FidaHussnain
There had been three pigeons; two were sitting aside while one of them was fluttering at a dice in front of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Supremo Nawaz Sharif who was there to start his speech at Minar-e-Pakistan after a six-year long hiatus.
Nawaz Sharif offered his hand to the pigeon and it quickly jumped on his right hand. The PML-N supremo first keenly observed it, looked at it for a few seconds, smiled and then slowly raised his hand to show it to the crowd gathered there for his speech. The scenes were captured by the media and the cell phones. The PML-N pinned the clip on its official X account, previously known as Twitter, and titled it, “Nawaz Sharif weaving his magic”. The white-colored pigeon continued to flutter on the right hand of Nawaz Sharif until he himself asked someone to take it away, so he could start the speech. The act of pigeon shows as if he had an old association with Nawaz Sharif. Meanwhile, Nawaz Sharif is heard asking someone about the Urdu name of “Dove” –the moments before his speech. The pigeons symbolize fertility, prosperity, fortune, luck, and transformation. They are considered one of the earliest bird species to be domesticated by the humans, maintaining a long-standing companionship throughout ancient history. These birds are emblematic of perseverance, harmony, well-being, mercy, forgiveness, and freedom. Similarly, Doves are perhaps best known for symbolizing peace and tranquility. This association is widely recognized and often used in contexts related to diplomacy and anti-war movements. They are associated with love.
Doves can symbolize hope and optimism, often representing the possibility of positive change and renewal. Due to their white color, doves are linked to purity, innocence, and simplicity. Doves in flight represent the idea of freedom and liberation, which is why they are often used in contexts related to civil rights and freedom movements. However, there had been pigeons instead of doves.
Everybody knows that the lion is the electoral symbol of the PML-N. There had been a possibility that at least the PML-N could have brought a lion stuffed toy and could have put it before Nawaz Sharif right at that moment of his speech. Lions are totally opposite of what pigeons are meant for. But they preferred pigeons at this time.
He reflected through his words that he was totally a changed person and tried to give a message of “peace” and “reconciliation”. He said, “At this stage of my age, I just want to see a changed Pakistan. I am here to make you awake. And do not let anyone damage your country,”. He said he showed patience and delivered a careful speech.“Let’s pray together for the sake of Palestine to save it from injustice. We reject attacks on Palestine. We demand the world to ensure justice and resolve the Palestine issue with respect, so the Palestinians could live peacefully. Such injustice with Palestine will never be accepted,” he said. He also categorically said, “Today, I thought that I do not want to abuse anyone against their abuses,”. He further said “Just one tear early in the morning for the sake of God will bear you fruits,” urging the people to recite “Darood Sharif”. These words reflect the change in the policy of the PML-N in the coming days. Perhaps it is the reconciliation with all the stakeholders. During his speech, he said he did not even want to mention Imran Khan’s name. Nawaz Sharif was quite aggressive in London before his departure to Pakistan and he had said that he would hold “some people” accountable but his speech and words at Minar-e-Pakistan and the pigeons show “shift in the party’s narrative”. Let’s see if lion roars or pigeons flutter in the coming days.
