It was encouraging to note that not many people swooned over Pakistan’s vindicating reentry into the British Commonwealth after a lapse of four and a half years. For the common man it has always been a non-event. For the government, it was a question of legitimacy. For the British, it was an occasion to re-affirm their ‘chaudhrahat’ (supremacy). For the rest, in “the language of the BBC it did not mean much in economic terms – that covers everything. The news as such got a place in the national press that it deserved. It might mean something for the Pakistanis in Britain – if it does not require repudiation of one’s membership of the Muslim Ummah. Only time will tell the impact of entry into a. post 9/11 Commonwealth. The beginnnings, however, are not pleasant; there is a smell of patronage and dictation in the air. Revolting!
One’s elation over routine treatment of the Commonwealth-membership is due to the welcome departure from our habit of going overboard for even the slightest indication of something that can get us excited. Mr Shahbaz Sharif’s visit to conquer Lahore and Mrs Gandhi’s refusal to accept the prime-ministership of India had perhaps provided enough superfluity to last a few weeks; therefore, membership of the Commonwealth could not add much.
