by: Ch. Muhammad Natiq
Today, I will share an intriguing life story of an ex-Pakistani who escaped his past and became an accomplished political commentator by using his taxi driving skills !!!
You must be wondering!!! How on earth is that possible?
Well, this guy drove around wheeling different passengers for 18 straight hours daily in minus 30 degrees for two straight years (2015 & 2016) in Canada. His inquisitive nature enabled him to achieve the pinnacle of intellect through in-depth conversations with his passengers. Unfortunately, his pestering habit eventually resulted in the loss of his job, but with newly acquired knowledge he became a Geo political commentator/blogger on social media.
His rise in popularity is attributed to his superior ranting skills, masterful speculations and wondrous U-turns!!! He employs creative magic infused with spiritual touch to fill the credibility vacuum in building heaps of disdain against his arch-nemesis “Pakistan” and “The Army”. Unfortunately, he is not so popular that people would instantly recognize him !!!
so he has to be named Syed Haider Raza Mehdi!!! His hatred and disdain for the Army are not only the result of his inglorious ouster from the Army but also runs in the family acquired genetically from his father the famous S.G Mehdi, whose lack of military application prowess at a higher level resulted in his sacking from the post of Col Staff of an infantry division during 1965 war.
Despite this, the “spineless” continue to use the pedestal of the Army, referring to his affinity with the institution and meetings with other serving and retired Army officers as his source of inside information. A classic case of a fraudster trying to seek credibility for his speculations by faking his close ties to Army officers.
I’m sure in hindsight, those who would have met Haider for any reason must be repenting of the experience. I’m also sure that in future no one would like to meet him, as Haider will most definitely use that meeting to peddle his fabricated lies…
But we all know the famous proverb “What Goes Around ….Comes Around”… It is ironic that now Haider Mehdi is complaining that someone allegedly spread a fake letter to level allegations of fraud against him Master of Con is being framed!!!!
Since Apr 2022, Haider Mehdi has been shamelessly levelling baseless allegations against the institution of the Army and its leadership, while sitting in his cosy nest in Canada, but as soon as reports of his shady dealings of selling ripped-off software to Mian Mansha, Chairman MCB and Soneri Bank surfaced on the internet, the Canadian taxi driver got unnerved and went into 5th gear, making threats of legal consequences.
“What Goes Around ….Comes Around” Haider Mehdi… “Aur Jhoot bolo” Haider Mehdi poses to be a staunch supporter of Imran Khan and super critic of Gen Bajwa. In doing so he is playing to the PTI gallery by posting slanderous posts on Facebook and Youtube to increase his following and pursue his political interests, at the cost of spreading hatred and fomenting anarchy in Pakistan.
I would give a glimpse of Haider Medhi’s twisted mind through his own posts Since 2017 (after his conversion from taxi driver to political commentator) Haider Mehdi’s views on Gen Bajwa in his own words were as under:-
On 26 Sep 2017 Haider Mehdi was applauding Gen Bajwa for being apolitical by saying that “I know that Gen. Bajwa is apolitical and doesn’t believe in military interference in political and government processes”.
On 28 Oct 2017, Haider Mehdi referred to Nawaz Sharif and Zardari as dogs and professed that the army must knock them out of the political game otherwise people of Pakistan will undertake a violent uprising and killing.
In Jul 2018, Haider Mehdi applauded Gen Bajwa’s Munich Security Conference address terming it as “one of the finest articulations of Pakistan’s perspective and position in its fight against extremism and terrorism. Without mincing words, the role of the West, especially the USA in aiding and abetting this terrible menace was highlighted.”
On 22 Aug 2019, Mehdi Saab again praised Gen Bajwa by stating that “Gen. Bajwa has a sterling reputation of being clean, authentic and transparent. Consequently, PM Imran values Gen. Bajwa as one of his most effective and closest advisors, and given the paucity of competence around the PM, this is a rare silver lining amongst the pack of jokers surrounding the PM!… Gen Bajwa’s international reputation is also a plus for the PTI government”
Later that year Haider Mehdi was rooting for appt of Gen Bajwa as Chief of Def Staff by stating” I think this is the best opportunity for the government to institute the five-star, Chief of Defence Staff position and elevate Gen. Bajwa to this role when his current terms expire in November 2019 with full operational authority over the three services, including the Army so he retains operational control”
Haider Mehdi… “aisey naee hota” For your personal political advantage you throw flowers at Gen Bajwa and when you see that your personal political preferences are not being supported you start barking up the same tree….
“What Goes Around ….Comes Around” Haider Mehdi…
The questions you need to ask yourself. Is it fair to blame everything on Army leadership and absolve yourself? Is it justified to derail democracy and abrogate the constitution? This politics of hatred, is it benefitting Pakistan or is it further polarizing our society?
You accuse people posting against you of belonging to a certain sect. Well, I’m not from that sect… so that also settles this issue. Now people of multiple sects are posting against you. If one would scroll your blogs and posts it would be very easy to make out your ethnic leanings towards a particular sect…. Your anti-US rhetoric will also make sense after that… But before you get offended, I want to make a disclaimer ……. I won’t blame you for ethnic leanings… it’s your preference and choice…
But what I would object to is that, I find it very strange that nestled in Canada, suddenly you had an epiphany that the source of all evil in Pakistan is the office of the Army Chief. And your naivety knows no bounds when you claim that your constant badgering and targeting of Army leadership is well-meaning for the institution of the Army. In fact!! you think that your disrespectful commentary is actually a great service to Army in particular and Pakistan in general.
Your Cultist leaning, prejudice against Army and distance from Pakistan are perhaps obscuring your judgment and the main cause behind your delusional thinking.
Let me put things in the right perspective for your audience. The office of the Army Chief has no other powers vested in it, other than what the constitution allows for. The abuse of power that you claim is a story of the past (when you used to live in Pakistan) when martial laws were used to be imposed. There is no martial law in Pakistan!!! No political leader has been held at gunpoint!!! Nothing has been forced upon anyone….. It is political rhetoric to scapegoat institutions for political impotency and incompetence.
May it be any political party, since 2008, their governance cycle and policy formulation have not been able to prevent the catastrophic trajectory of socio-economic decline and abysmal governance in Pakistan. Those thrown out of power, blame institutions & opponents (but not themselves) and those who gain the power to blame previous governments for their corruption, seek more loans, and adopt unsustainable economic & developmental policies and when their fate catches up with them they throw the blame on the institutions.
The very institution that you blame for all the ills has been the only defence this nation has seen against foreign subjugation. Mind you!!! When the house residents are colluding with thieves, the house owner cannot blame the chowkidar. The house owner has the prime responsibility to keep his house in order. Stop alienating and polarizing your own home Mehdi… The likes of you who are blinded by their obsessions……incessantly and mindlessly indulge in amplifying fissures ……..are the real threat!!! Till the time you don’t stop your “with us or against us rhetoric” you are not doing any service to the nation.
The other evil that you see is your neighbour the USA. I want to ask you, Haider…what have you done about US conspiracy …. Why don’t you go and protest outside the White House…. Or maybe you are afraid that you might be kicked back to Pakistan.
Why don’t you extensively write about that!!!
Haider!!! I am your avid reader, you must have noticed by now. Let me point out a few more dichotomies at your end…
