Raza Rabbani fetes outgoing senators

Islamabad: Setting a fine example for others, Chairman Senate and MrsRazaRabbani hosted a farewell dinner to bid farewell to senators who are leaving the upper house after completion of their six year term. The event was held in the minister’s enclave and attended by members of different political parties of both upper and lower houses, an indication that all the negative banter and accusations are part of party policy and do not reflect personal feelings, which, on the whole, remain cordial.

The central open ground of the enclave had been beautifully decorated for the evening, with a large canopy covering the seating area and fairy lighting illuminating the trees and bushes. It looked very lovely but unpredictable nature had other plans and a wind storm came down with full force just as guests were arriving, which upset all the plans that had been made to make it a memorable evening – an example of the axiom, ‘Man proposes, God disposes!’ Come to think of it the situation was somewhat reflective of the political atmosphere in the country these days, which, to put it mildly, is stormy! A lot of surprises are sprung on the public on a daily basis and no one is sure what is going to happen next.

In keeping with the camaraderie that exists between political entities, Speaker of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq offered to accommodate all the guests at his residence, which is bigger than that of the hosts and soon all the guests were comfortably seated, while the balcony leading to the upper storey made an excellent ‘stage’ for ‘qawwali’ group, the Bakshi Brothers. The caring hosts were kept busy seeing to it all their guests were comfortable, while the Speaker and his wife were welcoming, with Mrs Sadiq greeting each of her female guests personally. Dinner with different specialties to suit all tastes was served outside as by now the storm had subsided.

During the wait for the programme to begin and having time to observe our politicians, many of whom are only known through their appearances on television it was surprising to see that most of them - who look larger than life on the screen - are not as domineering as they look. In fact quite the opposite! It was International Women’s Day so it was good to see many females present though wishing a day would come when more are ‘elected’ than ‘selected!’ As far as the personality of the female political entities goes, Senator Khusbakht Shujaat stood out with her warm smile and friendly manner, followed by Senator Sitara Ayaz who made an effort to be social, while the seasoned politician, Najma Hameed was as sweet and loving as she has always been.

The Bakshi Brothers were as entertaining as usual for those who stayed behind after dinner and they obliged by playing popular ‘qawwalis’ which were enjoyed, especially by the ladies. This talented group uses the ‘fusion’ technique - they do not sit cross legged on the floor but stand and sing – and in this instance they sat on the steps, which was convenient.

Despite the disruption by the weather it was a pleasant evening, giving those of us who are not so familiar with political entities a chance to meet or see some of them up close and out of their political environment.