Prime Minister John Howard & President Musharraf
Meet the Mother of General Musharraf
In an exclusive
interview YOU! meets Begum Zarin Musharraf, the lady from whom our president,
Pervaiz Musharraf inherits his inner strength and values
(By Shabnam Nasir-Islamabad)
When I went to
interview the President's mother, Begum Zarin Musharraf at the Army House, her
warmth and affectionate personality were enough to outshine the gloom of the
dreary weather that prevailed outside the heavily guarded complex. As always,
she was in the best of spirits.
Smiling and always graceful, Begum Zarin personifies dignity and has always
impressed me every time we have met. Although seemingly fragile, she possesses
an enormous strength of character and perceptiveness that is apparent in all the
answers she gave. While we were conducting the interview, the President, General
Pervaiz Musharraf, joined us for a short time and enjoyed listening to his
mother when she was answering questions about his childhood.
Q: What are your most precious memories?
I would say that my most valuable memories would be those of my college days.
They were the golden days of my life, so carefree and exciting. It was mainly my
student life in Lucknow University that holds the best memories for me.
Q: When bringing up your three sons, did you ever realise then that one of them
was born to be a leader?
No, never. Although I would say that Pervaiz possessed many leadership
qualities, I never thought that by the grace of God he would become the
President of Pakistan. It was actually after Pervaiz became president that I
remembered the words of a highly acclaimed palmist of the family who had read my
hands before I was married. He had said that I would get married and have three
sons, they would all become very successful, but one of them would be a very
well known person.
Q: How would you describe General Pervaiz's childhood?
Pervaiz was an extremely fun-loving, popular and quite a mischievous child.
Although he was not really all that focused on his studies, he was brilliant in
mathematics. He was always the ringleader of the children he used to play with
and was always leading them into one escapade or the other. Sometimes, I used to
get fed up when his friends used to come round to ask why he hadn't come out to
play yet, and I used to tell them to leave him alone and let him get on with his
school work! He also had a short temper and would become annoyed at things that
he perceived as illogical. He is a very logical minded person and always insists
that we present our arguments logically whenever we are having any sort of
discussion. All my sons are extremely loving, but Pervaiz was the one who was
most attached to me. It makes me laugh now when I remember that when my late
husband and I used to go to parties in the evening - the children were quite
young then - Pervaiz used to be in tears. "Let dad go and you stay at home," is
what he always used to say!
Q: Were you happy with General Pervaiz's choice to join the army or were you
interested in another profession for him?
As I said before that although Pervaiz was very intelligent, he was not very
studious. So I was very happy when he joined the army. He was more inclined
towards sports and outdoor activities, so I wanted him to follow the profession
that would be better suited to his personality.
Q: What were the principles that you and your husband followed in bringing up
your children?
It is my solemn belief that if parents manage to instil in their children the
right values and beliefs at a young age, then they will be able to distinguish
right from wrong at every point in their life. My husband used to emphasise the
importance of humility to our children. "Never let power get to your head and be
honest above everything else," is something he told the boys when they were
growing up. As we were both early risers, our children were never encouraged to
sleep away the mornings. They were always told that "Dair tak sona nahusat hai"-
it is bad to sleep till late in the morning. I can happily say that my boys did
not give me any trouble because of their sound character building that my
husband and I had worked hard to achieve.
Q: How did you manage the demands of being a mother and full time career person?
I worked for the ILO (International Labour Organisation) for seventeen years. It
was a very demanding but satisfying career. My husband was in the Foreign
Service and both of us had challenging careers to fulfil. I encouraged my
children to read. If there are interesting books in any house, the children will
love to read and enhance their knowledge. I also made sure that they had
different activities at home and that they would not waste their time. I managed
so many different responsibilities by relying on hard work, focusing on all
aspects of the home and a lot of determination. I think that managing a
flourishing home really depends on the environment both parents provide. A home
where values are taught and practised is the best nurturing place for children
to grow up in.
Q: How does the tight security affect you?
Well, of course, security has become extra tight ever since the assassination
attempts on Pervaiz's life, and even though it can get frustrating it is
something one has to endure.
Q: Are there any personal experiences that changed your life in any way?
I was once involved in a serious car accident, after which I had to spend seven
months in a specially built reclining wheelchair. I think that the accident made
me more reflective about life and I became further inclined towards religion.
Q: What was your childhood like?
We were a family of four sisters and one brother and my father was a very
enlightened man. In those days, people never really encouraged girls to seek
higher education and the trend was to finish college and marry daughters off
straight away. My father never differentiated between sons and daughters in this
regard, and wanted for his daughters the best possible education.
Q: Who as a person has impressed you the most?
I would definitely say that Nelson Mandela is a role model for me. I read his
book Long Walk to Freedom and I just could not help thinking what a great man he
is. This man spent twenty-three years in solitary confinement and it makes you
think that what an amazing person he is to have endured so much.
Q: What are your hobbies?
In my family, we are all great music lovers. In fact, I had proper singing
lessons from an Ustad. My brother bought me a harmonium from Bombay, and I
learnt how to play it. For me, singing and playing the harmonium is the best way
to relax. I like to listen to classical music and Farida Khanum, Iqbal Bano and
Mehdi Hassan are among some of my favourite singers. Of the recent generation, I
like listening to Ali Azmat.
Q: How do you usually spend your day?
I get up early and after my morning prayers I do some special exercises that my
orthopaedic surgeon has told me to do, and take a morning walk. After a short
nap I have breakfast everyday with Pervaiz and always see him off to work. The
rest of my day consists of short naps and an evening walk as well. I watch a
little television and enjoy reading, or having someone read to me. At the moment
I am going through The Makings of A Modern Muslim.
Q: Any messages for today's couples?
For mothers and wives, I think that it is up to them to try and create serenity
in the house. Sharing mealtimes is important for family as this strengthens
family bonds. They should also give importance to their husbands' likes and
dislikes.
As for their male counterparts, they need to be flexible and understanding
towards their wives. They should also realise that the success of any marriage
depends upon sharing the ups and downs in life together.
