but is in imminent danger of losing the war. n

]

شریف خاندان مشرف کو کیا دے رہا ہے؟

علی سلمان
بی بی سی اردو ڈاٹ کام، لاہور

وقتِ اشاعت: Sunday, 25 November, 2007, 06:33 GMT 11:33 PST

اس دس سالہ معاہدے کا کیا ہوا جس پر دونوں فریق اس حد متفق ہیں کہ اس پر نواز شریف کے دستخط موجود ہیں؟

میاں نواز شریف کی واپسی اگر ڈیل کا نتیجہ نہیں ہے تو پھر اس بار حکومت کارویہ اتنا مختلف کیوں ہے؟
آخر سعودی فرماں روا عبداللہ بن عبدالعزیز نے وہ کونسا احسان کیا جسے نواز شریف اور ان کے اہلخانہ ساری زندگی نہیں بھلاسکتے؟ اس احسان کا اعتراف میاں نواز شریف بار بار کر رہے ہیں حالانکہ جب اب سے صرف سوا دو مہینے پہلے جب اسلام آباد ائرپورٹ سے انہیں دوبارہ جلاوطن کیا گیا تھا تو مسلم لیگی رہنما سعودی عرب کے خلاف اس قدر برانگیختہ ہوئے تھے کہ پاکستان کی تاریخ میں پہلی بار سعودی عرب کے خلاف عوامی اجتماعات میں تقریریں ہوئی تھیں۔

’نواز شریف اتوار کولاہورپہنچیں گے

نواز شریف ایک بار پھر جلاوطن، جدہ منتقل
جلا وطنی کے معاہدے کا عکس
حلف سے جلاوطنی: ٹائم لائن

یہ بھی ایک حقیقت ہے

یہ بھی ایک حقیقت ہے کہ دوسری جلاوطنی میں سعودی حکومت مشرف کا ساتھ نہ دیتی تو نواز شریف کو کسی دوسرے ملک بھجوایا جانا صدر مشرف کے لیے بہت مشکل یا شاید ناممکن ہی ہوتا۔ یہ سوال یقیناً بہت سے پاکستانیوں کے ذہن میں کلبلا رہا ہوگا کہ اب اچانک سعودی بادشاہ نے کیا احسان کر دیا ہے؟

سوال حکومت پاکستان سے بھی ہے کہ وہ اچانک میاں نواز شریف پر اتنی مہربان کیوں ہوگئی ہےکہ نہ صرف انہیں آنے کی اجازت مل رہی ہے بلکہ اس سعودی شاہی طیارے کو لاہور کے ائرپورٹ پر خوشدلی سے اترنے دیا جا رہا ہے جو سعودی بادشاہ نے سابق پاکستانی وزیراعظم کو اس خصوصی سفر کے لیے دیا ہے۔

سعودی فرماں روا اور نواز شریف کی ملاقات

نواز شریف کی وطن واپسی کی صورت میں ان کے استقبال میں اس کی طرح کی رکاوٹ نہیں ڈالی جا رہی جیسا کہ ماضی میں ہوتا رہا ہے۔ پولیس کا رویہ مسلم لیگ (ن) کے ساتھ اچانک نرم ہوگیا ہے۔ لاہور میں ساری رات اجتماعات ہوئے، پوسٹر،بینر لگے لیکن اکا دکا کے سوا کوئی گرفتاری ہوئی نہ آخری اطلاعات آنے تک نواز شریف کے خیر مقدمی پوسٹر یا بینراتارے گئے۔

مسلم لیگ کے صدر شہباز شریف کہتےہیں کہ نواز شریف اور ڈیل دو متضاد چیزیں ہیں، ایوان صدر سے ترجمان کہتےہیں کہ نواز شریف کی واپسی کسی ڈیل کا نتیجہ نہیں ہےتو پھر اس دس سالہ معاہدے کا کیا ہوا جس پر دونوں فریق اس حد متفق ہیں کہ اس پر نواز شریف کے دستخط موجود ہیں۔

