We were scheduled to have the honour of welcoming the visit of two dignitories on the 3rd day of Jan., 2009. Hon’ble Mr Waqar Ahmed Khan, the Federal Minister for Investment alongwith His Excellency Mr Vinecnzo Prati, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of The Republic of Italy. The visit was cancelled at the nick of the time.
My good guess is; the Lahore fog must be blamed. The other one could be any important affair of the State, of which, foggy heads like me, could hardly comprehend.
I was thinking, that on my turn I’ll ask ambassador Prati, a few of the followings as thus:-
'Excellency! You are the custodians of the greatest intellectual treasure of this human race. I mean the contribution of Leonardo Da Vinci. Bill Gate’s Foundation now treasures some of his original documents. The rest, you choose to keep it to yourself as State Secret. I submitted the following reasons…………
I asked a Pakistani well-to-do about Mr Da Vinci.
His response was: “Yes! I know, it is the name of the airport in Rome!” beyond that, he was like a black board, which is considered “clean” only if every written word on it is wiped off!
I checked up with another gentlemen, who is otherwise considered better informed. He highlighted his pretentions as: “Yes! Yes! I know Da Vinci; it is the latest best seller of Dan Brown. I paid $ 35 for the hard copy!!”
In desperation, I tried to converse with a mod-fraud female spinster. She happens to be a recent “instant” acquaintance of mine (who else would talk to a free lance old hack?) At my age, even life-long spouses treat each other as third party. She was prompt in response. “Sure, I know Da Vinci restaurant of the High Street. Their previous Bengali chef baked better pizza”.
Since I have had the aforestated accidents, I was planning to plead with Mr Prati, to relax their wine-tight hold on one of the greatest heritage of mankind, commonly known as….. everything other than, the true heritage of: Leonardo Da Vinci.
Let us share, care, and celebrate Da Vinci, Excellency.
The second question that could have been asked from the Italian envoy, is as follows:-
'Excellency! One of your citizens, several centuries ago, proved to a very charming and extremely confident explorer. In his era, he wished to navigate a short cut to our Indus Valley. He mesmerized a charming queen. In trance, she decreed the funding for his voyage across the uncharted Atlantic Ocean.
Also accorded him the Vice-Regal status for the yet to-be discovered Portuguese colonies. Alas! He did not reach the fabled India, but accidentally discovered the New World. It is called Americas and a big chunk of it had been ruled by a mentally challenged person till recently. Mercifully, his term expires on the fateful 20th day (forenoon) of this January MMIX. Of course, the readers’ guess, I hope, is better than mine. The adventurer is Christofar Columbus. I with, my readers’ knowledge is, by far, better than mine? By any stretch of imagination Senor Columbus could not have forecast: who would be ruling the United States, for the first eight years of the 21st centaury!
Senor Columbus, certainly was extremely generous, he passed on the Holy Gospel to the Mayans and relieved them of the burdon of a useless almost yellow colored metal!
The next question would have respectfully been asked.
Sir! Your nation has been the care takers of the principal principality of the pristine version of Christianity. The current German born papal has great exactitude with multilingual sermons and several revered appearance.
Maybe a non-paper petition could be submitted in respect of The Pope Benedict: as thus.
“Your Holiness, this globe is desperate. Hope has suffered more deficit than the global banking credit. And then would wait for his considered response?
There is an apt expression in Russian. In my diction, it could be spelled: “Svetoi mesto, pustoi? Ne bivaet” Roughly translated, it means: Holy place vacant? No! It can’t be………
If the Chair would have allowed, I would have made another statement.
Mr Prati. You have a glorious history. So much so, it inspired the greatest British author to write his most celebrated drama, titled:
Julius Caesar. “You too Brutus” is perhaps, the most quoted phrase in all the languages of these over six billion bi-pods. Pardon, but my favorite is the speech which starts as: “Friends, Romans, and Countrymen……….”
I have a personal affiliation and very fond memories of a truly great Italian friend of Pakistan.
He was a friend of our genuine intellectual elite: Mr Qudart Ullah Shehaab, Ashfaq Ahmed Khan and Mumtaz Mufti. Whenever he visited Pakistan and, it used to often in 1960s. he was then the Chair of Urdu in the University of Rome. Of course I am talking about Prof. Alexander Bosani. I had the honour of occasionally being the chauffeur of those great minds. And, at times, overheard their pearls of wisdom.
Depending upon the environment of the seminar and mood of the participants, I would have floated a light hearted one.
“Mr Ambassador, like many other superlatives, Italians have been in surplus supply of Prime Ministers, evensince WWII. Italians could have exported some of the extras to Pakistan, – on suppliers’ credit. We have had a great deficit in that department.
On behalf of us present I could also have expressed my gratitude to His Excellency Prati for the Italians’ contribution for the construction of Tarbela Dam. Their corporation did lead the European consortium that built Tarbela.
Incidentally Tarbela dam had a design (not designed) defect. It was Prof. Cassa Grande, an American of Italian descent, who innovated part of the solution.
If only H. E. Vincenzo Prati had shown up, I would have dared ask a sensitive question. Not a diplomatic one. And the question would have been.
How does Senör Silvio Berlusconi charm & liaise with the shapely females, as alleged by his own media monopoly. Or is it to boost his chivalrous image?
For the correct answer, I would have solicited the sifarish of Mr Waqar Ahmed Khan.
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