#SoniaSadaf is trending on twitter. Firdous Ashiq Awan isn’t. The former was dissed by the latter and twitteratis are on overdrive in Pakistan in favor of each. Sadaf is a grim reaper and Awan is on the hot seat for her displaced emotions.
Politicians in Pakistan are expected to manage the administrative work and be a fire-fighter, Mr. Fixit and have solutions (like carrying a Swiss army knife) to solve everything top to bottom and bottom up –even the mundane.
And, therefore, once escalated to the hot seat, politicians miss the plain sight –to concentrate on public policy formulations and management and let the administration and authorities execute them. That’s a hard sell in many cases though.
Make it a potential social unrest issue and things will happen at the top, is the easy way out, some think, some say and some practice.
Having said so, Ms. Awan shud have done instead what Khan did. All by himself, without fanfare, etc., he drove an SUV to a Markaz in capital Islamabad.
The difference between the two is: Khan is apolitical, Awan is a dyed wool politician.
The malaise of attitude, temper and performance management wrapped all together is like the skin of the king of fruits (mango). Peel the skin off, and enjoy the mango. That’s something common though in the Sadaf-Awan episode. Their tiff is a symptom. Not the cause –it’s deeper, wider. Will take time. Have patience.
Khan drove all by himself. He needed a break, wanted to cool down and wore a pair of dark glasses. Awan needs one too and emulate her boss.
Irshad Salim, Islamabad