یہ معاہدہ کب اور کیسے ختم ہوا اور اسے کس نے کالعدم قراردیا۔

پیپلز پارٹی کے چیئر پرسن بے نظیر بھٹو نے تو پاکستان آنے سے پہلے برملا حکومت سے بات چیت کا اعتراف کیاتھا اسی بات چیت کی کوکھ سے ایک مفاہمتی آرڈیننس نے جنم لیا جو اچھا یا برا تھا لیکن ایک آئینی اقدام تھا اور عوام سے کوئی بات چھپائی نہیں گئی تھی۔

اب سیاسی مبصرین بجا طور پر یہ سوال اٹھا سکتےہیں کہ شہباز شریف کے خلاف لاہور کی انسداد دہشت گردی کی عدالت نے قتل کے مقدمے میں گرفتاری کے ناقابل ضمانت دائمی وارنٹ جاری کر رکھے ہیں اس کا کیا بنے گا۔ کیا شہباز شریف کو ائرپورٹ پر ہتھکڑیاں لگ جائیں گی؟اگر نہیں تو کیا یہ پھر بھی ڈیل نہیں کہلائے گی۔

نواز شریف سمیت شریف خاندان کے مقدمات نیب میں زیر سماعت ہیں اور خود نواز شریف کو ایک ایسے معاہدے کےتحت جلاوطن کیا گیا جس میں انہوں نے جلاوطنی قبول کی اور بدلے میں میں ان کی سزا معاف کی گئی۔ سوچنے کی بات یہ بھی ہے کہ اگر نواز شریف وہ معاہدہ توڑ کر واپس آرہے ہیں تو کیا ان کی سزائیں بھی دوبارہ بحال کی جارہی ہیں؟ اگر نہیں تو کیا پھر بھی یہ ڈیل نہیں ہے؟

نواز شریف کے حوالے سے یہ بیان آیا تھا کہ’ وہ صدر مشرف سے نہیں ملنا نہیں چاہتے سعودی فرماں روا شاہ عبداللہ خود ان سے بات کریں‘۔ کیا وہ انہیں یہ کہہ رہے تھے کہ وہ ان کی طرف سے صدر مشرف سے معاملات طے کریں اورکیا انہیں اپنی غیر اعلانیہ قید میں رکھنے والے سعودی حکام کا شریف خاندان پر یہی احسان ہے کہ انہوں نے جہاں ماضی میں انہیں جیل سے نکلوا کر اپنی سرزمین پر پناہ دی وہیں اب وہ انہیں دس کی بجائے سات برس میں وطن واپسی کی اجازت لے کر دے رہے ہیں۔

آخر کچھ تو ایسے معاملات ہوئے ہونگے جس نے سو دو مہینے کی قلیل مدت میں صدر مشرف کے رویے کو اس حد تک تبدیل کیا کہ وہ انہیں تیسری بار جلاوطن نہیں کر رہے۔

کیا پاکستان کا عام شہری نواز شریف اور صدر مشرف سے یہ پوچھنے میں حق بجانب نہیں کہ آٹھ برس پہلے جلاوطنی کا معاہدہ اور اب وطن واپسی کے اقدامات ڈیل، مفاہمت، مذاکرات، کچھ لو کچھ دو نہیں ہے تو پھر کیا ہیں؟

ہر ڈیل میں ادلے کا بدلہ ہوتاہے شریف خاندان کو تو اس مبینہ ڈیل کے نتیجےمیں وطن واپسی کی اجازت مل رہی ہے اور وہ بھی ایسی کہ ایک فوجی حکومت اور اس کے تمام آئینی اور ماورائے آئین اقدامات کے باوجود شریف خاندان کو عام انتخابات میں اپنے کاغذات نامزدگی جمع کرانے کا سیدھا موقع مل رہا ہے۔ سوچنے کی بات یہ ہے کہ جواباً شریف خاندان صدر مشرف کو کیا دے رہا ہے؟

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/pakistan/story/2007/11/071125_nawaz_return_analysis_zs.shtml

Brig Niaz: the man playing the informal go-between

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=12308

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

By Tariq Butt

ISLAMABAD: Brig (retd) Niaz, a friend of President Pervez Musharraf, had more than once facilitated return of some female members of the Sharif family to Pakistan in the past to attend to family affairs.

