If you have watched President Barack Obama’s speech on May 2, 2011 where he announces the death of Osama bin Laden, and also the press conference of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif earlier this week where he breaks the arrest of the alleged killer of Kasur’s minor girls, one can watch the stark difference of sobriety and statesmanship between the two announcements. But there is no comparison between a two-time president of America and a two-time Punjab chief minister. One needs to, somehow, compare, the differences to learn lessons for a better future. We need to get lessons from the demonstration of sobriety from Barack Obama, as well as follies of his successor US President Donald Trump, who seems to never think before speaking or tweeting. It is also obvious he is not in the habit of thinking even after tweeting and talking to someone.
The chief minister, who loves media attention only to get positive words and hates to face journalists, gladly called a press conference to announce the arrest of the alleged killer of a Kasur’s minor girl, whose case had hogged the attention of the whole world. Should we call it a press conference where instead of the Chief Minister’s House beat reporters, most of the blue-eyed aged journalists had been invited to. These blue-eyed journalists notoriously throw lose balls to rescue the chief minister and his elder brother, disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif from hard questions. Their job also includes throwing loud laughter at the off-the-beat jokes of the Sharif’s family. The chief minister seated on a chair which shows that who is presiding over the session. By him sat Muhammad Amin Ansari, the father of the minor deceased girl of Kasur, and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanullah. Why were these two gentlemen sitting by him, by the way?
The chief minister started the speech drooling and drooling about his own day and prayers, the nation’s prayers, and his own day and night efforts to capture the killer. Then he started sharing the detail of the agencies’ and people’s efforts to track and capture the killer. The hall erupted in cheers. The chief minister gleefully smiled. He invited the officials to the stage and proudly demanded that cheers be showered on these officials too.
Obedient journalists followed the instructions.
While the whole hall erupted in cheers, including those blue-eyed journalists, and ministers and officials, the only person not so amused was Muhammad Ameen Ansari, the father of the slain girl, whose killer’s arrest had become a matter of celebrations for the chief minister, his ministers, and blue-eyed journalists. He sat with a blank face. Shame.
Let us go back to May 2011, when then US president Barack Obama had announced getting Osama bin Laden in his televised address to the nation.
Just the opening paragraph shows how soberly he broke the news:
“Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world, the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children. It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history.”
While announcing this, he wore seriousness on his face.
Be serious about the business, Mr Shahbaz Sharif
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