A song and dance man

Originally published in Himal Southasian, August '09

Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf may have distinguished himself as a ruthless hawk with little regard to legal process, but beneath the military bluster sleeps an untapped musical flair – or so a new YouTube video would suggest; a new viral sensation where the general performs a duet with Sufi balladeer Ustad Hamid Ali Khan. A loud volley of comments have been exchanged over Pakistani websites, from former subjects shocked – and perhaps delighted – that Musharraf had a zeal for pursuits other than ousting democratically elected governments, abducting political opponents and violating the Kashmir Line of Control. Although how this will impact on his prospective trial – where he potentially faces the death penalty for high treason – remains to be seen.

While in London he performed in a series of concerts, and the video in question sees him and the Sufi maestro stirring up a gathering of Pakistani exiles – lost among them being Musharraf’s former prime minister, Shaukat Aziz. The emotive crowd joined in the chorus of the popular Urdu ghazal Laage re tou re laage najar sayyain laage. Something of a PR coup, this; Musharraf appears every bit a man of the people, leading the chorus while Khan shouts “wah wah” in encouragement. Continuing on a roll, the general stormed another London gig where, after complaining that the performing drummer was not keeping time, he marched onstage, commandeered the tabla set, and proceeded to keep rather good time by all accounts.

Semi-congratulatory comments have abounded on the web, though more in the line of music criticism than overt political judgment. Adil Najam, who originally posted the clip, wrote, "I really like his taste in music. Pervez Musharraf may or may not be the one leader who did the most good (or bad) for Pakistan. But he may well be the one who sings the best." Meanwhile, Musharraf sits uncertainly in the UK under Pakistani government protection; he awaits possible extradition to Pakistan on the insistence of Nawaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League and the former premier ousted by Musharraf. Although the prospective trial formally concerns the arrest and detention of seven Supreme court justices after Musharraf imposed emergency rule in November 2007, for which he could face three years in jail, Sharif is pushing for treason charges – carrying the death penalty – as a warning to military chiefs against staging coups in the future.

In all this, the YouTube video sounds a discordant note. Pakistan has been badly served by its political class, but odd flashes of colour do lighten the gloom from time to time. Next up: Zardari’s hip-hop duet with Manmohan Singh.