Imran, Zardari, Taseer through an FT editorâs eyes Lionel Barberâs book gives snippets of meetings with Pakistani leaders SAMAA | Web desk - Posted: Apr 2, 2021 | Last Updated: 5 days ago SAMAA | Web desk Posted: Apr 2, 2021 | Last Updated: 5 days ago The photo was taken by Alixandra Fazzina of Noor Images and was used by FT for the Lionel Barber story on cricket with Imran Khan published Nov 6, 2010. Listen to the story In October 2010, Financial Times editor Lionel Barber made a trip to Pakistan where he met Imran Khan, Asif Ali Zardari and Salmaan Taseer. The vignettes of his encounters surface for three pages in his recently published book The Powerful and the Damned: Private Diaries in Turbulent Times. Barber and his wife Victoria first went to India and then via Wagah arrived in Lahore, which he describes as âone of the power centres of the Raj and an ancient city of learningâ. While this characterisation of the city is not inaccurate, it is rather odd to see it described so quaintly out of touch given that Barber was writing in 2020. But perhaps this is what one could only expect from a white male editor of one of Englandâs oldest broadsheets. It doesnât help that he misspells Salman. The correct spelling is Salmaan. Barber and his wife were received at the Governorâs official residence, âwith stunning gardens, spacious rundown rooms with faded colours and high ceilings, including one containing a sprung ballroom floorâ. He describes Taseer as a slightly âloucheâ person. What he said reminded Barber of Richard Holbrookeâs take on the region: Pakistan is not Afghanistan. From Lahore, Barber headed to Islamabad where the Pakistani airforce took him on a two-hour helicopter tour of the flooded zones. He then went to visit Imran Khan, then in the opposition, at his Bani Gala home. He interviewed him and played a round of cricket in his garden. âI have brought a new cricket bat, new pads and new batting gloves, courtesy of Farhan Bokhari, the FTâs long-time correspondent in Pakistan,â Barber says. He is clearly enamoured of Imran, who is described in glowing terms as âstill strikingly handsomeâ, tall and sinewy, with an airy stylish home. As they warm up they chat about Imranâs charity work and the âuglyâ state of Pakistani politics. Barber does not go beyond describing the six balls delivered at reduced speed by the âmaestroâ, which disappear into the bushes. He reports Imran as saying, âGood shot⦠but we will not find the ball now.â If you were hoping for more insight, perhaps can read what Barber wrote of their little game. Barberâs next meeting is with president Zardari. He describes his private quarters as âhalf-bunker, half-shrineâ as portraits of the late Benazir Bhutto fill the room. Zardari, to Barber, is âbespectacled, black-hairedâ and âspeaks in halting English.â In a classic case of parachute journalism, he deems it creative to let us know the president is called âMr Ten Per Centâ. After commenting on Zardariâs ability to speak, Barber chooses to note that he employed a food taster (presumably to avoid being poisoned). Not much more is forthcoming, as Barber considered that the president either parried or ignored his questions about Pakistan and Islamist militants in Afghanistan. And then, he wraps up his telling of their meeting by relaying how Zardari answered his question by saying: âWhen you wear gold earrings and they are too heavy, you take them off.â Perhaps Barber was unable to appreciate the aphorism.  Â