He had no acquaintance with the Sharif family until he was approached by a common friend a few years ago, seeking his help in facilitating travel of female members of the Sharif family to Pakistan through his good offices with President Pervez Musharraf to attend marriages of their relatives. Sharifs were then in Jeddah.

“I was groomed in an environment that doesn’t allow being discourteous with anybody expressing his desire to meet him,” the former brigadier had told this correspondent before Nawaz made an abortive attempt to return to Pakistan on Sept 10 last year.

Niaz met the Sharifs in London where he had primarily gone for treatment. The soldier had sought that since he was an apolitical person he should be spared from being embroiled in any controversy. He did not agree to a record chat, but consented to tell the story about his contacts with Sharifs and how relations between Musharraf and him built up.

Before his failed attempt to return to Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif was thrashing Musharraf in his live news conferences in London. At that point, one clearly noticed that Niaz was greatly distressed by Sharifs’ diatribe against Musharraf. But he was helpless and felt embarrassed. His last encounter with Sharifs in London had turned out to be a futile exercise when he failed to convince Nawaz Sharif to delay his return to Pakistan for some time.

However, when the common friend had urged Niaz to talk to the president, he was quick to say yes. He had met Musharraf and secured the requisite go-ahead for Sharifs to attend marriages in their family.

The six feet-plus tall former brigadier, originally hailing from Chakwal, one of the main recruiting areas of the Pakistan Army, faced no difficulty in obtaining the president’s consent for Sharifs to come back, saying that female members should not suffer for the faults of their male elders.

During his meetings with Sharifs, Niaz had been urging them to show restraint towards the president, realising the grave situation in Pakistan. But the two brothers had never practically did that and kept on with their rhetoric.

Niaz again hit the headlines last week when Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) president Shahbaz Sharif met him at his Islamabad residence. This was basically meant to thank and show respect to the former brigadier for facilitating the Sharif family at the most difficult time for a private affair.

“This was basically a courtesy call from Shahbaz, who was meeting people that had come to their rescue during their time in exile,” a PML-N leader told The News. “Like Niaz’s previous encounters with Sharifs, this one, too, failed to moderate them. Niaz, however, did stress that Sharifs should lower their temperament,” he said.

When one had met Niaz, the judicial crisis was at its peak and Musharraf had been pushed to the wall. The former brigadier was extremely distraught over the point where Musharraf had gone because of the immense public pressure. He was also displeased with what a set of judges of the Supreme Court and his detractors were doing against the president. Particularly, Sharifs unhealthy role in the whole situation disturbed him a lot. He gave the impression as if his mission miserably failed.

Cigar-smoking Niaz did not know Musharraf at all till a former colonel, who was his and the president’s friend, arranged a meeting between them. This is how the two became friends. Niaz was penniless when he had to leave the Army in 1977 for his refusal to fire at protesters during the limited martial law in Lahore. He was extremely worried about how he and his children, including a blind daughter, would make both ends meet. He had no home, no other resources to fall back on.

It was the then Chief of the Army Staff Mirza Aslam Beg who, knowing Niaz since long, enquired after his plight and came to know about his condition. He pushed him to involve himself in defence purchases. Niaz was reluctant, saying he has no experience in the field and did not know complexities of the business.

Finally, he agreed and earned kudos. He later bought the present sprawling house in Islamabad. Wherever he went in army offices for business purpose, he found officers, who had been his students in the Army when he was an instructor. It turned out to be an easy sailing for him all around.

Niaz, around 80, has been seriously ill for the past few years. He was suffering from memory loss and other brain problems that also resulted in significant weight loss. He has to give up some of his old habits, including cigarette smoking, but sought permission from doctors to smoke cigar, which was less injurious. He visits Britain off and one for treatment.