Atiqa Odho is already renowned for her acting in various Pakistani television dramas for more than a decade. Now she intends to enter another arena of social life, rather social service, and that is to contest election from Karachi to become a politician. Essentially, social service is what politicians ought to do. But that lesson has been forgotten long ago.
Atiqa is a member of All Pakistan Muslim League, which was formerly headed by the ex-President and military dictator Pervez Musharraf. She disappeared from the scene and kept low due to her case of illegally carrying two bottles of wine, which is still on-going in court.
Atiqa is committed to her political party and cannot even think about ever changing sides for any reason. In the beginning most politicians do appear this determined about how they view their self within a party and their future with a party, but it often does change as has been seen time and again with many other politicians. It seems though that politics is about changing parties, rather than fulfilling a party’s high-sounding promises of serving the nation.
Atiqa gave her interview to a local Urdu daily Nai Bat and said she intends to participate in the general elections but it would finally be decided by the party leadership. Relying on a party’s leadership this early on in a political career is something on which depends rest of the days in politics. Atiqa seems quite willing to be taken on and guided through every step.
Atiqa thinks that Pervez Musharraf led the country on the way to prosperity and had he been given more time, Pakistan would have been prosperous. In her own words, she said:
“Pakistan needs a true and an upright leader and Musharraf has the guts.”
But in governance, more than having guts, it takes wisdom and right timing to make a move in interest of public that really matters before making selfish gains. May be in Pakistani politics, guts is all that matters which can stir the opposition to their boots. Change for the people of Pakistan is what governance stands for today, which is not being done. This is why, there are only politicians and no statesmen to lead this nation.
