An Epistle to Mamnoon Hussain

Dear President Mamnoon Hussain, We hope this letter finds you in excellent health. Time flies so fast. It seems like only yesterday that we saw you—on TV! A child pointed towards your face on the screen and asked his mother who you were. But as she was not certain, she told him you were just a man who lived in their television set. Sir, you were always a low-profile businessman. But who knew you’d be a low-profile Head of the State as well? That is not an easy achievement. Often, there are times when we completely forget about your existence. At other times, you cross our minds like an embarrassing childhood memory that is amusing to recount.

Long story short: we miss you!

We have tried putting together some memorable occasions when we spotted you performing ‘extra-curricular activities’ outside Aiwan-e-Sadr in the previous year. You were slightly more active than usual. But it didn’t take much of our time. So, let’s reminisce!

At Islamabad Traffic Police (ITP) Office:

APP77-15 ISLAMABAD: February 15 - President Mamnoon Hussain being briefed by IG Islamabad Tariq Masood Yasin during his visit to Islamabad Traffic Police Office. APP
ITP office in sheer disbelief: Mamnoon Hussain is not a myth!

We got excited beyond measure when you went to renew your driving license. We wondered what car you would be driving. But, mainly, we wondered exactly  WHERE you were planning to drive it. Inside the Aiwan-e-Sadr or outside of it?!

Mamnoon Hussain, ITP office, License renewal
President Hussain following the regular procedures for license renewal.

On Pakistan Resolution Day:

Mamnoon Hussain, Parade Day, March 23rd 2017, Pakistan Resolution Day
Anna ke jesa chashma lagake Mr. President.

Was the car seat not comfortable enough? Perhaps you would have preferred the one you got the license renewed for? Or maybe you are just not a very outgoing person. Whichever the case, you did not seem very pleased that day.  

Mamnoon Hussain, Resolution Day 2017.
The Annual Presidential Photosynthesis.

Also, we apologize for all the Vitamin D and ‘ dhoop lagwanay wale’  tweets. It is hard to control the excitement when you are seldom available. Your much-sought public appearance drives us Pakistanis crazy. N on compos mentis!

Flag Hoisting Ceremony:

Flag Hoisting Ceremony, 14th August 2017, Mamnoon Hussain
Marking the country’s Independence Day with such fervor.

Hoisting a flag must be a very confusing task. Especially, if you have to do it every year! Your expressions convey your innermost feelings. In fact, we are often reminded of an article by The Express Tribune back in the election year 2013, where it referred to you as “often photographed smiling, the 73-year-old Hussain“ . You are not 73 anymore. Is that the problem?

At the First OIC Summit:

Mamnoon Hussain, 1st OIC Summit 2017, Astana
Do all these Heads of States actually recognize Mamnoon Hussain or just take his word for it?

At the 1st Speakers’ Conference:

Mamnoon Hussain, 1st Speakers Conference, 2017
A ‘Speakers’ Conference? We spot the odd one out!

It is hard to believe that you actually attended conferences like this, where you had to SPEAK.

At Seerat-Un-Nabi(PBUH) Conference:

Mamnoon Hussain, Seerat-Un-Nabi(PBUH) Conference 2017, Convention Centre.
Wait, is that an attempt at cracking a smile?!

At Inaugural Ceremonies:

Mamnoon Hussain, Corpus Research Centre, Air University, Inauguration 2017,
Who keeps forcing him into activities like these?

 

Mamnoon Hussain, Inauguration 2017, Surgeon General's Annual International Conference.
All eyes on Mr. President! A guard standing near for moral support.

 

Mamnoon Hussain, Pakistan International Trade Fair, Inauguration 2017, Expo Centre, Karachi.
What’s the bet he was just praying for it to end quickly?

 

PRESIDENT MAMNOON HUSSAIN ADDRESSING THE INAUGURAL SESSION OF CONFERENCE ON PEACE IN SOUTH ASIA ARRANGED BY PAKISTAN INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AT KARACHI ON NOVEMBER 15, 2017.
The inaugural session of the conference on peace at Pakistan Institute of International Affairs(PIIA).

And we can only suppose that remaining quiet and not raising your voice is your idea of bringing peace to the realm.

At Convocations:

PRESIDENT MAMNOON HUSSAIN BEING PRESENTED A MEMENTO DURING THE CONVOCATION OF BAQAI MEDICAL UNIVERSITY IN KARACHI ON DECEMBER 18, 2017.
The President being presented with a memento during the convocation at Baqai Medical University. He looks really ‘Mamnoon’!

 

Mamnoon Hussain, NUML, 5th Convocation 2017,
Mamnoon Hussain, Chancellor of National University of Modern Languages(NUML), as chief guest at 5th convocation.

 

President Mamnoon Hussain giving away Certificates to participants of 106th National Management Course and 21st Senior Management Course during the Certificate Award Ceremony at National Management College, Lahore on July 19, 2017.
While distributing degrees among the participants of National Management Course(NMC) at National School of Public Policy(NSPP).

 

Mamnoon Hussain, Balochistan University. 14th convocation 2017
Another convocation!

 

Mamnoon Hussain, Karakorum International University, 8th convocation 2017.
And yet another convocation! In short, there have been quite a few.

Alas! All these convocations, and somehow still forgotten by the leading generation! Recently, at a well-known institute of Lahore, a lecturer of Software Engineering decided to prank the students and suddenly asked an off-topic question in the middle of the lecture. She asked if anyone could name the current president of the country ! Her thought-provoking question was followed by approximately ten seconds of pin drop silence, after which there was an uproar of blind guessing. One could say they need to pay more attention to the current affairs of the country. But we can hardly blame the students, can we? This is clearly a severe case of ‘out of sight, out of mind ‘ lurgy. So, Mr. President! We obviously cannot get enough of you. We humbly request you to take some time from your busy schedule this year and dedicate it to us.  Hum apke bohat ‘Mamnoon’ honge. And if it ever gets boring at the Aiwan, you know where to find us!   Yours faithfully(still!), The Pakistanis.

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