By Khalid Masud former PAF officer
Today’s doings of the CJP in Panama gate case reminded me of the famous AKI/INOKI wrestling bout in Lahore in early seventies. For the benefit of younger lot, here is a brief account. Aki pahalwan, a scion of the Bholu brothers had challenged the famous Japanese wrestler Inoki to a bout in Lahore. After a very long time Pakistanis in general and Lahoris in particular were going to be treated to a wrestling match (the likes of which most had only read about in books – the accounts of famous bouts of Gamma Pehlawan and co.). Aki/Inoki bout was going to be telecast live by PTV (a rarity in those days of Black & White TV). The whole country was watching (it was either 1972 or 1973); some Punjab govt.(PPP) Ministers were also present on ringside. I, like majority was watching on TV. Aki entered first and was introduced (TV audience) by a hyper TV commentator. Aki took off his robe and was only in his Chuddee (loincloth) and wearing a Pugg (turban) and was dancing around in the ring. The hyper commentator was almost shouting,” yeh inkee khandaani pugree hey aur yeh pugee kabhee naheen utartay, sirf kushti shurooh ho to autaarain gay, blah blah blah.” Anyway the bout started and within 10 minutes Aki’s shoulder was dislocated (due to his own stupidity as he wanted to get out of Inoki’s head lock in a desi way). So it was total anticlimax and a complete let down. Next month Lahore’s monthly magazine “Dhanak” (a rare classy Urdu magazine started by Sukhera’s from Gulberg which catered to tastes of the then younger jet set; like all good things it didn’t survive Zia’s “Islam”) a Punjabi poet wrote a short poem. I don’t remember most it but one verse stuck, “ O, Paairryaa eh kuj he kerna see – tay pugg bunn kay nuchunrr the kee lourr C” . Translation from Punjabi “ Oh Silly man, if this is what you had to do, then why did you have to prank around dancing with the turban on”. I wonder why I was reminded of the same when I read the heard the news that CJP Jamali has left the Panama case to SC for the next year (after his retirement) – I wonder why I wanted to say the same to CJP Jamali !!!!!!
& don’t forget to watch the video clip of Kushti.
