By Iqbal Hadi Zaidi
Maybe this or rather more correctly ought to not be believed in my beloved Pakistan even if I say on Holy Quran but this is what has happened many times alike in Kuwait where the rulers move around without creating any hardships for others which I can very well vouch since I am living here since 1978.
It was around 1400 hours on Tuesday 2nd October 2012 as I was returning home after attending a lecture on US presidential election at American University of Kuwait that at one point on Gulf Road I realized that traffic was slowing down which was quite understandable because many were coming off from their offices in any case. But you will be more shocked and less surprised to learn that traffic slowed down not for that what I had thought of rather Amir of Kuwait was to pass from the place and hence traffic was diverted. When I reached Al Bidaa round about which is at intersection of 5th Ring Road and Gulf Road to continue driving straight on Gulf, I saw that traffic police has blocked the road to drive any further on Gulf and instead diverted the whole traffic to the right wing of 5th Ring Road. I also noticed that all those who were coming from city on the left wing of 5th Ring and wished to go to Gulf on right from Al Bidaa round about were stopped to drive any further towards Gulf and instead they are to wait for a while. In the given situation I had no alternative but to turn to right to be on 5th Ring and drive on but then on the other side of 5th Ring I saw the motorcade of Amir of Kuwait where Amir car was primarily flanked by Amiri Bodyguards driving in Red cars followed by police vehicles. Amir motorcade had to take right from Al Bidaa round to drive on Gulf to go to his residence called Salva House which is about less than half a kilometer from Al Bidaa round about in any case.
Who could even think that in Kuwait where population of expatriates is more than Kuwaitis that an expatriate like me will be allowed to drive on 5th Ring Road on right while Amir of Kuwait will be driving on the left wing of the same 5th Ring? I was not alone on the road than rather cars were bumper to bumper and each one drove at ease and none of us had any problem whatsoever even if the Head of the State drives through at the same time. There was not a single police man on the other side of the road where I and others were driving and unbelievably in less than three minutes and I repeat in less than three minutes after the Amir has passed through the traffic was opened on the other side of 5th Ring as well.
No denying the fact, all traffic on the roads leading towards the route of Amir is stopped but for about ten minutes only which is quite reasonable and therefore I am a witness to it that all those who are asked to stop remain silent without any grumbling and or heart burning. The most striking feature is that this ten minutes stoppage is applicable only on the road itself on which Amir motorcade is to pass through while the traffic continues uninterrupted on the other side of the road and this happens each and every time Amir is seen on roads. Kuwait has more expatriates than Kuwaitis and it is an internationally accepted principle and practice that everyone feels at home with his own people while on the other hand aliens scare and based on this analogy life of Amir of Kuwait is at high risk but, touch wood, he being equally popular with Kuwaitis and non Kuwaitis is very much safe & sound. This is a fact and not fiction that in the history of Kuwait only one time some Iranian unsuccessfully attempted on the life of Amir otherwise it is unknown here and therefore the rulers very freely move around even without much security or very thin security.
Shouldn't my President Asif Ali Zardari learn from Amir of Kuwait that if the ruler if good and takes care of those who live in his country then automatically his life is secured but if he behaves otherwise then he is risking his life at his own. Had I been in Pakistan on the day I had been sweating on road for at least an hour if not more but being in Kuwait I can rightly boast of driving on the right side of 5th Ring while Amir caravan was very much on the left side of 5th Ring. Long live Amir of Kuwait I pray.
Iqbal Hadi Zaidi can be reached at zaidiformerdiplomat@hotmail.com
Maybe this or rather more correctly ought to not be believed in my beloved Pakistan even if I say on Holy Quran but this is what has happened many times alike in Kuwait where the rulers move around without creating any hardships for others which I can very well vouch since I am living here since 1978.
It was around 1400 hours on Tuesday 2nd October 2012 as I was returning home after attending a lecture on US presidential election at American University of Kuwait that at one point on Gulf Road I realized that traffic was slowing down which was quite understandable because many were coming off from their offices in any case. But you will be more shocked and less surprised to learn that traffic slowed down not for that what I had thought of rather Amir of Kuwait was to pass from the place and hence traffic was diverted. When I reached Al Bidaa round about which is at intersection of 5th Ring Road and Gulf Road to continue driving straight on Gulf, I saw that traffic police has blocked the road to drive any further on Gulf and instead diverted the whole traffic to the right wing of 5th Ring Road. I also noticed that all those who were coming from city on the left wing of 5th Ring and wished to go to Gulf on right from Al Bidaa round about were stopped to drive any further towards Gulf and instead they are to wait for a while. In the given situation I had no alternative but to turn to right to be on 5th Ring and drive on but then on the other side of 5th Ring I saw the motorcade of Amir of Kuwait where Amir car was primarily flanked by Amiri Bodyguards driving in Red cars followed by police vehicles. Amir motorcade had to take right from Al Bidaa round to drive on Gulf to go to his residence called Salva House which is about less than half a kilometer from Al Bidaa round about in any case.
Who could even think that in Kuwait where population of expatriates is more than Kuwaitis that an expatriate like me will be allowed to drive on 5th Ring Road on right while Amir of Kuwait will be driving on the left wing of the same 5th Ring? I was not alone on the road than rather cars were bumper to bumper and each one drove at ease and none of us had any problem whatsoever even if the Head of the State drives through at the same time. There was not a single police man on the other side of the road where I and others were driving and unbelievably in less than three minutes and I repeat in less than three minutes after the Amir has passed through the traffic was opened on the other side of 5th Ring as well.
No denying the fact, all traffic on the roads leading towards the route of Amir is stopped but for about ten minutes only which is quite reasonable and therefore I am a witness to it that all those who are asked to stop remain silent without any grumbling and or heart burning. The most striking feature is that this ten minutes stoppage is applicable only on the road itself on which Amir motorcade is to pass through while the traffic continues uninterrupted on the other side of the road and this happens each and every time Amir is seen on roads. Kuwait has more expatriates than Kuwaitis and it is an internationally accepted principle and practice that everyone feels at home with his own people while on the other hand aliens scare and based on this analogy life of Amir of Kuwait is at high risk but, touch wood, he being equally popular with Kuwaitis and non Kuwaitis is very much safe & sound. This is a fact and not fiction that in the history of Kuwait only one time some Iranian unsuccessfully attempted on the life of Amir otherwise it is unknown here and therefore the rulers very freely move around even without much security or very thin security.
Shouldn't my President Asif Ali Zardari learn from Amir of Kuwait that if the ruler if good and takes care of those who live in his country then automatically his life is secured but if he behaves otherwise then he is risking his life at his own. Had I been in Pakistan on the day I had been sweating on road for at least an hour if not more but being in Kuwait I can rightly boast of driving on the right side of 5th Ring while Amir caravan was very much on the left side of 5th Ring. Long live Amir of Kuwait I pray.
Iqbal Hadi Zaidi can be reached at zaidiformerdiplomat@hotmail.com
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