The untold story of Musharraf's 'Baldian Bhanwan'

ISLAMABAD - It is the story of those days when former CM Punjab Ch Pervaiz Elahi used to say that PML-Q would get former President Pervez Musharraf elected ten times in the uniform. The sources, privy to the developments of the past and having close relations with Chaudhry brothers, told TheNation that with the advent of Musharrafs much debated 'In the Line of Fire, when the book was being sold like a hot cake in the national and international market in the late 2006 and early 2007, Ch Pervaiz Elahi under the Musharraf hangover decided sometime in the mid-2007 that the book of his boss should be translated in Punjabi and released an amount of money for the purpose while he was holding the office of CM Punjab. As per decided scheme of things, a Professor of Sargodha University had to translate the book with the title 'Baldian Bhanwan (burning fires) while famous Ferozsons (Pvt) Limited had to carry the responsibility for publishing it, said the sources. They said that the translation of Musharrafs book was still underway when the tenure of PML-Q government ended in November 2007 and the whole concentration of Pervez Musharraf as well as 'Q leadership turned towards the general elections. Then the days changed and after humiliating defeat of PML-Q in February 2008 elections, Chaudhrys distanced themselves from Musharraf, particularly when the latter asked them to quit central command of the party. In the new scenario Ch Pervaiz Elahi had no interest in the personality and affairs of Pervez Musharraf, hence withheld funds which he was supposed to release from his personal pocket for the translation and publishing of 'Baldian Bhanwan, the Punjabi version of Musharrafs memoir, said the sources adding that with the resignation of Pervez Musharraf in August 2008, the chapter closed forever. It is to be mentioned here that the book has been translated in Hindi under the title 'Agnipath (The Path of Fire) and also in Tamil titled 'Udal Mannukku. The Tamil editions title was taken from the popular Tamil quote Udal Mannukku, Uyir Thamizhukku (My body to the soil, my life to Tamil). The Urdu version of the book Sab Se Pehle Pakistan (Pakistan Comes First), is known to everyone in Pakistan. TheNation tried its best to contact Ch Pervaiz Elahi for his version but to no avail, as despite frequent attempts he could not be approached.