Multan; October 2022: Syed Ali Musa Gilani, son of Mr. Yusuf Raza Gilani a former prime minister from PPP, contested a NA seat recently in Multan. In one of his campaign speeches he thought it politically advantageous to refer to ‘Qadianis’ and the Prophet giving religious touch to his politics. What he said was uploaded on the social media, where he can be seen and heard saying the following, inter alia (translation):
“When Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto was doomed to be hanged, he sent for Mufti Mahmud and Maulana Kausar Niazi and told them, “Tomorrow I shall be hanged but both of you are Maulvis, so be my witnesses that at the time of accountability on Doomsday, tell Allah as supporting evidence that this is the Zulfiquar who declared Qadianis to be Non-Muslim to protect the honour of Thy Prophet.”
We make only four brief observations on this statement:
- This statement is factually not true. The Mufti and Niazi did not meet Bhutto one day prior to the hanging, nor even one week before. Bhutto’s last days are well-recorded in various books and publications. Musa Gilani should check the facts, and desist in future from fabricating stories.
- This mention was out of place in his speech. It was obviously a misfit and an absurd effort to politically cash an issue of doubtful value.
- With this statement, he sounded more like PML-N’s Captain Safdar. Would he really opt to be Safdar’s clone in PPP?
- If this issue proved to be of little worth to the political well-being of ZAB, it is highly doubtful that it will be of any great value to a third generation Jiala.
