Did you too notice which I did notice?

It is awfully shocking news that HRH Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud, King, Saudi Arabia and Custodian of Two Holy Mosques aged 90 died on very early hours (0100) of Friday 23^rd January, 2015 in Riyadh and he has been buried there same day after offering weekly Friday prayers. This is such big news that all the countries of the whole world right from east to west and north to south professing any religion or even not believing in any religion were shaken and shattered alike. Despite the hard fact that there had been very few hours gap between the death and burial, many head of states, head of governments and other high ranking officials have flown from all over the globe to Riyadh to pay their respect and offer heartfelt condolences on such a great loss.

Being a Pakistani I must commend that Pakistan did not waste the opportune and had sent an official delegation to attend the funeral which was very much demanded both officially and morally but at the same time we did commit some mistakes, grave mistakes to be honest, which I, simply cannot help pointing out. As a matter of fact the news is to be analyzed from different angles and perspectives to reach to its desired depth and I am pretty sure that at this point of time when you do not know what I am going to point out you may not be with me but eventually once you have read me I very strongly believe that then you will support me and not oppose me.

None but Head of State had died and, therefore, quite naturally the very official protocol demanded that Head of State (King, Queen, President, Amir, Sultan etc) should attend the funeral and if for any reason he / she cannot attend the funeral then he / she should condole in person with the new King HRH Salman ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud who is half-brother of the late King Abdullah. In our Pakistan case our Head of State personified as President Mamnoon Hussain should have headed our delegation but regretfully he was side lined and instead PM Nawaz Sharif headed our delegation. I, if not annoying, will dare to pose just a few very nosy and mind boggling questions but in the greater interest of my beloved Pakistan and therefore I request all my most respected readers not to please paint it otherwise. What stopped President to miss the very right and ripe opportune? How did President not realize that it is one of his primary official obligations to represent us maintaining and upholding the notion and practice of equal status? Doesn’t our President know as to how much Saudi Kings have helped us for decades without getting anything in return from us? Hasn’t our President, for no reason and rhyme, have underestimate the late King? How President could ignore the order of precedence and did not send Chairman Senate who is at the second rung of the ladder to lead our delegation? Isn’t it insulting on the part of the President to send PM Nawaz who is much lower in our official order of precedence?

Truthfully speaking PM Nawaz must had to go simply because not only Saudi Arabia had asked President Gen Pervez Musharraf to release Nawaz from jail but also housed him in Saudi Arabia for many long years so from morality point of view Nawaz had to go in any case and it had been quite perfect if President Mamnoon has led the delegation which included Nawaz as well whereby both our Head of State and Head of Government had been in presence on the day. How PM Nawaz took his younger brother Shahbaz with him and in what capacity? PM had led official delegation not family delegation and therefore he should have taken any other CM instead of his brother.

Alas! Time and again I have quoted Kuwait examples with a view that Pakistan must learn and improve upon accordingly but I have my very serious doubts that anyone back home has bothered to act upon. Kuwait Amir HH Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah is the Head of State and therefore he flew with a delegation to Riyadh and attended the funeral. Who, if any, on the face of earth could dictate HH Sabah to attend the funeral? What obliged HH Sabah to attend the funeral is my yet another question? Didn’t he show mirror to our President is my last question? His younger brother HH Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jabar Al Sabah even though officially speaking is at the 2^nd rung of the ladder holding the position of Deputy Amir and Crown Prince did not go with delegation and instead stayed back. Amir in his official delegation has taken with him HH Sheikh Nasser Al Sabah, former Prime Minister very well proves what to do and how to do keeping in view the official decorum and etiquette.

Incidentally I have noted time and again that President Mamnoon stays back in Pakistan and instead PM Nawaz flies out to attend the function though President has the inborn prerogative and right to attend all the functions where Head of State is involved. I did not keep any record about it but yet to corroborate my statement I will quote that on 28^th August, 2014 Recap Tayyip Erdigan former prime minister took the oath as Turkish President and the ceremony was graced by PM Nawaz and not President Mamnoon for reasons best known to President only.

Whom did I please or annoy?